In a new report, UPCEA explores the dynamic field of alternative credentials and the increasing adoption of these credentials by higher education institutions, including offerings like non-credit and professional certificates, badges, bootcamps, and MOOCs.
Author: Laurie Arnston
Report Finds Most Colleges Did Not Consider Race Before 2023 Supreme Court Decision
One of the primary concerns after the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision on the consideration of race in higher education is that the number of students from historically excluded backgrounds will decline. However, a recent report from the Brookings Institute argues that the biggest changes in racial and ethnic demographics will occur at selective schools that previously considered race in admissions.
Addressing Funding Disparities to Advance Equity in Community Colleges
A new report from the Urban Institute investigates an under-studied dimension of community college finance—variation in funding levels across states and across institutions within states—addressing implications for advancing equity.
Improving Transfer Outcomes: New Insights to Guide Institutional Partnerships and State Policy
New analysis of federal data by the U.S. Department of Education highlights the critical role that community colleges play in providing a pathway to bachelor’s degree attainment, while also revealing significant variation across states and institutions.
Older and Parenting Students’ Access to Financial Aid and Benefit Programs: A Case Study of Four States
A recent report from New America examines the financial and social service support available to this growing student population, presenting findings from a mixed-methods study of older and parenting students’ access to financial aid and social service or safety net programs in four states: Colorado, Missouri, North Carolina, and Texas.
A Close Look at Higher Education Enrollment in Fall 2023
The National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) continues to provide up-to-date enrollment trends to highlight disparities in pandemic recovery across differing student and institutional characteristics. The NSC’s latest report encapsulates comprehensive data concerning 9.6 million students, both undergraduate and graduate, reported by approximately 1,500 academic institutions.
How State Financial Aid Programs Propel Low-Income and First-Generation Students
Recent research by the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) shows that nearly 75 percent of all students attend college in their home states, which is usually a requirement to receive state-based financial aid. However, due to the current patchwork of 50 different state aid systems, wide variation exists in both the assistance offered and its effectiveness in increasing college persistence and completion.
NCLS Releases Eleventh Annual High School Benchmarks Report Tracking Trends in College Progress
Empowering Immigrant Talent Through Community Colleges
Gender Disparities in Academic Majors and Graduates’ Incomes Persist
In a new study from Bankrate, Alex Gailey explores the earnings differences across academic majors, highlighting the stark gender disparities in men and women’s academic major selections and subsequent incomes.
Partisan Divide on the Value, Funding, and Equity of Higher Education Widens
New America annually conducts its Varying Degrees survey to assess public opinion and regard for different aspects of higher education. The 2023 survey addressed five different issues: value, funding, accountability, equity and diversity, and online learning.
Unleashing the Power of Financial Aid to Equalize Postsecondary Education
The Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) has released a new report based on data from over 2,400 institutions examining how changes in funding affect institutions where students receive a minimum economic return.