Brenda Brooks dropped out of college 40 years ago. Federal rules mean she can’t afford to go back.
Lately, Englewood native Brenda Brooks has had a tough time finding work. The 60-year-old has decades of experience at CVS and the historic Regal Theater in Avalon Park. But recently, prospective employers have told her, “ ‘You have the qualifications...
News
Our news, editorial, and analysis on federal policy surrounding higher education’s most pressing issues.
[STATEMENT] Higher Learning Advocates Responds to the Department of Education’s Experimental Sites Initiatives
Washington, D.C. (May 20th, 2019) — Today, Julie Peller, executive director of Higher Learning Advocates, released a statement responding to the U.S. Department of Education’s announcement to launch a new experimental site to create greater flexibility in the Federal Work Study program and an expansion of an existing site to provide more incarc...
Taxpayers should demand a return on their investment in higher education
Another April 15th has come and gone, which means hundreds of millions of Americans have filed their income taxes. Well, what if I told you the federal government is spending your tax dollars every year on higher education institutions that graduate only one out of 10 students? $108 million annually to be exact. Would you…
Why Better Data Holds the Key to Improving Student Outcomes: A Q&A with Mamie Voight of the Institute for Higher Education Policy
Insights & Outlooks: How has the national conversation around outcomes in higher education evolved in recent years? Mamie Voight: For too long, we have struggled to answer key questions about outcomes in higher education—questions like: Who graduates from college? How do students fare in the workforce after college? How do outcomes vary by ra...
The Next Wave of Student Completion: A Q&A with Yolanda Watson Spiva, Ph.D., President, Complete College America
Insights & Outlooks: What challenges have prevented two and four-year institutions from missing the mark on improving student outcomes? Yolanda Watson Spiva: Many challenges have prevented two- and four-year institutions from improving student outcomes. The first is a design flaw. Most institutions are not designed with a focus on students, par...
Three Lessons Higher Ed Can Learn From Charter Schools
While various aspects of the charter school model remain at the center of hot-button political debates, there are many lessons that can be learned from their successes and failures. A more nuanced look reveals that, when done well, charter schools can provide a high-quality—and greatly personalized—educational experience to students. The storie...
Understanding Student Financial Success Through Data
Elaina Mulé was fortunate to have a rewarding undergraduate and graduate experience due to impactful mentors, work and research opportunities, igniting her own personal passion for higher education. Today, working on the Community Development team at Charles Schwab Bank in Las Vegas, Elaina is helping to guide efforts to give back to the community...
Moving From Access to Success: How Outcomes-Based Policy Helped USF Change Course
For decades, colleges and universities have focused on access as the primary means of fulfilling higher education’s promise to change students’ lives. The University of South Florida, where I work as the vice president for student success, was no different. But nearly 10 years ago, we began to turn our attention to outcomes. While ensuring&hell...
Centering Student Outcomes, A Simple Yet Radical Mission
Students should be at the center of our higher education system. It’s a simple sentence, not even a very long one at that, yet there is a profound and radical sentiment in that brevity. Students should be at the center of our higher education system. Because the truth is, students aren’t at the center of…
Press
Trump Wants to Use Extra Pell Money for NASA. But That Surplus Is There for a Good Reason.
Julie Peller is quoted in the Chronicle of Higher Education where she argues that it is critical to preserve the Pell surplus in case of a future economic downturn.
Press
Bridging the Gap on Accountability
Source: Inside Higher Ed
Emily Bouck West was quoted in Inside Higher Ed where she argues for using metrics other than the cohort default rate to hold institutions of higher education accountable for student outcomes.
Press
Op-eds
Four Ways Congress Can Help A New Generation of Students
Source: Real Clear Education
Julie Peller’s latest op-ed discusses ways policymakers can better align federal policy to ensure the success of today’s students.
A Q&A with Geronimo Rodriguez, Chief Advocacy Officer at Ascension Texas
An attorney by training, Geronimo Rodriguez currently serves as the Chief Advocacy Officer for Ascension Texas, one of the leading non-profit and Catholic healthcare systems in the United States. Previously, he served as Counsel to the Solicitor at the U.S. Department of Labor, overseeing 140 labor and employment laws in the United States during th...