The Action Network for Equitable Wellbeing has created a new survey—available at no cost—to provide colleges and universities with timely and actionable data to adapt and improve institutional norms, structures, and processes so all students can thrive and flourish.| Higher Education Today
Title: Developing a Multimetric Accountability System for Postsecondary Institutions Authors: Sandy Baum, Erica Blom, and Jason Cohn Source: Urban Institute A new report from the Urban Institute proposes the use of multiple metrics to hold colleges and universities accountable for student outcomes. As core principles in designing the proposed system, the authors emphasize the need for accountability standards to apply to ...| Higher Education Today
Title: Accounting for Demographics and Risk in Postcollege Earnings Source: American Enterprise Institute Author: Jorge Klor de Alva A new report from the American Enterprise Institute highlights the need for an “equitable accountability system” in higher education that considers students’ demographic and economic background in assessing institutional performance. The author cites post-college outcomes as an example to show how students’ demographic ...| Higher Education Today
By David A. Bergeron Delivering high-quality postsecondary education to adult learners has long been a challenge. Traditional institutions of higher education are structured to recruit those soon to graduate from high school and, for the most part, are equipped to educate them once they get their high school diploma. Or at least that’s what they are designed to do best. Despite ...| Higher Education Today
By Louis Soares and Ursula Gross The mismatch between a traditional college education and the vast number of adults who would benefit from a college degree is no small matter. There are at least 35 million adults who have some credit but no degree, and more than twice that have not even attempted postsecondary education, as we report in our new ...| Higher Education Today
By Robert L. Carothers In 2015, I joined the board of College Unbound (CU) after stepping down from serving as the president at the University of Rhode Island for 18 years. I did so because Dennis Littky had a vision of creating a college that would serve marginalized people who had once started college before life got in the way of ...| Higher Education Today
By Jonathan M. Turk & Nicholas Hillman Since taking office in 2009, expanding college access has been a major goal of the Obama administration. While there has been a multifaceted approach to increasing the number of Americans with a postsecondary credential, a key focus has been on informing the college choice process. Specifically, the administration has sought to ensure better information ...| Higher Education Today
By Johan E. Uvin During my last year as acting assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Education, I had the opportunity to visit College Unbound twice. The first time, I joined Lul Tesfai, my then colleague, and spent the night meeting students and participating in classes. Students shared their stories and their struggles in higher education before they got to ...| Higher Education Today
By Sandy Baum Headlines like “5 Reasons College Has Become Unaffordable For The Masses” or “Why Is College Education Unaffordable for So Many Americans Today? What Should Be Done About This?” start from the premise that many, if not most, people cannot afford a college education. Some reports have even suggested that the expense is out of reach for high-income families. ...| Higher Education Today
American Institutes for Research, in partnership with Lumina Foundation, is researching how colleges and universities can better design programs and messaging to meet the needs of Black, Hispanic, and Native American adult learners. A 2024 review of 350 institution websites highlighted promising practices in presenting key information to these learners.| Higher Education Today
Title: Variation in Community College Funding Levels: A Focus on Equity Authors: Sandy Baum and Jason Cohn Source: The Urban Institute Community colleges play a critical role in expanding access to higher education, enrolling 44 percent of all U.S. public undergraduate students. But concerns about uneven and inadequate funding for these institutions relative to public four-year colleges are widespread. A new ...| Higher Education Today
Title: More to the Retention Story: Exploring Second- to Third-Year Retention at 4-Year Colleges and Universities Authors: McCall Pitcher and Kelle Parsons Source: American Institutes for Research For many years, the higher education community has prioritized first-year retention as an indicator of potential student success. This is primarily due to its role as a predictor of completion and its extensive representation ...| Higher Education Today
Title: Pell for Incarcerated Students Working Group Report Source: National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) The signing of the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act canceled the ban on access to Pell Grants for formerly or currently incarcerated adults. This will provide over 700,000 incarcerated adults with opportunities to pursue postsecondary education, whether on a college campus or in a prison ...| Higher Education Today
Title: College Enrollment Disparities: Understanding the Role of Academic Preparation Authors: Sarah Reber and Ember Smith Source: Brookings Institution Center on Children and Families A new report from the Brookings Institution Center on Children and Families examines how college enrollment is impacted by academic preparation, race, gender, and socioeconomic status. The authors argue that although a college degree remains a clear ...| Higher Education Today
A new publication from the Data Quality Campaign highlights the current landscape and challenges of state data systems for postsecondary education and offers recommendations to align state and institutional data systems.| Higher Education Today
A new report from the University of Michigan’s National Center for Institutional Diversity examines how 40 chief diversity officers are navigating anti-DEI policies and offers strategies to sustain civil rights leadership amid growing political opposition.| Higher Education Today
A new NCAN report finds that nearly $4.4 billion in Pell Grants went unclaimed in 2024, as about 830,000 eligible high school graduates failed to complete the FAFSA—missing a crucial opportunity for students and state economies.| Higher Education Today
A recent working paper reveals many dual enrollment students experience long-term economic benefits, although outcomes vary based on race and socioeconomic status.| Higher Education Today
Misunderstanding how endowments work puts scholarships, research, and students’ futures at risk—and distracts from the real threat facing higher education today.| Higher Education Today
After examining success coaching practices at three State University of New York institutions, the authors of new analysis from MDRC offer several policy recommendations to support online learners.| Higher Education Today
New insights from HCM Strategists highlight how continued state investments in higher education are creating pathways to economic mobility, with the majority of degree programs delivering increased earnings and a solid return on investment.| Higher Education Today
New research from Brookings shows that the rise in Pell Grant recipients at wealthy colleges over the past decade is likely due to increased application and enrollment by low-income students, rather than changes in eligibility or admissions standards.| Higher Education Today
A recent survey of 500 Republican voters nationwide conducted by Third Way and the Republican polling firm GS Strategy Group found that Republicans value and support higher education, are in favor of less invasive reforms, and largely support policies directed at college affordability and accountability.| Higher Education Today
With the continued increase of alternative, non-degree credentials, education and professional stakeholders have developed quality frameworks meant to guide these credentials. The authors of a new report from PSCWP examine and evaluate criteria and data used in current credential quality frameworks.| Higher Education Today
The latest research from Handshake reveals a troubling reality in higher education: the internship landscape is becoming both more competitive and less accessible, particularly for students already facing systemic barriers.| Higher Education Today
As policymakers across both parties consider how to evaluate postsecondary outcomes and earnings data, the authors of a new brief from the Urban Institute pose a major question: How should students who earn multiple credentials be included in data collection for the college that awarded their first degree?| Higher Education Today
Title: Chutes and Ladders: Falling Behind and Getting Ahead with the Simplified FAFSA Authors: Jonathan S. Lewis and Alyssa Stefanese Yates Source: uAspire Prior to the 2024-25 academic year, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) underwent significant changes, mandated by Congress through the FAFSA Simplification Act. A recent uAspire survey of 274 students, parents, counselors, and financial aid administrators ...| Higher Education Today
ACE President Ted Mitchell urges the incoming administration to recognize the critical role America’s colleges and universities can play in tackling the nation’s most pressing challenges.| Higher Education Today
An October 2024 report, Beyond Sticker Prices: How States Can Make Postsecondary Education More Affordable, reviews data to evaluate affordability of postsecondary education across nine states, including Alabama, California, Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.| Higher Education Today
The problems with the new FAFSA rollout caused delays and fewer students filing, which experts at the National Student Clearinghouse and the Brookings Institution say could lead to a drop in new college enrollments, based on early data and analysis.| Higher Education Today
EDUCAUSE conducted a survey of over 400 IT professionals in roles ranging from director to chief information officer to provide insights into the state of the higher education technology leader workforce. The report illuminates challenges and opportunities that can inform efforts to fortify the workforce and advance higher education in the future.| Higher Education Today
Title: 2024 Trends in Higher Education Source: Hanover Research Drawing from extensive research and experience collaborating with hundreds of higher education institutions, Hanover Research’s 2024 Trends in Higher Education report outlines critical trends and practical solutions to guide college and university leadership in facing current challenges in higher education. Trend 1: Institutions reduce enrollment barriers for a changing prospective student demographic. ...| Higher Education Today
A new analysis from the Brookings Institution examines the different funding sources that families use to pay for four-year nonprofit colleges and how these differ depending on family income.| Higher Education Today
By Ashley L. Gray, Jennifer R. Crandall, and Morgan Taylor For other posts on succession planning, see A Call to Action Regarding Succession Planning and Sustainability and Takeaways for Career and Succession Planning From the 2018-19 Class of ACE Fellows. The face of the college presidency has changed in recent years, moving slowly away from the monolithic profile of the past (White men ...| Higher Education Today
As we seek to bring long-overdue inclusion to higher education, it’s time to reimagine the current pipeline to the presidency and eliminate the pitfalls historically marginalized people face. Ashley L. Gray explains how succession planning is a critical part of this process.| Higher Education Today
