Publications

HEQCO conducts and commissions studies and evaluations, often in partnership with Ontario’s colleges and universities, on key issues in accessibility, quality and accountability. Various organizations and individuals have considerable and valuable expertise in postsecondary education research. The research publications below reflect this collaboration with some of the best thinkers on issues related to higher education. Join our mailing list and keep current with the latest HEQCO research.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

At HEQCO, we are committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner, and will do so by preventing and removing barriers to accessibility and meeting requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. To request HEQCO material in alternate formats, please contact info@heqco.ca​​.

Postsecondary Participation and Household Income

Ontario has seen improvement in postsecondary participation of low-income students, study finds  A cross-Canada comparison of student financial aid policies over 20 years found that relative to other provinces (excluding Quebec), Ontario was one of only two provinces to have seen substantial improvements in postsecondary attendance rates of students from all income levels. Ontario also […]

Early Supports for Accessing Postsecondary Education: Good, Bad or Indifferent?

Report calls for a focus on K-12 levels to imp​rove postsecondary access for underrepresented groups Not everyone will choose to pursue a university or college education. However, for the vast majority of those who do, the first step along that pathway begins with successfully completing high school. As a result, interventions to support at-risk and […]

Lifelong Learning in Ontario: Improved Options for Mid-career, Underserved Learners

Report calls on Ontario PSE institutions to introduce programs for displaced workers, adult learners As Ontario’s economy continues to undergo rapid change, the province’s colleges and universities will need to introduce new short-term, flexible training programs that cater to the needs of displaced workers and other adult learners, recommends a new report by the Higher […]

Postsecondary Education Metrics for the 21st Century

Time to introduce new postsecondary performance metrics, report argues Ontario’s postsecondary education system would be best served by a set of performance metrics that would measure, among other things, the skills students acquire during their studies, the link between programs and job success, and institutional financial performance, argues a new paper by the Higher Education […]

Parental Education and Postsecondary Attainment: Does the Apple Fall Far From the Tree?

First-generation students less likely to go to postsecondary, report finds A sizeable gap exists between the PSE completion rate of first-generation students and those whose parents attained a postsecondary credential, despite years of government policies meant to improve access for these and other underrepresented students, finds a new report by the Higher Education Quality Council […]

Redefining Access to Postsecondary Education

New approach needed to achieve equitable access to PSE, report argues A dramatic rise in enrolment at Ontario’s colleges and universities over the past two decades has done little to achieve equitable access for those students who have been traditionally underrepresented in higher education, argues a new report by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario […]