Don Heller is the director of the Center for the Study of Higher Education and is a professor of education.
What do you teach?
Most of my courses are in educational policy or higher education economics and finance. But I have also taught courses on research design, technology in higher education, and our introductory course on higher education in the U.S.
Where did you go to school?
My bachelor’s degree is in economics and political science from Tufts University, and I earned Ed.M. and Ed.D. degrees from the Harvard Graduate School of Education
Where are you from and how did you get to Penn State?
I was born in Connecticut, and lived there until I went to college in Boston. I then spent almost 20 years living, studying and working in the Boston area before taking a faculty position at the U. of Michigan. I was there for 4 1/2 years before coming to Penn State.
How did you get interested in this field?
I worked as an administrator in information technology at MIT for a decade. One of the periodicals I subscribed to there was The Chronicle of Higher Education. Over time, I realized that I was enjoying reading the IT section of the Chronicle less and less and the other sections more and more. That was the signal to me that it was time to move out of the IT field and learn more about other parts of higher education. That led me to graduate school at Harvard, where I had the chance to work as a research assistant and teaching fellow. That’s what opened my eyes to the possibility of a career as a faculty member.
What is your biggest research interest and why?
My primary research interest is on access to and success in higher education for groups that have historically been underrepresented in the nation’s colleges and universities, including low-income and minority students. I spend most of my time on this topic because I believe it continues to be such a challenge for this country, as well as being so critical to the future economic and social success of the nation.
Whats your favorite part about your job?
I’d say the best part of my job is the mentoring I do with our graduate students. We have an incredibly bright, motivated and accomplished group of students, and working with them to help further their education and help them achieve their career aspirations is one of the best parts of my job.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
That would most definitely be the work-in-progress of raising my two daughters, age 11 and 15, along with my wife. But professionally, I’d say that I’m most proud of the research I have done that has actually been used to change state and federal policies. While research for research sake alone can be important, I’m a firm believer that research is most useful when it can be used to help improve educational practice and policy.
What are the biggest problems with the financial aid system in America and how can these problems be fixed?
The biggest problem is that not enough grant aid is given to financially-needy students, as more and more financial aid is being funneled to wealthier students who do not need the money to attend college. But it is politically very popular to give money to these wealthier families, so many state states do this and many institutions follow suit because it helps them achieve their enrollment management goals of improving their standing in rankings such as those published by U.S. News & World Report. We also need to do much more to simplify the financial aid system, so that lower-income students understand what kind of grant aid is available to attend college, and how they go about accessing it.
What can be done about the condition of access for lower income students?
Solving the gaps in college participation between rich and poor in this country is going to require us to address both the academic and social preparation of the latter group, as well as address the financial barriers. Neither of these solutions by itself will solve the problem; both need to be tackled.
Do you think college tuition costs will go down anytime in the future?
In real dollars, i.e., after discounting for inflation – the answer is “no.” Some small number of institutions may hold the line on tuition increases, or at least increase them no more than the rate of inflation. But as long as demand for a postsecondary education stays strong, tuition prices are going to continue to increase nationally.
Is anyone to blame for the rising cost of college tuition?
Of course “someone” is to blame – prices didn’t just rise by themselves. There are a number of culpable parties, including:
— students who have been willing to pay higher and higher prices for a college education
— state legislators who have made funding for higher education a smaller and smaller proportion of state budgets over the last 25 years (one of the largest drivers of increases in tuition prices in public institutions has been lower levels of support from the states)
— university administrators and in some cases faculty members, who while making honest efforts to find ways to control costs (in some cases), are still faced with increasing demand for services and little incentive not to provide them as long as a revenue stream is available to support them.
Do you have any advice for students looking to defray tuition charges?
Yes – don’t assume that more expensive is better. Just because one university charges more than another doesn’t make the former a better option for postsecondary education. I’m a firm believer that for the great majority of students, there is more than one university at which they can be successful and have an excellent educational experience. The majority of the research points to the fact that you don’t have to attend one of the nation’s most expensive, elite universities in order to have a fruitful, happy, and successful life. So I advise students and parents not to get hung up on the assumption that more expensive is better. Very often a lower-priced institution may be a better option for any given student.
And of course – be sure to apply for financial aid! This is the best way to defray tuition charges by making sure that you apply for any financial aid for which you may be eligible.
