This Week In IPEDS (TWII)

The National Postsecondary Education Cooperative (NPEC) has recently released the following reports related to IPEDS:

The History and Origins of Survey Items for the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System

This project was conducted to determine the origin of items in the 2011-12 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) survey components. The report was developed to document the sources of current IPEDS data items as background information for interested parties and to provide guidance when NCES, technical review panels, and others are considering potential changes to the IPEDS data collection.
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=NPEC2012833

Suggestions for Improvements to the Collection and Dissemination of Federal Financial Aid Data

Several offices within the U.S. Department of Education collect and disseminate data about student financial aid. However, limitations of these data sources may make it difficult for consumers, policymakers, and researchers to gain a complete picture of the sources, types, and amounts of aid going to students at institutions of higher education and the relationship between aid and policy goals such as access and success. This report presents the findings and recommendations of the National Postsecondary Education Cooperative (NPEC) Working Group on Financial Aid Data, which sought to identify potential improvements to the collection and dissemination of federal financial aid data. The recommendations in this report do not affect IPEDS Student Financial Aid reporting at the present time, but rather suggest directions for future improvement over time. The report can be found at:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=NPEC2012834

Important Upcoming Dates:

• IPEDS Winter and Spring data collections open on December 7, 2011

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