Posts by Robyn Bland
Higher Learning Advocates and 40 Organizations Celebrate Bipartisan Resolution Marking September as National Student Parent Month
Higher Learning Advocates and 40 organizations signed on to a letter to Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Tom Carper (D-DE) applauding Congress for passing the National Student Parent Month resolution. For the third consecutive year, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution designating September as a national celebration of parenting students, which acknowledges the sacrifices…
Read MoreFunding for College-Completion Program at Risk in Federal Budget
Fourteen thousand students dropped out of the Austin Community College District in Texas during the last two academic years. But the institution of more than 36,000 students has a plan to get some of them back. Supported by a $770,765 Education Department grant, that plan involves reaching out to students and connecting them with career…
Read MoreHow to Increase Socioeconomic Diversity at the Ivies
Ivy League colleges are under growing pressure to broaden their student base by using admission policies that increase the proportion of low- and moderate-income students on campuses and raise their rate of socioeconomic mobility. A new report, released Tuesday by the HEA Group, a research and consulting firm focused on college access and success, says…
Read MoreLetter from 39 Organizations Asks ED to Reset Satisfactory Academic Progress
Higher Learning Advocates and 38 organizations submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Education in support of reforming SAP (satisfactory academic progress) for today’s students, especially returning adult students from the population of 40 million Americans with some college and no credential.
Under current SAP regulations, an individual’s academic performance indefinitely follows them even upon attempted reentry years later, which can result in prospective students being ineligible for critical student financial aid.
Read MoreLetter to Congress from 49 Organizations in Support of SNAP for Today’s Students
Higher Learning Advocates and 48 organizations submitted a letter to Congress in support of expanding SNAP benefits to help counteract the rising rate of food insecurity among today’s students in higher education. Currently, more than one-third of students struggle to afford food and groceries, but only 31% of college students who meet SNAP income limits…
Read MoreComments on Proposed Gainful Employment Regulations
Higher Learning Advocates submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Education (ED) in response to its recent Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Gainful Employment (GE) and Certification Procedures, sharing both support for the Department’s actions to reimplement GE and recommendations to strengthen the proposed regulation. While we strongly support ED’s implementation of the GE…
Read MoreDebt Ceiling Deal May Endanger Plan to Double Pell Grants by 2029
“President Joe Biden pledged to double the maximum Pell Grant by 2029, but his recent debt ceiling deal is seemingly at odds with that plan. Biden’s deal struck with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy places spending caps on discretionary spending for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. Factoring in projected inflation over the next two years, the deal will…
Read MoreJulie Peller Named to Washingtonian’s Most Influential List for Education
Executive Director Julie Peller is included in the Education section of Washingtonian’s Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People list. The feature includes experts and advocates outside the government who are playing big roles in Washington, D.C.’s policy debates. Julie is recognized for her years of experience on Capitol Hill and helping “students who have some…
Read MoreMeasuring ROI in Higher Education
Measuring ROI in Higher Education “In this episode, Dr. Jason Altmire talks with Julie Peller of Higher Learning Advocates about accountability, ROI in higher education, and the future of the for-profit sector. Julie Peller is the Executive Director of Higher Learning Advocates. She also served as the Deputy Staff Director for the House Committee on Education and Labor. Julie…
Read MoreBrief: SAP Requirements Create Barriers to Underserved Students
SAP Requirements Create Barriers to Underserved Students “The brief examines how current SAP policies can be confusing for many students, such as those who are new to college and arrive academically underprepared, do not receive proper advising, or face unexpected life challenges. Institutions can create their own SAP requirements, but at minimum students must maintain…
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