Surging tuition costs and lackluster results have left students, employers and the public wondering about the return on investment they receive from higher education. After all, taxpayers underwrite the nation’s investment in higher education to the tune of $150 billion annually, yet student outcomes are stubbornly low, and the quality of college...

The new majority of students are more likely to be older, have children, be financially independent, and be at or below the federal poverty line. This graphic from Higher Learning Advocates effectively illustrates.

PROSPER Act offers a starting point for improving our system of higher learning, but falls short on quality assurance and accountability measures that would protect today’s students.   WASHINGTON, D.C. (DEC. 1, 2017) — Today, Julie Peller, executive director of Higher Learning Advocates, released an initial statement responding to the Prom...

The nation’s signature higher education law, the Higher Education Act (HEA), hasn’t been updated since 2008—before the peak of the last financial crisis and the advent of countless new technologies. Executive Director Julie Peller and Policy & Advocacy Director Emily Bouck co-authored an op-ed in U.S. News & World Report ou...

“A new higher education advocacy group — Higher Learning Advocates — has emerged to specifically focus on nontraditional students and federal education policies addressing them.”

November News: Bridging the Gap Between Today’s Students and Federal Policy At its debut event last week, Higher Learning Advocates brought student voices to the fore during a discussion about the gap between the current system of higher education and what today’s students need. John Englehart, a member of UMUC’s Class of 2017 and...

Join us on 10/30 for our debut event: Mismatched? Is there a divide between what today’s students need and what higher education policy has to offer? Join us on Oct. 30 at the National Press Club as we explore this topic and hear from Kavitha Cardoza of Education Week and PBS NewsHour, Rio Salado President…

After a bombshell Inspector General report that had advocates for higher education innovation shaking their heads, Julie took to the pages of EdScoop to make the case for why it’s time to rethink higher education regulations to better serve today’s students.

Higher Learning Advocates Executive Director Julie Peller delivered testimony at a U.S. Department of Education hearing on higher education regulations that may be appropriate for repeal, replacement, or modification. Peller urged the Department to redesign regulations to better meet the needs of today’s students and focus on outcomes and qua...

Julie Peller, Executive Director of Higher Learning Advocates, participated in a forum hosted by the New Democrat Coalition on July 19, 2017. The panel’s focus included 21st century skills training and workforce development, and Julie spoke to the changing landscape of postsecondary education and its intersection with ensuring students gain the s...

The time to rethink the nation’s system of quality assurance is now. Today’s students and providers are different than those for whom our nation’s laws were written. Higher learning is ever more critical for economic success. And, students, taxpayers, and policymakers are asking “what do we get out of higher learning?” The problems with o...

Today, I am pleased to announce the opening of Higher Learning Advocates, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. that supports and advances policy changes that increase postsecondary attainment. Higher Learning Advocates is shifting federal policy from higher education to higher learning. We are focused on quality outcomes for today’s...