United States General Accounting Office

GAO Report to the Ranking Minority Member,

Subcommittee on Postsecondary

Education, Training, and Life-Long

Learning, Committee on Education and

the Workforce, House of Representatives

August 1997 STUDENT FINANCIAL

AID

Federal Aid Awarded to

Students Taking

Remedial Courses

GAO/HEHS-97-142

GAO United States

General Accounting Office

Washington, D.C. 20548

Health, Education, and

Human Services Division

B-271705 

August 21, 1997

The Honorable Dale E. Kildee

Ranking Minority Member, Subcommittee on

 Postsecondary Education, Training,

 and Life-Long Learning

Committee on Education and the Workforce

House of Representatives

Dear Mr. Kildee:

Colleges commonly offer remedial instruction designed to raise students’

proficiency in reading, writing, or mathematics to levels expected to be

achieved in high school. Recent studies have documented the prevalence

of these courses at postsecondary institutions. The American Council on

Education found that 13 percent of all undergraduates completed at least

one remedial course in the 1992-93 academic year.1

 In addition, the

Department of Education reported that all 2-year and 81 percent of 4-year

degree-granting colleges offered remedial education courses in the fall

1995 term.2

 This apparently widespread need for college remediation has

raised concern about possible effects on appropriations earmarked for

postsecondary education.

Some Congress members disapprove of allowing college students to use

title IV funds (federal student financial aid3

 provided under the Higher

Education Act of 1965 as amended) to help finance remedial education.

Federal policymakers who take this position often share some common

beliefs about the relationship between college remediation and financial

aid. For example, these policymakers typically believe a large portion of

financial aid (1) is awarded to students enrolled in remedial education

courses and (2) pays for remedial education courses. They therefore

believe granting financial aid to students needing such courses may be

compromising title IV’s primary public policy objective: funding

postsecondary education.

1

Remedial Education: An Undergraduate Student Profile, American Council on Education

(Washington, D.C.: Feb. 1996).

2

Remedial Education at Higher Education Institutions in Fall 1995, National Center for Education

Statistics, NCES 97-584 (Washington, D.C.: Oct. 1996).

3

For the rest of the report, we refer to federal student financial aid as “financial aid,” unless otherwise

noted.

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B-271705 

Because the extent that title IV funds support students taking remedial

education was unknown, you asked us to examine remedial education4

among college freshman and sophomore (underclassmen) financial aid

recipients for the fall 1995 term. Specifically, we agreed to provide you

with information on the share of financial aid dollars (1) awarded to

underclassmen who enrolled in remedial courses and (2) used by

underclassmen to pay for remedial courses. We also examined why and

how colleges provide remedial education and the demographic profiles of

students who take such courses.

To develop our information, we used questionnaire surveys and case

studies. We mailed questionnaires to a stratified random sample of 758

degree-granting 2- and 4-year postsecondary institutions to obtain data on

financial aid and remedial coursework for students who enrolled in at

least one remedial course in the fall 1995 term. We conducted our case

studies at nine postsecondary institutions to examine how and why

schools provide remedial education and to profile students taking these

courses. We visited three public 2-year schools and six 4-year schools

(three of which were public and three of which were private).5

 Because of

the subject matter’s sensitive nature, we agreed to maintain the

confidentiality of our case study schools.6

Our survey results have two limitations. First, we attained a relatively low

response rate: about 57 percent, or 430, of the schools responded.

Consequently, the survey results are not necessarily representative of the

universe of students enrolled in degree-granting postsecondary institutions

or generalizable to that population. Second, the assumption underlying our

assessment of how much financial aid paid for remedial education biased

our results toward overestimation. For example, our estimate implicitly

assumed students exclusively used financial aid to pay for tuition costs.

The share of financial aid that paid for remedial courses, however, is lower

than our estimate if some aid financed other education-related expenses

such as housing, transportation, or textbooks. The influences of such an

4

We defined remedial instruction as reading, writing, or mathematics courses designed for college

students lacking those skills necessary to perform at the level required by their institution. For more

details on our definition of remedial courses, see app. III.

5

In choosing these schools, we took several variables into account, including (1) the percentage of

freshmen who took at least one remedial course in the fall 1995 term, (2) Pell grant dollars per student,

and (3) geographic location.

6

We identify these schools as Schools A through I.

Page 2 GAO/HEHS-97-142 Remedial Education and Financial Aid
B-271705 

assumption make our estimate an upper limit on the portion of financial

aid that could have paid for remedial coursework.7

Appendix I details our questionnaire scope and methodology; appendix II

discusses in detail each of the case study schools.

Results in Brief In the 430 schools that responded to our survey, underclassmen who

enrolled in remedial education courses received a relatively small portion

of financial aid dollars. Of all financial aid awarded to underclassmen at

these schools, approximately 13 percent went to freshmen and

sophomores who enrolled in at least one remedial course. In addition, only

6 percent of freshmen and sophomores at these schools both received

financial aid and enrolled in remedial courses. Moreover, for our

respondents, we estimated that no more than 4 percent of the financial aid

granted to freshmen and sophomores paid for remedial courses.

Our nine case study schools provided remedial courses to raise their

students’ proficiency in reading, writing, and math skills to levels typically

attained in high school. Representatives from each 2-year school viewed

remedial education as an integral part of their institution’s purpose, with

two of three citing such coursework in their mission statements.

Spokesmen for the 4-year schools saw these programs as consistent with

their institutions’ commitment to meeting students’ educational needs.

Most schools guided students who needed remedial education through

formal programs. With one exception, the case study schools used

mandatory placement tests to assign students to courses commensurate

with their skill level before enrollment. All the 4-year public schools

required students to enroll in remedial courses if placement test scores

indicated the need. The schools varied according to limits placed on and

the type of credit offered for remedial courses. For example, some schools

required students to complete remedial coursework by the end of their

first term; others allowed students to take such courses through

graduation. In addition, four schools allowed students to use these courses

as electives; others did not.

Generally, freshmen and racial minorities constituted a higher share of

remedial course enrollments compared with their campuswide

enrollments. For example, at three 4-year schools, freshmen were

7

For a detailed discussion on our estimation of the portion of financial aid paying for remedial

coursework, see app. I.

Page 3 GAO/HEHS-97-142 Remedial Education and Financial Aid
B-271705 

overrepresented in remedial courses. In addition, at five schools, racial

minorities typically enrolled in remedial courses at twice the proportion of

their campuswide enrollments.

Background The Congress enacted the Higher Education Act of 1965 to promote equal

access to higher education. To further this goal, title IV of the act

establishes financial aid programs to help make college more affordable.

Title IV financial aid programs may be used to help pay for remedial

education courses. Postsecondary education students may use financial

aid to pay for up to 30 semester hours of remedial courses.

To reduce the resources devoted to teaching basic skills, several states are

revising remedial education policies for their 4-year schools. For example,

the regents for California’s state university system plan to reduce the

portion of entering freshmen who take remedial education courses from

about 44 percent in 1994 to no more than 10 percent within the next 10

years. Along with adopting more selective admission standards, the

Georgia State Board of Regents decided to reduce the portion of students

taking remedial courses by 5 percent each year, beginning in 1997, and

eliminate any remedial courses by 2001. Last year, the Massachusetts

Board of Higher Education raised its admission standards and limited the

enrollment of new freshmen in remedial courses on 4-year campuses to no

more than 10 percent in 1997 and 5 percent in 1998, down from 21 percent

in the fall of 1995.

At the federal level, some members of the Congress seek to improve the

targeting of title IV funds by restricting the use of financial aid to

postsecondary education courses. In speculating that a large percentage of

students receiving financial aid use it to pay for remedial courses, these

members want to eliminate the financial aid awarded to students needing

such courses and reallocate it to more qualified students. According to

these members, the Congress could materially augment or enhance the

financial aid packages of students remaining eligible for title IV funding

without providing additional appropriations.

Proponents of allowing financial aid recipients to take remedial courses

have defended the current policy. They say the policy is critical to

promoting access to higher education, especially for economically and

socially disadvantaged students. Because many students who require

college remediation graduated from schools in resource-poor school

districts, these proponents contend that such students have deficiencies in

Page 4 GAO/HEHS-97-142 Remedial Education and Financial Aid
B-271705 

basic skills through no fault of their own. In addition, these proponent

point out that nontraditional students often need such courses because

their skills have deteriorated from being out of school for long periods.

Percentage of Aid

Awarded to Students

Taking Remedial

Courses

At the 430 schools that responded to our survey, underclassmen enrolled

in remedial courses received relatively few financial aid dollars in the fall

1995 term. At these schools, about 13 percent of the financial aid awarded

to freshmen and sophomores went to those who took a remedial

education course. Students who took remedial courses at the 2-year

schools, however, received more than twice the proportion of financial aid

that underclassmen who attended 4-year schools received (see fig. 1).

Figure 1: Percentage of Aid Awarded to Students Taking Remedial Courses

24%

76%

2-Year Schools

10%

90%

4-Year Schools

Aid to Remedial Education Enrollees

Aid to Other Enrollees

At the 430 schools responding to our survey, relatively few freshmen and

sophomores both received aid and enrolled in remedial courses in the fall

1995 term. Only 6 percent of the freshmen and sophomores at these

schools both received financial aid and took at least one remedial course.

Page 5 GAO/HEHS-97-142 Remedial Education and Financial Aid
B-271705 

The proportion of freshman and sophomore aid recipients enrolled in

remedial courses was two times higher at 2-year schools than 4-year

schools—about 25 and 12 percent, respectively.

Percentage of

Financial Aid That

Could Have Paid for

Remedial Education

Courses

At the 430 schools responding to our survey, only a small portion of

financial aid dollars could have paid for remedial courses in the fall 1995

term. Overall, we estimated that no more than about 4 percent of aid

dollars awarded to freshmen and sophomores paid for remedial courses. A

higher proportion of financial aid dollars could have paid for remedial

courses at the 2-year schools than at 4-year schools. For financial aid

recipients at the 2-year schools, about 8 percent of aid dollars could have

paid for remedial courses compared with about 3 percent at 4-year schools

for underclassman aid recipients (see fig. 2). On average, students enrolled

in remedial courses at 2-year schools registered for about 4.9 credit hours

or units in remedial courses; similar students attending 4-year schools

registered for about 4.1 remedial credit hours or units.

Figure 2: Percentage of Financial Aid Paid for Remedial Courses

8%

92%

2-Year Schools

3%

97%

4-Year Schools

Aid for Remedial Courses

Aid for Other Courses

Page 6 GAO/HEHS-97-142 Remedial Education and Financial Aid
B-271705 

Remedial Education

Programs

Our nine case study schools provided remedial courses to raise their

students’ proficiency in reading, writing, and math to levels typically

attained in high school. Consistent with their open enrollment policy, two

of the three 2-year schools’ mission statements specifically cited remedial

education as an integral part of their mission, which emphasized access. In

contrast, the 4-year schools’ mission statements did not specifically

address remedial education, but for retention purposes, provided remedial

education to otherwise capable students who need extra help to meet the

challenges of college-level work.

Most of our case study schools guided students who needed remedial

education through formal programs, which all six 4-year schools provided.

The schools’ programs combined remedial instruction with student

support interventions reserved for students enrolled in these courses such

as academic counseling and mentoring. Two schools administered their

programs only during the regular academic year; two others had both a

summer pre-enrollment and an academic year program. The other two

schools exclusively used summer pre-enrollment programs and, while

offering remedial instruction during the academic year, did not provide

any coordinated services. Although the three 2-year schools provided

remedial instruction and student support interventions, they did not

combine them into a formal program.

Most of the case study schools used mandatory placement tests to assign

students to courses commensurate with their skill level before enrollment.

Seven schools (four 4-year and three 2-year) used pre-enrollment

placement tests to assign students to either remedial, regular, or advanced

college-level curricula. These schools administered placement tests, which

focused on reading, writing, and math skills, to all entering freshmen and

in some cases to transfer students. Four of these schools (three 4-year and

one 2-year) required students to enroll in remedial courses if test scores

indicated the need; remedial education courses were optional for students

at the remaining three schools (one 4-year and two 2-year). On average,

students attending 2-year schools who enrolled in remedial courses

registered for about 5.0 credit hours or units in remedial courses; similar

students attending 4-year schools registered for about 5.6 credit hours or

units in the fall 1995 term.

Restrictions placed on remedial education programs varied among the

case study schools. For example, two 4-year schools required students to

complete remedial coursework by the end of their first term; another

4-year school allowed up to 2 years. The other six schools allowed

Page 7 GAO/HEHS-97-142 Remedial Education and Financial Aid
B-271705 

students to take remedial courses through graduation. Furthermore, two

schools (both 4-year) did not allow students to repeat remedial courses;

four schools (two 2-year and two 4-year) limited the number of times

students could repeat remedial courses. All nine schools, however,

required their students—whether enrolled in remedial or college-level

courses—to progress satisfactorily toward graduation to qualify for

financial aid.

In addition, the type of credit offered for remedial courses varied among

the case study schools. Schools awarded either institutional8

 or elective

credits. Five schools (three 4-year and two 2-year) offered institutional

credit for these courses; four schools (three 4-year and one 2-year)

allowed students to use these courses as electives that would count

toward graduation.

Freshman and Racial

Minority Enrollment

in Remedial Courses

For most of the case study schools that provided demographic data,

freshmen and racial minorities constituted a larger share of students

enrolled in remedial courses compared with their campuswide

enrollments. At four of the six 4-year schools that provided demographic

data, freshmen accounted for at least 50 percent of remedial course

enrollments; they accounted for between 18 and 35 percent of overall

student body enrollments (see fig. 3).9

 At four of the six 4-year schools that

provided demographic data, racial minorities’ share of remedial course

enrollments ranged from 32 to 92 percent, typically almost twice the

proportion of their campuswide enrollments (see fig. 4).10 At one 2-year

school, freshmen accounted for about 94 percent of the remedial course

enrollments but only about 68 percent of its student body. Similarly, at this

school, racial minorities accounted for 35 percent of the remedial

education course enrollments but only 20 percent of the student body.11

8

Courses receiving institutional credit allow students to attain full-time status and be eligible for

financial aid. These courses do not count toward graduation requirements, however.

9

The other 4-year schools limited remedial course enrollments to freshmen.

10One 4-year school was not included because it is a historically black public university. At the

remaining 4-year school, which limited remedial course enrollments to freshmen, racial minorities

accounted for 48 percent of all remedial enrollments but only 23 percent of all freshmen.

11The remaining two 2-year schools did not provide demographic data.

Page 8 GAO/HEHS-97-142 Remedial Education and Financial Aid
B-271705 

Figure 3: Freshmen as a Percentage of Remedial Course and Campuswide Enrollments

School A School C School D School F School I

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

70

82

92

51

94

22

18

32 35

68

Remedial Course Enrollments 

Campuswide Enrollments 

4-Year 2-Year

Percentage

Note: Schools B and E limited remedial enrollments to freshmen. Schools G and H (2-year

schools) did not provide demographic data.

Page 9 GAO/HEHS-97-142 Remedial Education and Financial Aid
B-271705 

Figure 4: Racial Minorities as a Percentage of Remedial Course and Campuswide Enrollments

School A School C School D School F School I

0

20

40

60

80

100

92

42

32

87

35

81

19 17

42

20

Remedial Course Enrollments

Campuswide Enrollments

4-Year 2-Year

Percentage

Note: Schools B and E were not included. School B is a historically black public university. School

E limited remedial course enrollments to freshmen. Among freshmen at School E, racial minorities

accounted for 48 percent of all remedial course enrollments but only 23 percent of all freshmen.

Schools G and H (2-year schools) did not provide demographic data.

Conclusions The results from the 430 schools responding to our survey raise questions

about some preconceived notions about the relationship between college

remediation and financial aid. Though not definitive of the national

picture, relatively few financial aid dollars were associated with college

remediation at the schools responding to our survey. For these schools,

about 13 percent of the financial aid awarded to underclassmen went to

those enrolled in remedial courses. In addition, for these schools, our

calculations show that no more than 4 percent of the financial aid granted

to underclassmen could have paid for remedial courses. Consequently, for

the schools responding to our survey, it is unclear whether eliminating

Page 10 GAO/HEHS-97-142 Remedial Education and Financial Aid
B-271705 

financial aid associated with remedial education would have presented

meaningful opportunities to reprogram title IV funds.

Agency Comments Officials at the Department of Education reviewed this report and

provided no comments.

We are sending copies of this report to the appropriate House and Senate

committees, the Secretary of Education, and other interested parties. We

will also make copies available to others on request.

This report was prepared under the direction of Wayne B. Upshaw,

Assistant Director. If you or your staff have any questions concerning this

report, please call me at (202) 512-7014 or Tamara A. Lumpkin,

Evaluator-in-Charge, at (202) 512-5699. Other contributors to this report

are listed in appendix III.

Sincerely yours,

Cornelia M. Blanchette

Associate Director, Education

 and Employment Issues

Page 11 GAO/HEHS-97-142 Remedial Education and Financial Aid
Contents

Letter 1

Appendix I 

Questionnaire Scope

and Methodology

14

Sampling Procedures and Response Rate 14

Scope of Information 15

Data Validation 16

Sampling Errors and Sample Weights 16

Estimation of Financial Aid Paying for Remedial Courses 16

Appendix II 

Case Studies of the

Use of Remedial

Programs at Nine

Schools

18

Site Selection 18

Profile of School A 19

Profile of School B 22

Profile of School C 24

Profile of School D 27

Profile of School E 30

Profile of School F 32

Profile of School G 34

Profile of School H 35

Profile of School I 36

Appendix III 

GAO Contacts and

Staff

Acknowledgments

39

GAO Contacts 39

Acknowledgments 39

Tables Table I.1: Adjusted Populations, Adjusted Sample Sizes, Number

of Respondents, and Response Rate for Our Surveys

15

Table II.1: Schools Selected for Case Studies 18

Table II.2: Relationship Between Student Aid and Remedial

Education at Case Study Schools

19

Table II.3: Comparison of Average SAT Scores and Average GPAs

Among Freshmen Enrolled in Remedial Courses and Total

Freshman Class at School D, Fall 1995

30

Figures Figure 1: Percentage of Aid Awarded to Students Taking

Remedial Courses

5

Figure 2: Percentage of Financial Aid Paid for Remedial Courses 6

Page 12 GAO/HEHS-97-142 Remedial Education and Financial Aid
Contents

Figure 3: Freshmen as a Percentage of Remedial Course and

Campuswide Enrollments

9

Figure 4: Racial Minorities as a Percentage of Remedial Course

and Campuswide Enrollments

10

Figure II.1: School A—Mostly Freshmen Enrolled in Remedial

Courses

22

Figure II.2: School C—Decrease in Need for Remedial

Coursework

25

Figure II.3: School C—Mostly Freshmen Enrolled in Remedial

Courses

27

Figure II.4: School D—Remedial and Compuswide Enrollments

Among Students by Race

29

Abbreviations

ACT American College Test

CRP College Restoration Program

GED general equivalency diploma

GPA grade-point average

NCES National Center for Education Statistics

PEQIS Postsecondary Education Quick Information Survey

REEP Retention Enhanced Education Program

SAT Scholastic Achievement Test

SBP Summer Bridge Program

SSP Student Support Program

SSS Student Support Services

Page 13 GAO/HEHS-97-142 Remedial Education and Financial Aid
Appendix I 

Questionnaire Scope and Methodology

This appendix describes the sampling procedures used in conducting our

survey and its response rate. It also details the information in the survey,

our efforts to validate the data, and the assumptions underlying our

estimate of the portion of financial aid that paid for remedial coursework.

Sampling Procedures

and Response Rate

For our survey, we developed two questionnaires, one each for 2- and

4-year postsecondary degree-granting institutions. We mailed the

questionnaires to the financial aid directors at a stratified random sample

of 295 2-year and 495 4-year schools.

We surveyed schools that constituted the Department of Education’s

Postsecondary Education Quick Information Survey (PEQIS) sample. We

chose this sample because Education, through its National Center for

Education Statistics (NCES), had already surveyed these schools regarding

remedial education. The PEQIS sample is a stratified random sample, with

several strata, including public and private (nonprofit and for-profit) 2- and

4-year institutions, categorized by size. Because we sought information

only for undergraduate students at degree-granting institutions, we deleted

proprietary schools, schools not considered institutions of higher

education,12 and graduate or professional schools13 from this sample. The

adjusted sample of 758 schools represented an adjusted population of

3,243 schools. We received responses from 430 of 758 schools in our

adjusted sample—a response rate of 57 percent. Table I.1 shows the

adjusted populations, adjusted sample sizes, number of respondents, and

response rate from our surveys.

12An institution of higher education is an institution accredited at the college level by an association or

agency recognized by the Secretary of Education.

13We could not identify which schools were graduate or professional schools in the PEQIS database.

Therefore, these schools were initially included in our sample and surveyed. In response to our survey,

however, officials at 32 of these schools identified them as graduate or professional schools so we

deleted them from our survey. An unknown number of nonrespondents may also have been only

graduate or professional schools.

Page 14 GAO/HEHS-97-142 Remedial Education and Financial Aid
Appendix I 

Questionnaire Scope and Methodology

Table I.1: Adjusted Populations,

Adjusted Sample Sizes, Number of

Respondents, and Response Rate for

Our Surveys Type of school

Adjusted

population

Adjusted

sample size Respondents

Response

rate

(percent)

All schools 3,243 758 430 56.7

2-year schools

Public 974 263 134 51.0

Private 167 31 19 61.3

Total 1,141 294 153 52.0

4-year schools

Public 615 244 154 63.1

Private 1,487 220 123 55.9

Total 2,102 464 277 59.7

To increase the response rate, we mailed the survey three times and made

several follow-up telephone calls to schools. In making these telephone

calls, we learned that technical, staffing, and time constraints prevented

schools from responding. Regarding technical constraints, many schools

lacked integrated registration and financial aid databases. Without

integrated databases, completing the survey would have required an

extremely labor-intensive effort to either manually calculate or develop

computer programs to reconcile the two databases. In addition, many of

the schools that had integrated databases faced staffing and time

constraints that precluded them from developing the computer programs

needed to generate the requested data.

Scope of Information The questionnaires asked for information on freshmen and sophomores in

the fall 1995 term regarding the number of (1) financial aid recipients and

the types and amounts of aid awarded, (2) financial aid recipients enrolled

in remedial courses, (3) students not awarded financial aid and the

number of these students who took remedial courses, and (4) financial aid

recipients’ and other students’ hours or units registered in both

college-level and remedial courses.

We also obtained information on juniors and seniors from 4-year schools

on (1) the total number of upperclassmen, (2) upperclassmen who

received aid and the amount they received, (3) these students’ hours or

units registered in both college-level and remedial courses, and

(4) upperclassmen who took at least one remedial course. To encourage

schools to respond to our survey, we aggregated the data to preclude

identifying specific schools.

Page 15 GAO/HEHS-97-142 Remedial Education and Financial Aid
Appendix I 

Questionnaire Scope and Methodology

Our questionnaire used the term “developmental/remedial courses” and

defined these as reading, writing, or mathematics courses offered by

institutions that are (1) designed for college students lacking those skills

necessary to perform at the level required by the institution; (2) designed

to bring such students up to college-level work; (3) defined by the

institution as developmental/remedial; and (4) counted for federal aid

purposes, regardless of whether or not they granted degree credit. We

excluded English as a Second Language courses taught primarily to

foreign students who have F-1 visas and courses offered by other

institutions.

In addition, we gathered information on all title IV federal student

financial aid that these students received. This included Supplemental

Educational Opportunity Grants and Pell grants, Federal Family Education

Loans and Direct Loans, Perkins Loans, and Federal Work Study. For

campus-based aid programs, we asked schools to include their portion as

well as the federal portion. We asked schools to exclude all other types of

federal aid such as the federal portion of State Student Incentive Grants.

Data Validation To test the survey’s internal validity, we included questions to which the

responses should have been internally consistent. For example, we asked

for the total number of students receiving aid and then asked for

disaggregated data on students by types of aid awarded. In some cases, the

disaggregated data did not correspond with the total number of students

receiving aid. When we identified discrepancies, we contacted the school

for clarification.

Sampling Errors and

Sample Weights

Because our response rate was inadequate, we did not estimate population

totals or averages or calculate sampling errors. As such, our results are

sample specific, pertaining only to the 430 survey respondents.

We used the PEQIS base sample weights to reflect the PEQIS sample design.

We adjusted our results using base weights assigned as part of PEQIS.

Estimation of

Financial Aid Paying

for Remedial Courses

Because we lacked data on education-related costs, our estimate of how

much financial aid paid for remedial education has certain limitations.

Specifically, the assumptions about students’ total education-related costs

underlying our estimate biased our results toward overestimation. In

assuming that students used their financial aid only to pay tuition, we

Page 16 GAO/HEHS-97-142 Remedial Education and Financial Aid
Appendix I 

Questionnaire Scope and Methodology

treated tuition as students’ only educational expense, excluding other

education-related expenses such as housing, transportation, and books.

To the extent that financial aid pays for more than simply tuition, our

estimate constitutes an upper limit on the percentage of aid supporting

remedial education. For illustrative purposes, consider the following

example: If a student received $1,000 in financial aid and enrolled for 12

credit hours—3 remedial and 9 regular credit hours—our estimate

assumed that a fourth of the financial aid award, or $250, paid for the

remedial course hours.14 However, if the same student’s tuition equaled

$4,000 and other education-related expenses equaled $4,000, for a total

cost of $8,000, it would be reasonable to assume that half the financial aid

award ($500) was used to help pay for tuition and the remaining half

helped pay other education-related expenses. Because remedial courses

equaled a fourth of the student’s courseload, the proportion of financial

aid used to pay for remedial courses would be a fourth of $500, or $125—

half the amount derived from our estimate.

14We assumed that the percentage of financial aid paying for remedial work equaled the proportion of a

student’s courseload of remedial courses.

Page 17 GAO/HEHS-97-142 Remedial Education and Financial Aid
Appendix II 

Case Studies of the Use of Remedial

Programs at Nine Schools

This appendix describes in detail our case study schools’ remedial

education programs. Besides summarizing school officials’ statements and

opinions, it presents data on the retention and graduation rates of students

who enrolled in remedial courses, as well as their demographic profiles,

whenever possible.

Site Selection We selected schools on the basis of two factors: (1) percentage of entering

freshmen who completed at least one remedial course in fall 1995 and

(2) Pell grant dollars per student. We used data from the NCES Remedial

Education in Higher Education Institutions Survey to determine freshmen

enrollments in remedial courses. For Pell grants, we collected data from

the National Student Loan Database System on sample schools’ aggregated

dollars in the Pell grant program and divided those dollars by their total

student body enrollments to construct a dollars-per-student measure. We

then assigned schools to one of the following three categories: (1) high

remedial course enrollments and high Pell grant awards per student,

(2) high remedial course enrollments and low Pell grant awards per

student, or (3) low remedial course enrollments and high Pell grant

awards per student.15 From each category, we chose two 4-year schools—

one public and one private—and one 2-year public school. We also

considered geographic diversity and school size when selecting the

schools.

Table II.1 shows each school’s category on the basis of these preliminary

data.

Table II.1: Schools Selected for Case

Studies Remedial enrollments

Federal aid High Low

High School A

School F

School G

School B

School E

School I 

Low School C

School D

School H

No schools selected

For the nine case study schools we visited, table II.2 shows the percent of

(1) financial aid received by students enrolled in remedial education

courses, (2) students awarded financial aid and enrolled in remedial

courses, and (3) financial aid that could have paid for remedial courses.

15These categories were defined relative to each sector of public and private 2- and 4-year schools.

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Table II.2: Relationship Between

Student Aid and Remedial Education

at Case Study Schools

School

Percent of

financial aid

received by

students enrolled

in remedial courses

Percent of

students receiving

financial aid and

enrolled in

remedial courses

Maximum percent

of financial aid

paying for

remedial courses

4-year

A 15 8 5

B 8 8 4

C 12 5 2

D 9 5 2

E 0.3 0.2 0.2

F 20 9 13

2-year

G 39 16 21

H 32 4 17

I 17 5 9

Profile of School A We classified School A, a large, west coast public 4-year university, as a

high remedial enrollment (53 percent of freshmen) and a high per capita

Pell grant award ($510 average per student) institution. Overall, about

11 percent of its 13,000 undergraduates took remedial courses.

School A has a moderately selective admissions policy. To gain admission,

students must rank in the upper third of their high school graduating class.

The school uses a special-admissions category, however, to facilitate

access for some students from underrepresented groups such as

low-income and first-generation students. In total, the school allots about

388 slots each year for special-admissions students. According to school

officials, these students account for approximately 25 percent of the

school’s first-time freshmen.

School A has offered remedial courses since 1967. Its mission states that it

will help students in acquiring and mastering college-level skills to make

them competitive in the marketplace. School A’s officials said remedial

education facilitates this goal. In addition, its title III school status

emphasizes the need for this school to offer remedial courses.16

16Title III is a federal program for postsecondary institutions that serve a high percentage of

disadvantaged students. Federal funds are provided, through grants, to help students succeed

academically through special services.

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School A’s officials said its remedial education curriculum has affected

student retention rates, although they could only provide anecdotal

evidence. For example, remedial courses serve as a refresher for some

historically high-achieving students, such as those graduating from high

school honors programs, who sometimes encounter transition problems

once they enter college, these officials said. For these students, remedial

courses help bolster their confidence. Without these courses, the officials

said, these promising students may take college-level classes too soon and

become discouraged. A large number of students speak a language other

than English at home and are English as a Second Language students.

Many of these students must take remedial courses as well.

Implementation of

Remedial Programs

School A requires that entering freshmen and transfers who have not

satisfied college-level English and math requirements at their previous

institutions take pre-enrollment proficiency exams in English and math. If

indicated by the tests’ results, these students must take remedial courses.

School A offers remedial courses mainly in English and math and grants

four institutional credits for each of these courses; however, these credits

do not count toward graduation requirements.17

School A offers two remedial courses in English to help students develop

writing skills. Students needing remedial math attend courses ranging

from pre-algebra to intermediate algebra to prepare them for college math

courses. School A does not limit the number of remedial courses a student

may take; however, it does not permit students who receive two noncredit

grades in a course to re-enroll a third time.

School A helps students who need remedial education under two

programs. The first program, the Student Support Program (SSP),18 targets

low-income first-generation college students. Most students enrolled in SSP

need remedial coursework.

School A also conducts a summer program, known as the Summer Bridge

Program (SBP), primarily for Educational Opportunity Program19 specialadmission students. Students in SBP come from disadvantaged

17School A also offers remedial courses in chemistry and speech.

18SSP is part of the Department of Education’s TRIO programs. This program helps postsecondary

students from disadvantaged backgrounds who need academic support to successfully complete their

education.

19The Educational Opportunity Program serves low-income and underrepresented ethnic students

disadvantaged due to their economic and educational background.

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backgrounds and also are the first generation of their family to attend

college. The 6-week program is intended to provide students with a

developmental transition from high school to university life. SBP, which has

about 300 students from diverse cultures, has two core components: an

academic and a student development core. The academic core comprises a

general education course, supported by reading, writing, and study skills

components. The student development core focuses on personal

development, housing, and physical education. Both components work

together to improve students in various ways. For example, students

receive help with time management from both the study group leaders and

housing resident assistants. Students receive four academic credits for the

general education course, which is not remedial, and three units of

physical education credits.

Demographic Profile of

Remedial Students

In fall 1995, School A’s remedial course enrollees were mainly freshmen,

younger and poorer than the school’s other students. Freshmen accounted

for 70 percent of the school’s students taking remedial courses but only

22 percent of all students on campus. (See fig. II.1.) In addition, about

68 percent of School A’s students who registered for remedial courses

were under 20 years old. Moreover, School A students enrolled in remedial

courses had family incomes 10 percent lower than other students ($21,000

compared with $19,000).

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Figure II.1: School A—Mostly

Freshmen Enrolled in Remedial

Courses

Freshmen

Sophomores

Juniors

Seniors

70%

9%

7%

15%

Note: Percentages do not add to 100 due to rounding.

Hispanic students constituted about 42 percent of School A’s campus

population but accounted for about 59 percent of its remedial course

enrollees in fall 1995. In addition, African Americans made up about

9 percent of the school’s students, yet accounted for about 11 percent of

students enrolled in remedial courses.20

Profile of School B School B, a large, southern, historically black public 4-year university, has

a student body of approximately 7,000 undergraduates. We classified

School B as a low remedial enrollment (28 percent of freshmen) and high

per capita Pell grant award ($788 average per student) institution. About

26 percent of its freshmen—10 percent of the student body—in fall 1995

participated in a special program called Retention Enhanced Education

Program (REEP) that School B uses to enhance retention.

20Conversely, Asians, accounting for 25 percent of the student body, represented only about 18 percent

of all students who took remedial courses. White students accounted for 12 percent of the student

body and 5 percent of students in such courses.

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As a historically black institution, School B aims to provide access to

students regardless of whether they took college preparatory courses in

high school. Its admission standards are relatively modest, requiring a

minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 2.0 and submission of Scholastic

Achievement Test (SAT) or American College Testing (ACT) scores. School

B’s mission states that it will prepare its students to compete and succeed

in various arenas, including the social, political, commercial, and

professional. To achieve this, the university offers a broad-based core

curriculum consistent with the needs of its students. To facilitate its

mission and address the needs of students with academic deficiencies,

School B began REEP in 1994.21 Before REEP, School B offered remedial

courses informally through the school’s departments.

REEP’s Role Campus officials described REEP as a comprehensive program that

includes academic advising, mentoring, and other support services. REEP is

designed for first-time, first-year students; transfer students may not

participate. REEP is intended to help intellectually capable students who

lacked exposure to typical academic preparatory courses address any

academic deficiencies, ensuring their retention. According to campus

officials, fall-to-fall retention of REEP students rose from 58 percent for fall

1994-95 freshmen to 64 percent the following year.

Implementation of REEP School B requires all students to take pre-enrollment placement tests to

determine their skill level. School B assigns students to REEP on the basis

of a combination of placement test results, SAT scores, and high school GPA

and curriculum. School B tests students twice—before and after

enrollment—to ensure proper placement. School B requires students to

enter REEP if they fail to meet standards for these criteria.

REEP offers three courses: Math 100, Fundamentals of General

Mathematics; English 100A-B, Introduction to College Communication;

and English 100C-D, Introduction to College Composition. Students

receive four elective credits for each REEP course, but these courses do not

count toward math or English graduation requirements. Students who

excel in their REEP courses, however, may take 101-level coursework while

enrolled in REEP. They may receive 101-level credit by taking an exam that

allows them to register for a 102-level course the following semester.

21Although School B officials did not refer to REEP as a remedial program, its courses met our

definition of remedial education courses.

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Credit for the 101-level course does not count toward graduation

requirements.

Generally, students have only one opportunity to pass a REEP course. To

leave the program, REEP students must receive a passing grade in each

course, attain an overall 2.0 GPA, and pass an exit test to show their

competency upon completion of the program.

In 1996, School B began offering a summer program called REEP Plus.

Students accepted to School B and identified as likely REEP candidates are

advised to participate in REEP Plus. REEP Plus offers math and English

courses, as well as seminars that cover topics such as career planning and

time management. Campus officials said that REEP Plus helps students

acclimate to a university setting. Although School B does not require

prospective students to enroll in REEP Plus, those who participate must

pass all REEP Plus courses to matriculate in the fall. Private and university

funds finance REEP Plus.

REEP’s Demographic

Profile

REEP students were similar to other first-time freshmen in fall 1995 in age,

race, gender, and family income. REEP students had lower SAT scores,

however. They averaged an SAT score of 627; freshmen overall averaged a

score of 679.

Profile of School C School C is a large, east coast 4-year public institution with a total

undergraduate enrollment of approximately 8,000 in fall 1995. We

classified School C as a high remedial education enrollment (49 percent of

freshmen) and a low per capita Pell grant award ($279 average per

student) school. In the fall 1995 term, 10 percent of its students enrolled in

remedial courses.

Representatives of School C classified their school as moderately

selective. Generally, students must have completed college preparatory

courses and submitted SAT or ACT results to be considered for admission.

To improve access for underrepresented groups, however, School C has a

special admissions program to facilitate access for nontraditional,

minority, and economically disadvantaged students who do not meet usual

academic standards.

In 1975, School C offered its first remedial course, a writing course. By

1977, it had added math and reading and formalized the program. School

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officials said the number of students taking remedial coursework has

declined in the past few years because of more stringent admissions

criteria, a trend they anticipate continuing. For example, the portion of the

school’s incoming students who enrolled in remedial courses fell from 59

to 46 percent between fall 1991 and 1996. Figure II.2 shows how School C’s

remedial education enrollment in reading, writing, computation, and

algebra decreased from 1991 to 1996.

Figure II.2: School C—Decrease in Need for Remedial Coursework

Reading Writing Computation Algebra

0

10

20

30

40

50

33 34

24

39

16

32

7

23

1991

1996

Percentage

Along with other services, School C provides remedial education to

improve and strengthen the transition between high school and college. In

addition, it seeks to increase student retention and persistence to

graduation by creating an integrated academic and student support

service.

Implementation of

Remedial Programs

School C requires freshmen and students transferring with fewer than 25

college credits to take a statewide pre-enrollment placement test. School C

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requires students to take remedial courses if indicated by test scores.

Students may challenge reading and math test results by re-testing,

however. In addition, students enrolled in remedial writing may forgo the

course by writing an essay on the first day of class, which may place them

in a college-level composition course.

School C limits the length of time students may enroll in remedial courses.

In general, students must complete their remedial courses in 1 year.

Special-admission students and those needing remedial courses in both

computation and algebra, however, have an extra year to complete

coursework. School C suspends students who fail to complete their

coursework in the allotted time. Once a student is suspended, he or she

has three options to regain good academic standing: (1) appeal to the

school of major; (2) take courses at another school; or (3) remain at

School C, taking only the needed remedial courses. These students must

complete these remedial courses within a year or be dismissed without

recourse.

School C offers support services for all students regardless of their

enrollment in remedial or college-level courses. It also offers a summer

pre-enrollment program for students in two programs: the Educational

Opportunity Fund and the Minority Achievement Program.22 The summer

program serves to acclimate students to the college environment.

According to officials, most of these students need remedial courses and

must attend the summer program to enroll in the fall. They only need to

show progress in the program, however; they do not have to pass all

courses. During the program, students typically take one or two remedial

courses as well as a health and wellness course.

Demographic Profile of

Students

For the fall 1995 term, remedial enrollments consisted mostly of freshmen.

(See fig. II.3.) In addition, racial minorities were overrepresented in

remedial courses compared with their campuswide enrollments. Freshmen

represented about 82 percent of all remedial course enrollments, yet only

18 percent of all students on campus.

22The Minority Achievement Program enrolls qualified minority applicants on the basis of an

evaluation of their secondary school achievements, recommendations, and assessments of their

motivation to succeed. The Educational Opportunity Fund provides a college education to

disadvantaged students. These students are admitted on criteria, such as financial need and academic

promise, rather than academic achievement alone.

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Figure II.3: School C—Mostly

Freshmen Enrolled in Remedial

Courses

Freshmen

Sophomores

Juniors

Seniors

82%

14%

3%

1%

Racial minorities constituted a larger share of students enrolled in

remedial courses compared with their campuswide enrollments. Although

accounting for only about 19 percent of the total student body, racial

minorities constituted about 42 percent of all remedial students.

Specifically, African Americans constituted 24 percent of remedial course

enrollees, making up 11 percent of the total student body. Likewise,

Hispanics and Asians constituted 11 and 7 percent of the students enrolled

in these courses, accounting for only 5 and 3 percent of the total student

body, respectively.23

Profile of School D School D, a small, private 4-year institution located in the Mid-Atlantic

region, enrolled approximately 4,000 students in fall 1995. We classified

School D as a high remedial enrollment (44 percent of freshmen) and low

per capita Pell grant award ($110 average per student) institution on the

basis of preliminary data. In the fall 1995 term, 7 percent of all students

enrolled in remedial courses.

School D is a selective institution, granting admission to each of its six

colleges on the basis of academic preparation, achievement,

recommendations, and SAT/ACT scores required for the particular college.

School D refers some students who do not qualify for admission, but show

23Students enrolled in remedial courses differed little from the total student body in average age and

GPA. Officials could not provide income data for remedial course enrollees.

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potential, to its summer enrichment program. This program, designed to

help economically disadvantaged students, also helps the university meet

its diversity goals. School D automatically admits students who

successfully complete this program.

School D has offered remedial courses since 1970. Its officials said School

D’s mission is to “serve the educational needs of its students.” This

includes identifying students’ educational needs, developing programs to

meet those needs, and implementing these programs with credit and

noncredit offerings. School officials view remedial programs as an integral

part of School D’s mission.

Implementation of

Remedial Programs

Once accepted, first-time freshmen take mandatory pre-enrollment

placement tests. In general, School D does not require transfer students to

take placement tests. It does require, however, those who lack courses

required by School D to take placement tests. Although students do not

have to take remedial courses if indicated by test results, school officials

strongly encourage them to. Students may appeal for a re-examination if

they feel the placement test results do not reflect their true abilities. Also,

faculty may recommend students’ placement in remedial courses if they

have difficulty with college-level courses.

School D does not limit the number of remedial courses a student may

take. Depending on the college, however, students may only apply up to

three remedial credits toward their graduation requirements. A total of

eight remedial courses are offered, three of which are intended for

international students.

School D offers a summer enrichment program for applicants who show

academic potential but lack the qualifications for admission. School D

uses federal and state grants to help finance the program. The program’s

curriculum, which lasts 6-1/2 weeks, consists entirely of remedial courses.

Though the program is almost 30 years old, school officials said they

began requiring students to enroll in this program 6 years ago if indicated

by their GPA or SAT scores. Approximately 90 percent of these students

successfully complete the summer program and are offered admission to

School D, officials said, and about 80 percent eventually matriculate.

According to officials, an average of 8 percent of their students gained

admission through this program.

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Demographic Profile of

Students

School D enrolled mostly freshmen and males in its remedial courses in

the fall 1995 term. In addition, racial minorities constituted a larger share

of remedial enrollments compared with their campuswide enrollments.

(See fig. II.4.) Freshmen accounted for approximately 92 percent of School

D’s remedial course enrollees at that time but only 32 percent of all

students on campus. In addition, males and minorities constituted a larger

share of students enrolled in these courses compared with their

campuswide enrollments. Although males made up about 45 percent of the

total student body, they accounted for about 61 percent of the remedial

course enrollees. Similarly, minorities constituted about 17 percent of the

campus population but 32 percent of remedial course enrollees. Among

racial minorities, African Americans, while accounting for 11 percent of

the total student body, made up about 22 percent of all remedial course

enrollees. Likewise, Asians made up 4 percent of the undergraduate

enrollees, yet 7 percent of remedial course enrollees.

Figure II.4: School D—Remedial and Compuswide Enrollments Among Students by Race

Hispanic African American Asian White

0

20

40

60

80

100

2

22

7

66

1

11

4

81

Remedial Enrollments

Campuswide Enrollments

Percentage

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Freshmen who enrolled in remedial courses in the fall 1995 term had

lower SAT scores and GPAs than the total freshman class at the time. Table

II.3 compares SAT scores and GPAs for freshmen who enrolled in remedial

courses with those of the total freshman class.

Table II.3: Comparison of Average SAT

Scores and Average GPAs Among

Freshmen Enrolled in Remedial

Courses and Total Freshman Class at

School D, Fall 1995

Classification Average SAT score Average cumulative GPA

All freshmen 873 2.59

Freshmen enrolled in

remedial courses

764 2.36

Profile of School E School E is a large, private 4-year university located in the Northeast with

a student body of approximately 9,000. We categorized School E as a low

remedial enrollment (about 1 percent of freshmen) and a high per capita

Pell grant award ($347 average per student) institution. In the fall 1995

term, less than 1 percent of its students enrolled in remedial courses.

School E uses highly selective admissions criteria, officials said, because it

chiefly prepares students for technical careers such as engineering,

computer science, and information technology. Admissions policies vary

by colleges within School E. In general, the school considers high school

curriculum, rank, and GPA as well as SAT/ACT scores for admitting students.

As a rule, School E does not accept students who do not meet these

criteria; however, it occasionally makes exceptions on a case-by-case

basis. For example, School E admits some nontraditional students without

normally required college entrance examinations at the discretion of the

director of admissions. These cases constitute less than 2 percent of total

freshman applicants, officials said.

According to campus officials, because School E’s mission is to prepare

students for careers in technical professions, it does not consider remedial

education a formal part of its mission. It does offer remedial courses,

however, for students who encounter academic difficulty through a

program known as the College Restoration Program (CRP), which began in

1972. Before that, School E only offered its less formal, noncredit

supplemental courses for students on a walk-in basis.

Implementation of CRP CRP is intended to address problems that inhibit academic success.

Enrollment in CRP is optional for students on academic probation, but

suspended students cannot continue at the school without enrolling in CRP.

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School E reclassifies students as freshmen once enrolled in CRP, regardless

of their previous classification. Students must complete CRP courses in one

quarter.

The typical courseload for CRP students includes about five remedial

courses and one to two college-level courses. CRP courses do not count

toward graduation requirements. Five CRP courses cover topics such as

learning theory, study skills, time management, personal development, and

career exploration. The remaining two classes cover remedial English and

math. The English course covers topics such as grammar, reading, writing,

and critical thinking. The math course, specific to each student’s major

and proficiency, includes precalculus, Calculus I to IV, and differential

equations.

School E provides special mentors for CRP students, a key component of

CRP, according to officials. Faculty members mentor students at weekly

meetings, where students can discuss their progress. Mentors make

recommendations on the students’ placement once CRP ends.

Approximately 65 to 70 percent of CRP students either return to their

original program or transfer to a new one.

Demographic Profile of

Students

In the fall 1995 term, racial minorities constituted a larger share of

students enrolled in CRP compared with their campuswide enrollments.

Racial minorities accounted for only 23 percent of the freshman class but

constituted 48 percent of CRP students. Asians accounted for 17 percent of

CRP students, making up about 5 percent of the freshman class. In addition,

African Americans and Hispanics made up 13 and 9 percent of CRP

students, respectively, while accounting for 5 and 3 percent of the total

freshman class, respectively.

Graduation Rate and

Attainment Statistics

An analysis by School E showed that CRP students had lower graduation

rates and took longer to graduate than other students.24 The study

reported that CRP students had a 29-percent graduation rate compared with

61 percent for others. The study also found that students who enrolled in

remedial courses took a year longer than other students to graduate.

Officials attributed this difference to the remedial courses taken in

addition to courses required by their curriculum.

24Data provided on the basis of a study of freshmen who entered School E from 1987 through 1989.

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Profile of School F School F is a small, private 4-year institution located in a large,

midwestern urban area. We classified School F as a high remedial

enrollment (90 percent of freshmen) and high per capita Pell grant award

($350 average per student) institution. Of School F’s approximately 1,000

students, about 12 percent enrolled in remedial courses in fall 1995.

School F accepts three types of students—high school graduates,

nontransfer students, and transfer students—and the admissions criteria

vary for each. High school graduates, those entering directly after

completing high school, must have a GPA of at least 2.5 and score at least

850 on the SAT or 18 on the ACT. Those not meeting these criteria must take

a placement test, which is used for both admissions and course-level

placements. Nontransfer students, those entering after being out of high

school at least a year, but who have never attended college, must take the

placement test to matriculate, regardless of their high school GPA and

SAT/ACT scores. Finally, transfer students—those entering who attended

another college and transferred into School F with the equivalent of 24

semester hours and a minimum college GPA of 2.0—may transfer without

taking the placement test; those not meeting both of these requirements

must take the test to matriculate. Finally, all students must pass the state

proficiency test to attend.

Its officials said School F’s mission is to educate eligible students with

diverse backgrounds, talents, and experiences to enter into, and advance

in, professional business careers and to fulfill personal potential. School

F’s mission statement does not specifically refer to the provision of

remedial coursework. Because School F administers remedial courses

through the federal Student Support Services (SSS)25 program, however,

the program supports the school’s mission to serve students from diverse

backgrounds.

School F began offering remedial courses in the mid-1950s, first offering

remedial composition and math. School F began offering credit for these

courses in 1974, adding remedial reading by 1976. In fall term 1977, School

F began receiving federal funding for these courses through SSS.

Implementation of SSS After testing students in math, English, and writing, School F accepts

students and places them into either college-level or remedial courses.

Although School F does not require enrollment in remedial courses if

25SSS is the same federal program as the aforementioned SSP program at School A; however, Schools

A and E use different names for the program.

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indicated through testing, the school strongly encourages students to do

so.

SSS uses a two-tier approach. Generally, students placed in the first tier

require two semesters of remedial coursework; those in the second tier

require only one. First-tier students take only remedial courses in their

first semester. In contrast, second-tier students enroll in college-level and

remedial courses in their first semester. Though students can earn 3

credits for each remedial course, School F only accepts 12 credits in

remedial courses toward elective requirements for graduation. The

school’s credit policy for remedial courses has vacillated, switching

between allowing degree credit and not doing so for several years.

Officials said they decided to offer degree credit because students took

exception to paying for classes without receiving credits.

School F limits the number of times a student may repeat a remedial

course. Students who anticipate difficulty with a course may choose a

pass/fail option rather than receive a conventional letter grade. This allows

them to repeat the course without having their first attempt adversely

affect their GPA. In addition, students may earn a “P” or “progress” grade in

SSS courses. This indicates that the student, while progressing

satisfactorily in study skills, has not yet mastered the subject area. The P

grade does not count in computing the GPA but does count in determining

financial aid eligibility. Generally, a student may receive a P only twice,

with exceptions granted by the SSS director.

The school’s affiliation with the TRIO program requires it to provide some

specific services to SSS students until they graduate to receive federal

funding, officials said. For example, School F’s part-time faculty members

or tutors provide tutoring on a regular basis in English, math, and

accounting. Other services include counseling, academic advising, and

peer helpers. Although the Department of Education and School F fund

these services for SSS students, the school subsidizes the entire cost of

tutoring and counseling for nonparticipants in SSS.

Demographic Profile of

Students

SSS students predominately consisted of freshmen and racial minorities.

Freshmen made up approximately 51 percent of SSS students in the fall

1995 term, yet only 35 percent of all students on campus. Racial minorities

constituted a larger share of students enrolled in these courses compared

with their campuswide enrollments, making up 42 percent of the total

student body but 87 percent of SSS students. African Americans had the

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Programs at Nine Schools

largest representation, accounting for up 81 percent of SSS students but

constituting only about 39 percent of the total student body.

Although the school officials could not provide data on graduation rates

for students enrolled in remedial courses, they said these students usually

take 5 to 6 years to graduate. They explained that the school has many

part-time students, however, who have no intention of finishing in 4 years.

Profile of School G School G is a large community college located in a midwestern urban area.

We classified School G as a high remedial enrollment (60 percent of

freshmen) and a high per capita Pell grant award ($1,134 average per

student) institution. Our survey found that approximately 25 percent of the

school’s 6,700 students enrolled in remedial courses in fall 1995.

As a community college, School G has an open-admissions policy. Certain

programs, such as allied health sciences, have selective admissions,

however. In these cases, the state requires a high school or general

equivalency diploma (GED) for admission. Students may apply to these

vocational and technical programs after enrolling in School G and meeting

certain curricular requirements.

School G’s officials told us that remedial education is central to the

school’s mission, especially in providing access to its vocational and

technical programs. As such, the school’s mission statement specifically

refers to providing remedial education to meet the educational needs of its

students.

Implementation of

Remedial Programs

School G administers a pre-enrollment placement test to all entering

students seeking a degree or certificate; continuing education,

international, and transfer students are not tested. Transfer students are

placed in college-level courses according to test scores from previous

institutions or by achieving a C or better in math, English, and writing

courses. School G does not require students to take remedial courses even

if test scores indicate the need. The school encourages students to do so,

and most students follow this advice, officials said. Counselors also work

with students to make sure they take the needed courses.

School G’s remedial education curriculum consists of five English, one

basic science, and four math courses. Students enrolled in the English

courses have reading proficiencies that range from the fourth to the

Page 34 GAO/HEHS-97-142 Remedial Education and Financial Aid
Appendix II 

Case Studies of the Use of Remedial

Programs at Nine Schools

twelfth grade level. Math courses address basic math through intermediate

algebra. The typical courseload for students consists of one ninth grade

level reading course, one writing course, and elementary algebra. Students

receive three credits each for these courses, which, in some programs,

may count toward graduation requirements.

School G’s services are open to all students; none are set aside for

students enrolled in remedial courses.

Profile of School H School H is a large, northwestern public 2-year institution, which enrolled

approximately 9,000 students in fall 1995. We classified School H as a high

remedial enrollment (63 percent of freshmen) and a low per capita Pell

grant award ($220 average per student) institution. About 10 percent of its

students enrolled in at least one remedial course in the fall 1995 term.

School H has an open-admissions policy, with no requirements for high

school curriculum or GPA or SAT/ACT scores.26 As such, School H provides

remedial courses to help students achieve success in postsecondary

education, officials told us. In fact, School H’s mission statement

specifically mentions providing remedial coursework to ensure success

and address students’ varying needs. Furthermore, School H’s mission

statement specifically states that it will provide remedial education to help

students begin college-level coursework. School H has offered remedial

instruction since 1962. Enrollments in these courses have always been

high, officials said, and they expect that to continue.

Implementation of

Remedial Programs

School H uses a variety of ways to determine the appropriate placement

for its students. First, it requires students entering degree or certificate

programs to complete an assessment of their reading, writing, and math

skills. In addition, all entering students who have not completed collegelevel English at another accredited college or university and all students

completing English as a Second Language take placement tests.

Furthermore, enrollment in all but one math course requires one or more

placement tests. School H requires students to take remedial courses if

test scores indicate the need. Also, School H students enrolled in remedial

writing courses must pass a post-test before enrolling in college-level

courses.

26To receive financial aid, students at School H must have a high school diploma or GED or pass an

approved Department of Education Ability to Benefit test.

Page 35 GAO/HEHS-97-142 Remedial Education and Financial Aid
Appendix II 

Case Studies of the Use of Remedial

Programs at Nine Schools

Depending on how many remedial courses students need, students may

require one or more quarters of remedial coursework to improve their

proficiency, according to school officials. Because students must take

remedial courses sequentially, students needing a lot of such courses take

longer to complete them. According to officials, however, most students

take college-level coursework while enrolled in remedial courses. For

example, students needing remedial math may be enrolled in humanities

courses. Therefore, students earn credits toward graduation for collegelevel courses while taking remedial courses. All remedial courses are

worth five institutional credits, and School H does not limit the remedial

courses its students may take.

School H’s remedial education curriculum focuses on English and math. It

offers seven remedial math courses, including basic math skills,

preparatory math, elementary algebra, and algebra review/intermediate

algebra. According to officials, about 85 percent of all students who took

the math placement test needed remedial math in fall 1995. In addition,

School H offers eight remedial courses in English, which start at the tenth

grade level. Courses include various levels of reading, study skills, and

writing. In addition, students enrolled in remedial English courses must

concurrently enroll in a language lab to get additional help with their

coursework. In the language lab, students receive help both individually

and in small groups, along with computer-assisted instruction. Students

receive two institutional credits for the language lab. About 50 percent of

all students who took the English placement test needed remedial English

in fall 1995.

Profile of School I School I is a large, midwestern public 2-year institution. We classified

School I as a low remedial enrollment (26 percent of freshmen) and a high

per capita Pell grant award ($487 average per student) institution. Of

approximately 10,000 students attending in fall 1995, about 12 percent

took remedial coursework.

As a community college, School I has an open-admissions policy,

automatically admitting applicants with high school diplomas and

non-high school graduates 19 years of age and older. Applicants under 19

years old who are not high school graduates must have a GED.

27

27School I also has admission criteria for high school students seeking dual enrollment in high school

and college.

Page 36 GAO/HEHS-97-142 Remedial Education and Financial Aid
Appendix II 

Case Studies of the Use of Remedial

Programs at Nine Schools

School I’s remedial education program helps promote access to higher

education, according to school officials. The school began offering

remedial courses in 1956, first offering refresher courses for math and

English. By the 1958-59 academic year, School I expanded course offerings

to include basic writing and reading and beginning algebra. Through

remedial coursework, students gain the skills needed to enter 4-year

institutions or the workplace, officials said. Remedial courses not only

provide basic skills, but also increase students’ self-confidence, according

to officials.

Implementation of

Remedial Programs

School I administers mandatory placement tests to all entering students

before they register for classes, including transfer students with fewer

than 30 credits. Once test scores are tabulated, advisers or counselors

meet with students to make recommendations regarding placement.

School I does not require students to enroll in remedial courses if test

scores indicate the need; however, most students follow the advisers’

recommendations.

In fall 1995, School I offered six remedial courses in English and three in

math. Each English course is worth 3 credits, and students may elect to

use up to 12 remedial credits as electives. Among the English courses,

areas covered include spelling, reading, basic English, basic sentence

skills, and basic writing. The proficiency level for the reading courses

begins at the fifth grade. Of the math courses, one primarily serves liberal

arts students, for which students may receive a satisfactory or

unsatisfactory grade. This course, worth five credits and meeting weekly

for 5 contact hours, covers whole number operations, fractions, and

equations. The remaining courses—applied mathematics and introductory

technical algebra—serve students in technical-vocational programs.

The applied mathematics course helps students with the typical

mathematical problem-solving needs of the technical/trade area. Course

topics include fractions, decimals, measurement, signed numbers,

geometry, and trigonometric functions. Students earn three credits and

meet weekly for 4 contact hours for this course. Introductory technical

algebra covers the fundamental concepts in algebra, linear equations,

quadratic equations, and geometric equations. Students earn four credits

and meet weekly for 4 contact hours for this course. Students receive a

grade for these courses, although grades are generally not transferable.

Page 37 GAO/HEHS-97-142 Remedial Education and Financial Aid
Appendix II 

Case Studies of the Use of Remedial

Programs at Nine Schools

School I has no limits on the number of remedial courses a student may

take. It does limit students, however, to three opportunities to repeat a

course if they do not initially succeed. After that, to enroll in the course,

students must have a counselor’s written approval. Nonetheless, students

only earn credit for taking the course once. The grade earned during their

final attempt, which supplants all earlier attempts, is the only grade that

affects their GPA if students earn grades in the course. School I also has a

policy requiring students to complete remedial coursework before earning

no more than 22 hours of credit at the school. The school does not

rigorously enforce this policy at this time, however, officials said.

School I offers several services for all of its students. None specifically

serves those who enroll in remedial courses.

Demographic Profile of

Students

Both freshmen and racial minorities constituted a larger share of School

I’s remedial course enrollments compared with their campuswide

enrollments in fall 1995. Freshmen accounted for approximately

94 percent of all remedial course enrollees but only 68 percent of all

students on campus. In addition, racial minorities constituted 20 percent

of the student body, yet 35 percent of students enrolled in remedial

courses.

Page 38 GAO/HEHS-97-142 Remedial Education and Financial Aid
Appendix III 

GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments

GAO Contacts Joseph J. Eglin, Jr., Assistant Director, (202) 512-7009

Tamara A. Lumpkin, Evaluator-in-Charge, (202) 512-5699

James W. Spaulding, Senior Evaluator, (202) 512-7035

Acknowledgments The following team members contributed significantly to this report:

Wayne B. Upshaw, Assistant Director; Charles J. Appel, Benjamin F.

Jordan, Jr., Nancy Kintner-Meyer, Gene Kuehneman, Arthur Merriam,

Carol Patey, and Timothy Silva, senior evaluators; Catherine Baltzell and

Wayne Dow, methodologists; Daniel Schwimer, attorney; and Brady

Goldsmith, summer intern.

(104840) Page 39 GAO/HEHS-97-142 Remedial Education and Financial Aid
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