IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

JULY 2, 2025

For decades, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) at the U.S. Department of Education has conducted studies, such as t he National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS), that provide key evidence to inform policymaking in higher education.

FAFSA 146

FAFSA Education Financial aid Grant 146

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

MARCH 12, 2025

I intentionally mentor others, helping them navigate the challenges of higher education leadership and empowering them to take ownership of their journeys. So, to Black women aspiring to leadership in higher education I say this: there is space for you here, we need your voices, your perspectives, and your leadership.

Mentoring 236

Mentoring Leadership Higher education Community college 236

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

NOVEMBER 5, 2024

The path to higher education success has many obstacles and barriers for Latinos across the U.S. The mission of Excelencia in Education, founded in 2004 by Dr. Deborah A. Outreach efforts include education on financial aid options, including grants, scholarships and aid for undocumented students.

Retention 330

Retention Mentoring Financial aid Grant 330

Timely MD

DECEMBER 18, 2024

Higher education has long been heralded as a path to personal and professional growth. The barriersranging from cultural stigma and financial constraints to limited access to tailored supportare significant and deeply rooted. Why is help-seeking among underrepresented students important?

Mental health 52

Mental health Financial aid First generation Students 52

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

JANUARY 14, 2025

Elms College, a Catholic liberal arts institution in Western Massachusetts, has announced an ambitious new financial aid initiative that will cover full tuition for eligible state residents from lower and middle-income families. Joseph, Elms College enrolls approximately 1,000 students and offers over 30 undergraduate majors.

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Financial aid FAFSA First generation Scholarship 298

IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

MARCH 10, 2025

The recent cancellation of critical postsecondary studies conducted by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) will have dire effects on our understanding of the realities of todays college students especially those who are veterans, parents, working, or first-generation.

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First generation Students Financial aid Accessibility 162

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

FEBRUARY 6, 2025

When LaShelle Williams-Franklin arrived at Howard University as a first-generation college student from Cleveland, Ohio, she had her academic LaShelle Williams-Franklin plan perfectly mapped out. They pressed upon me the importance of education, but we didnt know about the financial piece that accompanies going to college.

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Scholarship Placement Mentoring Financial aid 231

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

NOVEMBER 26, 2024

It was over 180 years ago that HBCUs were founded, at a time when Black Americans had little to no access to higher education. Still today, they are central to the education and empowerment of Black Americans—offering more than just a degree but also a legacy of opportunity and possibility.

Financial aid 203

Financial aid Higher education First generation Mentoring 203

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

MAY 1, 2025

The 103-page bill, released as part of the GOP's reconciliation legislation, targets several key financial aid programs that disproportionately serve low-income and underrepresented students. Education advocates warn these changes could create new barriers to higher education access and completion.

Low income student 275

Low income student Students Student loans Grant 275

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

MARCH 24, 2025

In a significant policy shift affecting higher education in Virginia, the state's 23 community colleges must now ensure all programs and practices comply with new federal regulations that effectively terminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across these institutions.

Community college 259

Community college Compliance Higher education Financial aid 259

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

MARCH 24, 2025

Casteen, who served as UVA's seventh president from 1990 to 2010, was honored by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education in 2013 with the prestigious Dr. John Hope Franklin Award for his exceptional commitment to diversity and inclusion in higher education.

Low income student 201

Low income student First generation University Financial aid 201

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

FEBRUARY 28, 2025

The Morrill Scholarship has historically been awarded to students committed to diversity-based leadership, while the Young Scholars Program serves first-generation, low-income underrepresented students. Carter assured that current student scholarships and financial aid will not be affected by these changes.

Inclusion 278

Inclusion University Scholarship Compliance 278

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

APRIL 8, 2024

State financial aid programs across the country have varying levels of accessibility for students and plenty of room to improve, according to a recent report from The Education Trust. State financial aid programs can help alleviate these burdens, but such programs in the current day are lacking, according to the report.

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Financial aid Accessibility Access Equity 312

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

JULY 25, 2024

The recently released "Project 2025: The Conservative Promise" paints a dystopian picture of American higher education, overrun by a "woke" ideology that supposedly threatens our nation's very foundations. The document's authors misrepresent the origins of progressive thought in education.

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Higher education Education Low income student Inclusion 329

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

MARCH 1, 2023

Department of Education (ED), which it will use to serve low-income and first-generation students interested in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) degrees from select high schools. Pima Community College has received nearly $1.5 million from the U.S.

First generation 246

First generation Community college Literacy Mathematics 246

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

FEBRUARY 5, 2024

Department of Education (ED) is delaying the sending out of student information relevant for financial aid calculations to institutions, higher ed scholars and officials have voiced concern and uncertainty over how this change will affect low-income and first-generation students in particular.

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FAFSA Financial aid First generation Low income student 317

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

SEPTEMBER 21, 2024

Approximately 300,000 undergraduate student parents are currently enrolled at institutions of higher education in the state of California. While pursuing their education, they grapple with a number of challenges in a higher education system that has historically overlooked their needs and experiences, according to the report.

Students 317

Students Financial aid Higher education Equity 317

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

APRIL 20, 2023

Higher education is one of the most powerful assets our state has to uplift families, support businesses, and create prosperity. A credential earned after high school changes an individual’s career trajectory and typically leads to higher wages and more stable employment. And it is not just about a job.

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Guided pathways Financial aid Low income student First generation 279

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

SEPTEMBER 9, 2024

Manny Rodriguez His job entails research and collaboration with other education groups, state legislators, and education officials in accordance with TICAS’s mission to increase college access, affordability, and success through improvements in student financial aid policies.

Financial aid 331

Financial aid Low income student Student financial aid Equity 331

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

JANUARY 29, 2024

In concert with Rhode College’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as well as affordability, the Office of Admission strives to identify, recruit, and enroll domestic students who are underrepresented in higher education, including first-generation college students, low-income students, and students of color.

Low income student 290

Low income student Accessibility Access Financial aid 290

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

APRIL 9, 2024

Latino college students are more likely to be first-generation students and less likely to leave college having earned their degrees, according to a new report from Excelencia in Education. Many Latino students require financial assistance to attend college, the report noted.

Education 321

Education Students Financial aid First generation 321

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

MAY 20, 2024

This first Equity Innovations Guide illustrates results the organization has gathered from pilots and initiatives it had implemented over the years on matters of college admissions, financial aid, and equity. The guide is meant to communicate the efforts Common App has been undertaking and would like to scale up, Sample said.

Low income student 277

Low income student First generation Scholarship Financial aid 277

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

MARCH 13, 2024

Institutions review the data and put together a financial aid offer, helping families decide which institution is the best fit for them and their wallets. The result of all the chaos could be a diminished freshman class entering postsecondary education in fall 2024 and a continued racial gap in educational achievement. “The

FAFSA 312

FAFSA Financial aid Students Financial aid administration 312

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

APRIL 4, 2024

We don’t want the unprecedented delays and changes in this year’s federal aid application process to deter them from coming to CUNY or any college." They will help high school seniors with the journey of applying to and entering college, including the financial aid process, according to CUNY officials. Matos Rodríguez. "We

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FAFSA Financial aid Application First generation 278

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

JULY 11, 2024

“Currently at Radford, we have a [student] population of 37% Pell-eligible students, and depending on the year, there’s usually 30% to 35% first-generation students as well. Currently, all Virginia public four- and two-year institutions have received an award of varying sizes,” said Andes. Each of our students is a unique individual.

Low income student 279

Low income student Grant Mental health University 279

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

DECEMBER 8, 2022

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government and higher education institutions have fed the public a steady diet of bad enrollment news. Public health concerns increased responsibilities to care for and educate school-aged children and disrupted jobs and industries. But we need to look closer at the data.

Leadership 325

Leadership Success Higher education Community college 325

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

OCTOBER 9, 2023

It enrolls roughly 43% first-generation Latino students. Excelencia in Education works to advance Latino student success in higher education by promoting Latino student achievement, conducting analysis to inform educational policies and advancing institutional practices.

Retention 338

Retention Facilitation Faculty First generation 338

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

JULY 11, 2024

TAMUSA’s Promise Program underscores the importance of higher education in our community and has basically eliminated financial barriers for the students at TAMUSA,” said Kingsbery. “So, Ochoa said that 80% of TAMUSA’s transfer students come to them from Alamo Colleges, and 70% of TAMUSA students are first-generation.

Mathematics 264

Mathematics Financial aid Higher education First generation 264

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

MAY 26, 2023

Department of Education (DOE), at least 25% of full-time equivalent students enrolled must be Hispanic. These two-year and four-year institutions must also enroll a significant number of students who require needs-based financial aid. Most recently, the university has developed its first-generation center.

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Tutoring Financial aid Retention Financial aid officer 264

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

AUGUST 22, 2023

Non-first-generation students were 2.5 points for potential first-generation students. Dr. Taylor Odle, assistant professor of educational policy studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison “Students who fall into these categories have long faced higher barriers to equitable post-secondary access.

Application 246

Application Financial aid First generation FAFSA 246

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

MAY 17, 2023

The Alamo Colleges District, made up of five community colleges, is the largest provider of higher education in South Texas with over 100,000 students, 81% of whom are students of color. Eight were first-generation, and eight were students of color. Nine of them were female, and nine were over 25.

Community college 264

Community college Placement Collaboration Financial aid 264

IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

OCTOBER 10, 2024

Data Disaggregation Shows Disparities in Immigrant Students’ Unmet Need by Race and Ethnicity The broad data suggests that unmet need decreases with each generation. Data from 2019 showed that 82% of first-generation immigrant students faced unmet need, a figure that declined to 72% for those third generation or higher.

Financial aid 146

Financial aid First generation Grant Accessibility 146

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

MAY 11, 2023

Thomas in Minnesota, where almost all the students are minoritized and nearly three-quarters are first-generation, has managed to buck this trend. They have access to financial aid counselors, college persistence counselors, and a life coach, and are placed into paid internships after they finish a professional development course.

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Student success Success Financial aid counselor Students 263

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

APRIL 21, 2023

They’re going to know that 41% of students are first-generation, that we have an office of student belonging. Institutions are also improving their financial aid offerings. This year, Queens revamped its scholarship levels and allocation of aid to meet a higher percentage of students’ financial need.

Communication 289

Communication Application First generation Mentoring 289

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

OCTOBER 1, 2023

Created in 2005 by Excelencia in Education, Examples of Excelencia is a national initiative that recognizes institutions and nonprofit organizations that identify, aggregate, and promote evidence-based practices that improve Latinx student access in higher education. There are also several transfers from community colleges.

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Mentoring Advising First generation Retention 326

UofO First-Generation Student Support Blog

JANUARY 12, 2021

How to pay for classes can be one of the most stressful aspects of navigating a college degree for many first-generation college students. To help alleviate this stress, institutions of higher education and other organizations are taking notice and providing scholarships specifically for first-generation students.

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First generation Scholarship Students Financial aid 40

Student Research Foundation

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

“When I arrived on campus as a first-year college student, the differences between me and my peers were clear. As the first member of my immediate family to go to college, I very quickly realized I had a longer, more stressful road ahead than those who showed up already knowing what to expect.”. published by Mainstay. points lower).

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First generation Students Financial aid Higher education 52