Category: Short Takes

Dual Enrollment’s Long-Term Effects on Student Earnings
Title: Do Dual Enrollment Students Realize Better Long-Run Earnings? Variations in Financial Outcomes Among Key Student Groups

Authors: Navi Dhaliwal, Sayeeda Jamilah, McKenna Griffin, Dillon Lu, David Mahan, Trey Miller, and Holly Kosiewicz

Source: The Research Institute at Dallas College and University of Texas at Dallas

Dual enrollment partnerships between school districts and colleges and universities provide an opportunity for high school students to enroll in college courses, often saving them time and money. However, the long-term impacts of dual enrollment have not been studied in depth, and the existing body of research offers mixed results. A recent working paper reveals many dual enrollment students experience long-term economic benefits, although outcomes vary based on race and socioeconomic status.

In the study, students from the 2011 graduating class across 22 Texas school districts were tracked and examined, contrasting the outcomes of students that participated in dual enrollment against those that did not. Ultimately, by the sixth year after graduation, dual credit students were earning more than their peers. Students earned 4 to 9 percent more annually between year six and year 12.

Additional highlights from the working paper include:
- Many dual enrollment participants benefited from higher earnings than non-participants in years six through twelve after high school graduation, but not all student subgroups saw significant benefits.
- African American, Hispanic, and limited English proficient students experienced smaller increases in long-term earnings outcomes.
- Economically disadvantaged and African American students that enrolled in dual credit programs also reported higher levels of student loan debt compared to non-participants. For example, there was an $831 to $855 increase in student debt from year three to four for economically disadvantaged dual credit students, and a $1,231 to $1055 increase in student debt from years one to four for African American dual credit participants.
To read the full report, click here.

—Austin Freeman

If you have any questions or comments about this blog post, please contact us.
Source link
April 28, 2025
How Can Institutions Best Support Their Online Learners?

Title: Supporting Online Learners: Insights from SUNY’s Campus Coaching Programs

Authors: Marjorie Dorimé-Williams, Jálynn Castleman, Parker Cellura, Rebekah O’Donoghue, and Makoto Toyoda

Source: MDRC

The structure and delivery of online programs can have significant impacts on a student’s ability to succeed. 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.

Within each university, there were a variety of approaches to providing help for online students. Analyzing and comparing the programs indicated there are three primary types of support for online learners: coaching communication strategies and technology applications, student engagement, and academic outcomes.

Some of the most effective practices in each category are:

Coaching Strategies

Personalized support from coaches is one of the most effective ways to help students. By minimizing the coach-to-student ratio, institutions can ensure coaches have a manageable workload, enabling them to cater their coaching to fit individual students’ needs.

Tracking student data can help coaches identify needs and tailor support. Performance and outcome metrics, such as grades, course attendance, and credit accumulation, can be used to identify struggling students and guide intervention strategies. Additionally, learning management systems that track student engagement can facilitate personalized communication to fit students’ needs and preferences.

Opportunities for professional development help coaches provide the best support for their students. Institutions should continually provide training opportunities to help inform online pedagogy.

Student Engagement

Centralizing support services improves student access and awareness.A unified, easily accessible platform can ensure that students know about and use available resources.

Building community is especially important—and especially challenging—for asynchronous learners. Faculty can foster connections through synchronous or asynchronous study groups and should be mindful of online students’ varied schedules.

Responsive, innovative communication helps keep students engaged. Timely feedback and meeting students where they are—through tools and communication styles they prefer—can promote sustained engagement.

Academic Outcomes

Faculty need targeted training to effectively adapt courses for online delivery. Professional development can help instructors redesign courses for virtual environments and maintain instructional quality.

Quality standards for course design can improve consistency and effectiveness. Standardized templates and interaction guidelines help ensure that all online courses meet a baseline of student support and instructional quality.

Coaches and faculty can collaborate to provide holistic academic support. Integration of coaching within academic programs strengthens both in- and out-of-classroom support, creating a more cohesive experience for online students.

With an increasing proportion of students participating in online courses, building capacity to support online learners promotes success for all students, especially those who are entirely online. Institutions committed to improving their online programs can dedicate resources to developing and evaluating courses and support systems.

To read the full report, click here.

—Erica Swirsky

If you have any questions or comments about this blog post, please contact us.

Source link

April 21, 2025
Strengthening America’s Regional Public Universities

Title: Regional Public Universities: Expanding Higher Education’s ROI for Student and Communities

Authors: Cecilia M. Orphan and Mac Wetherbee

Source: Third Way

A new Third Way report urges tailored federal and state support for regional public universities (RPUs)—rural and urban alike—that educate the majority of four-year public college students and drive local workforce development.

RPUs are “regionally-focused colleges and universities that education 70 percent of all students (nearly seven million annually) attending four-year public institutions in the United States each year,” according to the report. They offer accessible education to individuals throughout their adulthood while also training students to enter economically important jobs in a particular region.

While there are different types of RPUs (e.g., regionally-focused HBCUs, master’s degree-granting RPUs, urban-serving MSIs, and Puerto Rican Hispanic-serving RPUs), about 49 percent of RPUs are considered rural-serving.

Yet RPUs face low funding under broad policies and programs that also fund non-RPUs. As such, report authors Orphan and Wetherbee suggest the following policy recommendations:

Develop a federal Region-Serving Institution designation. Creating an RPU designation that is akin to what already exists for MSIs could create a new wealth of opportunities for the institutions. Subsequent funding and opportunities could potentially serve students in more effective ways.

Build funding partnerships between state and federal government. States can reassess their funding and find ways to invest in RPUs, and the federal government should encourage states to invest more in these institutions. Doing so can foster better statewide economic outcomes, as well as improved success metrics for students.

Revise federal programs with RPUs in mind. Institutions are often required to provide matching funds to access certain Department of Agriculture and Department of Labor grants, an obstacle for many RPUs. The government should consider waiving these requirements for RPUs, as well as encouraging federal agencies to offer more programming supporting applied research at RPUs.

Differentiate policies based on type of institution. Given the diversity of RPUs, multiple types can exist in the same district. Thus, policymakers should consider adapting policies to target the different types of RPUs and their needs.

To see the full report, click here.

—Kara Seidel

If you have any questions or comments about this blog post, please contact us.

Source link

April 21, 2025
How Major Restrictions Silently Reshape Student Pathways
Title: The Invisible Barrier: How Restrictions on Majors Influence Career Paths

Source: Strada Education Foundation

Author: Nichole Torpey-Saboe and Akua Amankwah-Ayeh

When university departments face increasing demand, many implement additional entry requirements. But this seemingly reasonable practice has far-reaching consequences for equity and workforce development, according to new research from Strada Education Foundation surveying recent college graduates.

The study found that while 67 percent of recent public four-year institution graduates considered a restricted major, only 50 percent were admitted to one. This gap translates to more than 200,000 students annually deterred from pursuing their preferred field of study—with the impact falling disproportionately on historically marginalized populations. Black graduates (27 percent) and first-generation students (22 percent) did not pursue restricted majors of interest at higher rates than the average graduate (17 percent).

A notable finding is that major restrictions operate largely outside institutional awareness. For every student formally rejected from a restricted major, four others never apply, deterred by requirements they see as difficult to meet. This “invisible barrier” effect means institutional data captures only a fraction of the impact, making it difficult for institutions to fully assess the effects of these policies.

These findings align with economic research by Zachary Bleemer and Aashish Mehta that highlights two conclusions. First, major restrictions have tripled the economic value gap between degrees earned by underrepresented minority students and their peers since the mid-1990s. Second, there is no evidence that restrictions improved educational outcomes for excluded students or enhanced the value of restricted majors for those who remained.

The most common restrictions respondents report are academic performance thresholds: out-of-department GPA requirements (42 percent), in-department GPA thresholds (33 percent), and test score requirements (29 percent). Other barriers include higher costs (15 percent), required work hours (12 percent), wait lists (9 percent), portfolio reviews (8 percent), and auditions (7 percent).

The research identifies four approaches institutions might consider:
- Implement bridge programs for underrepresented students in gateway courses for high-demand majors, paired with specialized academic and career advising.
- Develop alternative credential pathways through certificates, minors, and interdisciplinary programs that provide students access to skills in high-demand fields without major-specific entry barriers.
- Secure funding, such as through state appropriations, to expand educational resources and capacity in high-demand departments, recognizing these programs’ higher delivery costs as well as their value.
- Work with industry leaders to secure access to equipment, facilities, guest instructors, and financial support to expand capacity in resource-intensive programs.
While institutional resource constraints are real, the unintended consequences of major restrictions are reshaping student pathways in ways that affect both equity and workforce development. By implementing thoughtful alternatives, institutions can better respond to student aspirations while addressing workforce needs.

For more information, read the complete Strada Education Foundation report and Bleemer & Mehta’s economic analysis on how these policies affect long-term wage disparities.

—Alex Zhao

If you have any questions or comments about this blog post, please contact us.
Source link
April 14, 2025
The State of Student Mental Health at HBCUs
Title: Flourishing: Bolstering the Mental Health of Students at HBCUs and PBIs

Source: United Negro College Fund (UNCF)

Student mental health is often a chief concern for university administrations and faculty alike, with institutions working to develop strong mental health resources for students. Mental health concerns, however, can vary drastically from student to student, requiring dynamic responses to support the ever-changing challenges students face.

Over the course of two semesters in 2023, over 2,500 students at 16 HBCUs and two Predominantly Black Institutions were administered the Health Minds Survey (HMS) to determine the unique mental health challenges and provide insights into the college experience for Black students. A report by UNCF, in partnership with the Healthy Minds Network and The Steve Fund, found that Black students at HBCUs demonstrate more positive mental health outcomes compared to students overall. The report also highlights potential areas for schools to further support students. The key takeaways are listed below:
- HBCU students are flourishing: 45 percent of HBCU students report flourishing mental health, in comparison to the national HMS sample of students (36 percent) and Black students at small predominantly white institutions (PWIs) (38 percent). These figures were determined by students agreeing with statements such as “I am a good person and live a good life” and “I am confident and capable in the activities that are important to me.”
- HBCU students report a greater sense of belonging (83 percent) and lower levels of high loneliness (56 percent) than their peers when compared to Black students at PWIs, of whom 72 percent report feeling a sense of belonging and 58 percent report high loneliness.
- HBCU students report less anxiety, less substance use, and being less at-risk for developing an eating disorder than both the national HMS sample of students and the sample of Black students at PWIs.
- Financial stress plays a significant role in mental health for students at HBCUs, with 52 percent of students reporting that their financial situation is “always” or “often” stressful.
- More than half of students at HBCUs report unmet mental health needs (54 percent), which can be defined as “exhibiting moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety or depression and reporting no mental health treatment within the past year.” Findings indicate that this may stem in part from HBCU students reporting stigmas around seeking out mental health services. 52 percent of HBCU students reported experiencing these stigmas, compared to 41 percent of the national HMS sample.
- Nearly 80 percent of HBCU students agree that student mental health is a top priority for their school, and 55 percent of students report feeling that their campus supports open discussions regarding mental health.
In response to the survey findings, the report supplies several recommendations to further support and increase research on HBCU mental health resources. UNCF states that producing longitudinal studies regarding mental health at HBCUs and exploring the intersecting factors that impact mental health may allow institutions to better react to the ever-changing mental health needs of their students. Further data support would provide means to measure outcomes for mental health programs and resources, allowing institutions to fine-tune their services to best support student flourishing.

To read more, click here to access the full report.

—Julia Napier

If you have any questions or comments about this blog post, please contact us.
Source link
April 14, 2025
The Net Price of College Is Falling for Most Students

Title: College Prices Are Falling for Everyone (Almost)

Source: Brookings Institution

Author: Phillip Levine

New research from the Brookings Institution reveals a surprising truth: inflation-adjusted college prices have fallen for most students over the past five years. Phillip Levine’s analysis examines what students actually pay—the net price after financial aid—rather than the sticker prices that dominate media coverage.

Using data from net price calculators at 200 institutions and proprietary financial aid records from 14 highly endowed colleges, his findings challenge the common narrative:

Widespread price decreases: Between 2019-20 and 2024-25, inflation-adjusted net prices declined across institution types. Public flagship universities saw reductions of 7.1-17.3 percent, depending on family income level, while other public institutions experienced decreases of 8.5-13.2 percent. Private colleges with very large endowments had substantial declines, ranging from 7.0-43.4 percent, and tuition-dependent private colleges saw net prices drop by 16.8-23.3 percent.

Lower-income students benefit most: Families earning $40,000 annually, representing the 25th percentile of the income distribution, experienced the largest reductions, with net prices dropping by 13.2-40.9 percent depending on institution type.

Wide price variation by income: At private institutions with very large endowments, students from families earning $40,000 pay approximately $4,400 annually, while those from families earning $240,000 pay $82,800 annually.

At many institutions, families earning $40,000 are still expected to contribute $15,000-$20,000 annually. Only the most heavily endowed institutions typically offer aid packages that lower-income families can reasonably manage. This raises important policy implications: proposed increases to endowment taxes may undermine institutions’ ability to provide generous financial aid, potentially harming the very students who benefit most from their pricing models. Private colleges and universities rely heavily on endowments to fund scholarships, research, and education—often more than they rely on tuition revenue. Treating endowments like business profits could shift the financial burden onto students and weaken U.S. innovation.

The complexity of college pricing creates uncertainty for families, policymakers, and media. Greater transparency about the true cost of attendance is essential. By focusing on actual prices rather than headline-grabbing sticker prices, we can help reshape the national conversation on college affordability and ensure that misconceptions don’t deter qualified students from pursuing higher education.

To read the full Brookings research analysis, click here.

—Alex Zhao

If you have any questions or comments about this blog post, please contact us.

Source link

April 4, 2025
State Dashboards Help Students See Higher Education’s Long-Term Value

Title: Bridging Education and Opportunity: Exploring the ROI of Higher Education and Workforce Development

Author: Paula Nazario

Source: HCM Strategists

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 (ROI). However, despite the continued success and quality of many degree programs, both students and the public have increased concerns about whether postsecondary credentials are worth the time and money.

If consumers do not understand the ROI of their credentials, this can contribute to decreased enrollment, funding, and research, which would in turn produce broader economic and social consequences. While the data are clear that a majority of postsecondary programs do pay off, there are many degrees that fail to provide a measurable ROI. HCM Strategists’ recent analysis of College Scorecard data shows that the average student at over 1,000 institutions earns less 10 years after they first enrolled than the typical high school graduate. While nearly two-thirds of these institutions are certificate-focused, for-profit institutions, there are still many private nonprofit and public colleges that do not provide strong economic outcomes.

To help students and the public understand the differences between institutions and degree programs that provide positive and negative value, the author of the brief urges states and policymakers to provide clear data on post-graduation outcomes. Some states have already advanced initiatives to help consumers see in real time the differences in earnings for those that enroll in higher education.

The author highlights several states initiatives that help students see the value of their credentials including California Community Colleges’ Salary Surfer tool, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s student outcomes dashboards and reports, and the Virginia Office of Education Economics’ College and Career Outcomes Explorer. Ohio and Colorado are also highlighted for their investments in employer partnerships to expand graduates’ opportunities for well-paying and workforce relevant jobs.

To read more on these new insights from HCM Strategists, click here.

—Austin Freeman

If you have any questions or comments about this blog post, please contact us.

Source link

March 28, 2025
More Pell Grant Recipients Enrolling at Top-Tier Universities

Title: Achieving Greater Socioeconomic Diversity at Highly Endowed Colleges and Universities

Author: Phillip Levine

Source: Brookings Institution

Since the 2014-15 academic year, the share of students receiving a Pell Grant at institutions with large endowments (over $250,000 and $500,000 per full-time equivalent student, respectively) has increased. Pell Grant recipience is often used as a proxy for low-income status, pointing to an increase in the socioeconomic diversity of highly endowed institutions in the past decade. To pinpoint the source of this increase, the author of a new Brookings Institution brief examines several variables: eligibility, admissions standards, and student application behavior.

Importantly, the eligibility requirements to receive a Pell Grant have changed over the years. The maximum award amount increased during the Great Recession while incomes fell, raising the number of people who qualified. From the 2008-09 to 2010-11 academic years, the share of students receiving a Pell Grant at institutions with large and very large endowments jumped from 12 percent to 17 percent.

According to the author, changes in eligibility can likely explain part of the increase in Pell Grant recipience during the Great Recession. Since then, however, the maximum award amount in real dollars has decreased, despite the share of students receiving Pell Grants at highly endowed institutions continuing to rise.

Adjusting for inflation to 2023 dollars, in the 2013-14 academic year, the maximum award was $7,410. Ten years later, in the 2023-24 academic year, the maximum award was $7,395. Over this period, the economy recovered and the share of students receiving Pell Grants across higher education writ large decreased. Because the figures at these institutions diverge from national figures, eligibility changes—and therefore the number of people qualifying—are likely not the cause of the increase in Pell Grant recipients at highly endowed institutions over the past decade.

Examining average SAT scores from institutions with large and very large endowments indicates that changing admissions standards for Pell Grant students is not the source of the rise in socioeconomic diversity.

When comparing scores from 2007-08 and 2011-12 with those from 2015-16 and 2019-20, the gap between the average scores of students with and without a Pell Grant at institutions with very large endowments decreased from 72 points in 2008/2012 to 58 points in 2016/2020. At institutions with large endowments, the gap in scores between Pell Grant recipients and those not receiving a grant narrowed even more, from 98 points in 2008/2012 to 51 points in 2016/2020, representing a statistically significant change. The shrinking gaps suggest that admissions standards for Pell Grant recipients have not been lowered.

Because eligibility and admissions standards cannot explain the increase in the share of students at highly endowed institutions, it is likely that a higher number of Pell Grant recipients are applying to highly endowed schools and then choosing to enroll. Emerging research from the beginning of the decade on undermatching among low-income students coincides with an expansion of institutional initiatives to overcome these barriers, which may be contributing to higher application rates. Organizations like uAspire and Posse, which aim to recruit low-income, marginalized students, have also advanced this effort.

While there are many barriers for low-income students to attend higher education, the evidence suggests there has been progress in improving access for these students at highly endowed institutions. Institutional commitment to promoting social mobility while adhering to their academic missions will not only benefit the institutions themselves but society at large as well.

To read the full report, click here.

—Erica Swirsky

If you have any questions or comments about this blog post, please contact us.

Source link

March 28, 2025
Republican Voters Value Higher Education. Here Are Their Priorities.

Title: What do Republican Voters Want on Higher Education?

Author: Ben Cecil

Source: Third Way

During the budgetary process that recently concluded, Congress considered substantial funding cuts to numerous areas, including higher education. Republican voters, however, may not view heavy cuts to higher education favorably. 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.

The survey responses make clear that Republican voters haven’t abandoned the concept of higher education, with over 60 percent of respondents reporting that a four-year degree is valuable in today’s economy. Beyond traditional four-year programs, Republican voters demonstrated substantial support for trade schools and community colleges, with favorability for the institutions at 91 and 87 percent, respectively. While Republican perspectives regarding the value of education remain positive, nearly 90 percent of voters polled said that more accountability is required for higher education.

Republican voters also rated many current higher education policies very favorably. Eighty-one percent of respondents said they support Pell Grants, while 79 percent supported Public Service Loan Forgiveness and income-driven repayment for student loans. The support for these programs aligns with one of respondents’ primary policy concerns; just under half of Republican voters said that affordability is the most significant problem that needs to be addressed within higher education.

To address college affordability concerns, Republicans aren’t in favor of relying on private industry; of the 12 policy reforms Third Way tested, privatization of student loan programs was ranked number 11, with just over half of respondents viewing it as a viable option. With affordability as a chief concern, Republican voters recognize and support the role the federal government plays in offering financial support for students.

The perspectives of Republican voters on higher education demonstrate clear policy aims and a hesitation to substantially change funding structures and government involvement. When asked if they prefer sweeping cuts to graduate lending or more accountability from institutions to improve their return on investment, only 20 percent of voters chose funding cuts. The message is clear: Republicans support increases to institutional accountability and college affordability but aren’t looking for broad cuts to higher education.

For further information, click here to read the full article from the Third Way.

If you have any questions or comments about this blog post, please contact us.

Source link

March 22, 2025
For Parenting Students, Campus Support Bolsters Outcomes
Title: Pillars of Support: Results from an Evaluation of the Parenting Students Project at Austin Community College

Authors: May Helena Plumb and Paige-Erin Wheeler

Source: Trellis Strategies

A new report from Trellis Strategies evaluates the impact of the Parenting Students Project (PSP) at Austin Community College (ACC), highlighting the challenges student parents face and the program’s efforts to support them. Data show that students who are parents have high rates of financial and basic needs insecurity. In addition to the demands of being a student with parental responsibilities, these students are more likely to be working.

As part of the United Way for Greater Austin’s PSP initiative, parenting students met monthly with each other, attended seminars about financial wellness and mental health, and received a $500 monthly stipend. Additionally, PSP participants received services in coordination with ACC, such as case managers and childcare scholarships.

The report highlights the positive impact on participants’ academic progress, including a 95 percent term-to-term retention rate and an increased likelihood of taking nine credit hours per semester. A second area of impact was financial wellness, as increased financial stability lowered borrowing and alleviated transportation insecurity through a more flexible schedule. Third, PSP empowered parenting students to be better parents, as well as provided them with scholarships for childcare. Finally, PSP bolstered mental health through an increased sense of community and belonging.

The report also identifies areas for growth and offers the following recommendations:
1. Refine program requirements so that they best support student success. While credit requirements are helpful in moving students forward, parenting students still need some flexibility in enrollment intensity. A participant suggested scaling the number of credits taken to correspond to the stipend so that PSP support is not all or nothing. Participants also expressed a desire to choose some of the seminar topics.
2. Consider areas of need. PSP participants indicated a desire for more flexible childcare options. Some also discussed other forms of support, such as housing resources, cooking classes, and diapers and toys for children. The needs will vary based on the group, so it is important to evaluate what students need.
3. Address different needs for fathers. There was a large disparity between the share of fathers who participated in PSP and the percentage of student parents at ACC who are fathers. While student fathers are more likely to be married and have access to childcare, they are also more likely to have specific mental health challenges and to stop out of college.
Click here for the full report.

—Kara Seidel

If you have any questions or comments about this blog post, please contact us.
Source link
March 17, 2025