Next America

How changing demography is changing a nation

Higher Education

Measuring College (Un)affordability

As many as 95 percent of schools are out of reach for low-income students.

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  1. Early Childhood

    A New Understanding of the Childhood Brain

    Uncovering the link between early trauma and lifelong illness

  2. Early Childhood

    The Decade of the Brain

    How former president George H. W. Bush's program launched a new understanding of childhood development.

  4. Early Childhood

    'Mister Rogers' vs. Richard Nixon in the Fight for Young Minds

    How early childhood became political

  5. Early Childhood
    Peter Nicholls / Reuters

    Where Are All the Preschoolers?

    Communities may have the funding to expand services, but they don’t have the data needed to target the right children.

  6. Early Childhood
    Luke MacGregor / Reuters

    When Preschool Happens at Home

    A program in Boston helps new parents find solace.

  7. Early Childhood
    HBO

    How Big People Shape Little Kids in Big Little Lies

    The HBO miniseries is an honest reflection of parents’ psychological impact on their children.

  8. Early Childhood
    Alastair Grant / AP

    How Poverty Changes the Brain

    The early results out of a Boston nonprofit are positive.

  9. Higher Education

    The Visa Uncertainty Holding Back Star Scientists

    An Indian Ph.D. graduate is working on potentially lifesaving heart research. Will she be able to stay in the U.S. to complete it?

  11. Higher Education
    Alexander F. Yuan / AP

    Can Grade-Skipping Close the STEM Gender Gap?

    If girls were allowed to accelerate through school, then perhaps their peak career- and family-building years would not overlap.

  12. Early Childhood
    Tara Garcia Mathewson

    Can Love Close the Achievement Gap?

    The Boston Basics is a series of evidence-based parenting principles designed for children under the age of 3.

  13. Higher Education
    Kevin Rivoli / AP

    What Is the Future of College Marketing?

    The “typical” American college student is changing. Is Big Data equipped to keep up?

  14. Higher Education
    James A. Finley / AP

    How Colleges Use Big Data to Target the Students They Want

    By tracking prospective pupils’ digital footprints, schools can make calculated decisions about their admissions outreach—for a price.

  15. Higher Education
    Mark Peterson / Getty

    Colleges' Endless Pursuit of Students

    With increasingly sophisticated data, universities are constantly courting prospective attendees.

  16. Early Childhood
    David Adame / AP

    How Discrimination Nearly Stalled a Dual-Language Program in Boston

    After years of advocacy, the city’s first Haitian Creole–English school opens in the fall.

  17. Higher Education
    Mark Lennihan / AP

    The FAFSA's Midterm Grade

    Changes intended to make filing for financial aid easier were accompanied by major structural hiccups.

  18. Criminal Justice
    Jason Reed / Reuters

    A Victory for the Eighth Amendment

    A majority on the Supreme Court lets states know it is serious about barring executions of the mentally disabled.

  19. Economy
    Charles Krupa / AP

    Why Black Families Struggle to Build Wealth

    It’s harder for African Americans to climb the economic ladder, and to sustain their progress.

  20. Criminal Justice
    Andrew Burton / Reuters

    What Will Happen to Americans Who Can't Afford an Attorney?

    President Trump’s budget would eliminate the Legal Services Corporation, which helps low-income individuals obtain representation in civil proceedings.

  21. Higher Education
    Robert Nickelsberg / Getty

    The University of Michigan’s Plan to Increase Diversity

    The administration has launched a multiyear racial and socioeconomic diversity plan, but a lot of students aren’t pleased.

  22. Criminal Justice
    Yuri Grigas / Reuters

    What Should the Feds Do About Bad Cops?

    Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the ousted top federal prosecutor for Chicago offered two different visions this week.