IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

DECEMBER 20, 2023

By: Mamie Voight As the year draws to a close, we at the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) are taking a moment to reflect on the strides we’ve made and the work left to do to advance our mission – building a more equitable and just society through higher education. In 2023 we partnered with many of you, conducted compelling research, engaged in meaningful advocacy, and led purposeful field engagement.

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

SEPTEMBER 19, 2023

Insights from IHEP’s Community of Practice to Policy to Increase Degree Completion By Janiel Santos Higher education can be a pathway to economic security and social mobility – but only if a student earns a degree. Over 40 million Americans have earned some college credits but stopped short of receiving a credential. Between July 2020 and July 2021, 1.4 million more people joined the some college but no credential (SCNC) population, deepening existing inequities in educational outcomes and soci

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

NOVEMBER 30, 2023

By: Mamie Voight Earlier this spring, IHEP reached an important milestone: 30 years of developing research to address the nation’s most pressing higher education challenges and promoting college access and success for all students. Our 30-year milestone was an opportunity to refine our purpose and focus on our North Star goal of building a more equitable and just society through higher education.

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

NOVEMBER 9, 2023

NPSAS:20 analysis reveals the diversity of today’s students and where they attend college. By: Pearl Lo and Kim Dancy Understanding the experiences and backgrounds of today’s college students is a crucial step in addressing inequitable outcomes, tailoring support services, and allocating resources in ways that shape a higher education system that works for every student.

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

OCTOBER 30, 2023

By Elenaor Eckerson Peters Last week, IHEP joined Results for America to highlight promising postsecondary student success models in Colorado and Massachusetts. The webinar , “State Lessons for Implementing Evidence-Based Postsecondary Success Programs,” explored two recent case studies about data and evidence-based programs that are helping more students complete college.

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

OCTOBER 26, 2023

Reflections from our recent Postsecondary Value Community of Practice event By: Marián Vargas and Eleanor Eckerson Peters “ Postsecondary value is not just a framework, but a lens through which to see the world, [and] it must be infused into the DNA of our collective efforts.” David Troutman’s reflection captured the energy and passion of the Equitable Value Movement and was shared during his keynote remarks at IHEP’s recent Postsecondary Value Community of Practice event.

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

SEPTEMBER 19, 2023

Insights from IHEP’s Community of Practice to Policy to Increase Degree Completion By Janiel Santos Higher education can be a pathway to economic security and social mobility – but only if a student earns a degree. Over 40 million Americans have earned some college credits but stopped short of receiving a credential. Between July 2020 and July 2021, 1.4 million more people joined the some college but no credential (SCNC) population, deepening existing inequities in educational outcomes and soci

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

JUNE 23, 2023

By: Marián Vargas and Kim Dancy Are today’s students getting ahead, getting by, or even falling behind when it comes to their post-college earnings? IHEP’s an Equitable Value Explorer , interactive data visualization tool that compares the post-college student earnings for more than 4,000 colleges and universities across the country , is helping to answer that question.

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

AUGUST 22, 2023

ED’s latest Postsecondary Student Success Grant Program application includes performance measures recommended by IHEP research By Jessica Vivar Earning a college degree is the best path to turning career aspirations into a successful livelihood and financially secure, fulfilling life. But many students who set out to earn a degree, don’t finish. A focus on student completion has grown in recent years given this staggering statistic: 40 million adults nationwide have earned some college credits

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

AUGUST 18, 2023

By Lauren Bell On August 15 Dr. Peter Nwosu became the 11th president of State University of New York-Oswego. Dr. Nwosu, a lifelong advocate for equitable access and success in higher education, has also served on IHEP’s Board of Directors since February 2021 and is currently Board Chairperson. Until early August, he was Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Success at Herbert H.

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

AUGUST 16, 2023

IHEP analysis of n ew f ederal d ata s how stark disparities in unmet need By: Marián Vargas and Kim Dancy In today’s rapidly evolving higher education landscape, high-quality postsecondary data can provide critical insights that inform decision-making and advance equitable outcomes. New IHEP analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Education’s 2019-20 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:20) underscores a disconcerting reality: most students face a gap between what their

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

JULY 28, 2023

After 18 years of dedication to our organization, Team IHEP is bidding a bittersweet farewell to a true champion of college access, student success and educational equity. Lacey Leegwater has left an indelible mark on IHEP and our nationwide community of scholars, practitioners, and alumni. As Lacey departs IHEP and embarks on a new chapter, we are celebrating her transformative leadership.

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

JUNE 23, 2023

By: Marián Vargas and Kim Dancy Are today’s students getting ahead, getting by, or even falling behind when it comes to their post-college earnings? IHEP’s Equitable Value Explorer , an interactive data visualization tool that compares the post-college student earnings for more than 4,000 colleges and universities across the country , is helping to answer that question.

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

MAY 16, 2023

By: Mamie Voight A few years ago, I had the opportunity to speak with a student about her experience pursuing a college education, and this student left an indelible mark on my mind. A typical day included studying and classwork, feeding and preparing her young children to be cared for by a family member, driving to her rural college campus—if she had gas money that week, counting on her on-campus job to offer granola bars so she could eat during the workday… and hoping that one small disruptio

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

MAY 15, 2023

By: Kim Dancy Last month, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced a series of updates to its College Scorecard —a free online resource designed to help prospective college students compare institutions using data such as tuition costs, graduation rates, and post-college earnings. Policymakers, institutional leaders, and researchers can also leverage this data to shed light on postsecondary education today.

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

MAY 11, 2023

IHEP President Mamie Voight (left) and U.S. Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education Nasser Paydar (right) at the U.S. Department of Education’s May 1, 2023 Raise the Bar Summit. By: Mamie Voight When U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona welcomed postsecondary leaders, researchers, and student success advocates to the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) recent Raise the Bar Summit, he framed what it truly means to be a prestigious institution of higher education.

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

APRIL 5, 2023

By: Lauren Bell and Jessica Vivar Appropriations season is here! It’s the time of year when the President sends a budget proposal to Congress, and federal lawmakers begin considering what programs should receive enhanced resources and what programs should not. It’s also when college access and success advocates step up efforts to ensure the programs that improve college affordability and student outcomes get the support they need.

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

MAY 31, 2019

by: Tim Kinoshita. Earlier this month, millions of students nationwide made the life-changing decision to attend college. For these students and their families, enrolling in school is the culmination of years of hard work and determination, and these students have much to celebrate. Unfortunately, recent research suggests that many students are not provided clear, concise, and accurate information they need to fully understand the financial implications of the choices they have made.

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

JUNE 22, 2019

by: Tanya Ang, Vice President, Veterans Education Success. Seventy-five years ago, on June 22, 1944, the GI Bill was enacted. At the bill signing, President Roosevelt recognized the sacrifices of Americans who served in the military and acknowledged the moral responsibility of the American people to support our veterans as they returned home. With this legislation, President Roosevelt also affirmed the unique potential of higher education to make real the promise of economic and social advance

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

OCTOBER 23, 2019

by: Monica Maldonado. When deciding to make a purchase, consumers benefit from clear and transparent price tags. The selection of one item over another is made with an awareness of the costs (or savings) incurred from doing so. However, within the realm of higher education – where the stakes are often much higher – there isn’t the same level of transparency.

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

by: Molly Hall-Martin. Deciding where to attend college, what to study, and how to pay for it are some of the most important decisions a student will make in their academic career. But many students and families are left without the data necessary to make an informed college choice. For example, information currently available to students cannot help them answer basic, yet critical questions, including: .

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

SEPTEMBER 25, 2020

by: Jason Cohn, Spring 2020 Policy Research Intern. Postsecondary education is supposed to be the great equalizer because it fosters upward mobility and economic sustainability. But it is only an equalizer for those who complete, and the path to completion is far from egalitarian. In particular, bachelor’s degree completers are disproportionately from higher-income households, and unfortunately, this pattern has worsened in recent years.

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

OCTOBER 15, 2020

by: Kim Dancy, Amanda Janice Roberson. This post also appears in the Today’s Students Coalition blog series. When exploring new territory, it’s wise to have a flashlight to illuminate areas that aren’t e asily visible. The COVID-19 pandemic, which has upended nearly every aspect of our nation’s well-being and profoundly disrupted the higher education experiences of nearly 20 million students, put higher education in uncharted territory.

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

MARCH 5, 2021

by: Karen Bussey, Jihad D. Dixon. While behind us, 2020 will never fade from our rearview mirror. From the novel COVID-19 pandemic to the longstanding pandemic of systemic racism that has persisted throughout our nation’s history, we continue to see indirect impacts and direct violence toward Black and Brown communities. Seven decades after the Civil Rights Era, we continue to wage the same fight for equity.

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

DECEMBER 20, 2021

By: Janiel Santos. Like many students across the country, Coleen began her journey to a four-year degree at a community college. “When I was 18, I realized that I was going to be paying for college on my own and it hadn’t really hit me before, like exactly how much it costs,” Coleen explained. S o she decided to first enroll at Ivy Tech Community College, “because it was affordable, and it had the degree program I was looking for,” with the goal of eventually transferring and earning a

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

JANUARY 7, 2022

by: Sheena A. Kauppila, and Leanne Davis. No one starts on the path to a degree intending not to finish. But between taking one’s first college class and earning a degree, life can change course, and it often does. For a wide array of reasons, students stop out from their higher education path each semester, and many never return. In 2020, the onset of a global pandemic changed the course of lives around the world and today nearly one in five working-age adults in the United States has “some col

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IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

FEBRUARY 23, 2022

By: Janiel Santos. The college search process is a pivotal point in a student’s college journey, and often an unnecessarily challenging one. I still vividly remember the overwhelming frustration that came with sorting through information packets and struggling to compare institutional outcomes as I attempted to narrow down my top college choices. As the first in my family to go to college, the process was daunting and difficult to navigate.

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