Resources
Today’s Students Coalitions’ federal policy resources include the most current data on adult students, parenting students, college affordability, equity, and more. Our work has resulted in positive change for today’s students, including access to discounted broadband for Pell students, the establishment of emergency aid funds, and increased financial aid for parenting students.
The Keys to Quality: Reforming Higher Education Accreditation Policy
The key to assuring higher education quality in the U.S. is accreditation, the complex system used by the Federal government as a gate-keeping mechanism to over $130 billion annually in federal student aid. But federal accreditation policy has become almost entirely focused on compliance and bureaucratic procedures, instead of what counts: student outcomes and results.…
101: Accreditation
What is Accreditation? Accreditation is the linchpin of the federal role in higher education as the gate-keeping system for the federal government’s $120 billion annual investment in higher education. Looking to understand the complex and esoteric process that determines which colleges and universities get a “stamp of approval” to receive federal student aid? Our new…
Defining High-Quality Higher Learning
With a growing public focus on the value of higher education and new providers serving today’s students, Higher Learning Advocates releases new principles outlining the key hallmarks of quality in postsecondary education with a new brief called “Defining High-Quality Higher Learning.”
Comments to Senate HELP Committee on Higher Education Act Reauthorization
Higher Learning Advocates submitted comments, today, to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee leadership with recommendations on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. Download the comments here.
101: NACIQI
What is NACIQI? Established by a Congressional statue in 1992 and maintained in the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, NACIQI is responsible for overseeing the federal accreditation recognition process for institutions of higher education and accrediting agencies. Although the decision ultimately rests with the Secretary of Education, this advisory panel provides recommendations on which…
101: Accreditation Glossary
This “101” accreditation glossary is a handy resource decoding the language used during NACIQI meetings and other accreditation debates. From accreditors to on-site evaluations and self-study—the accreditation glossary summarizes the essentials behind the complex process of higher education accreditation. Download the 101: Accreditation Glossary here.
101: Higher Education and the Triad
What is the Triad? The process of regulating and guaranteeing the quality of higher education in the U.S. is complex and involves a number of distinct parties. The Higher Education Act (HEA) designates three separate entities—states, accreditation agencies, and the U.S. Department of Education (ED)—that must grant institutions of higher education (IHEs) approval in order…
101: Postsecondary Data
What is postsecondary data? Postsecondary data captures information related to institutions of higher education (IHEs) – including colleges, universities, and technical and vocational programs – as well as students and their outcomes. This information may include institutional metrics, such as tuition and fees, and student-centered metrics, like admissions, enrollment, financial aid, completion, and employment outcomes.…
State Profiles
State profiles feature key data points, visual infographics, and brief explanations of all 50 states, and are a quick and easy resource for policymakers, analysts and media.