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Many students face formidable roadblocks to postsecondary education. Insufficient information, inadequate academic preparation and financial need hinder postsecondary opportunity for hundreds of thousands of capable and motivated students.

These roadblocks are not just a challenge for students, but for our nation as a whole. The United States’ future economic growth and standard of living and the success of our young people depend on addressing higher education issues. Our nation must ensure that students are learning more and acquiring the essentials to compete in the global economy.  To remain competitive, we must find ways to educate more of our low-income and minority students – in a cost-effective manner – and ensure that they graduate with the ability to meet changing workforce demands.

Lumina Foundation for Education is committed to confronting these issues and expanding access to higher education – while containing institutional costs – with the multi-year initiative Making Opportunity Affordable: Reinvesting in College Access and Success. This initiative aims to help states and institutions increase degree attainment for all students and improve learning outcomes at a cost that students and taxpayers can afford.

Our first issue of Lumina Foundation Focus Magazine, Restricted Access, sought to deepen the understanding of the factors affecting postsecondary access. And the report Squeeze Play: How Parents and the Public Look at Higher Education Today examines the growing concern about the rising cost of higher education.

Information & encouragement

Low-income students often do not receive sufficient information and encouragement to strive for an education beyond high school. Socioeconomic status strongly affects access to reliable information about college.

Many low-income youth aspire to attend college, but psychological barriers may prevent their participation in postsecondary education.
A 1997 study of African-American high school students suggested four factors that could improve college participation rates: improving school conditions, having more interested teachers and actively involved counselors, instilling college possibilities earlier and emphasizing cultural awareness.

Many families misperceive the cost of postsecondary education, and many students are unsure about application requirements and financial aid options. To ensure that students and their families make informed choices about postsecondary education, it is essential to close these gaps in awareness.

Academic preparation

Academic preparation can advance college access and success. A rigorous academic high school program improves a student's chances to succeed in postsecondary education.  

Participation in college-preparatory curriculum varies by race, ethnicity and income characteristics of students. Likewise, college attendance rates vary by race, ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic characteristics of students.

Financial aid

The cost of college has increased sharply, and low-income students have been hit hardest. In the past decade, average public four-year college tuition
fees rose 51 percent, after adjusting for inflation. In 2000, the average debt load
of a four-year public college graduate was approximately $19,300 — more than
double the level in 1991. (For more information on college cost and aid trends, read Trends in College Pricing 2004 and Trends in Student Aid 2004.)

The buying power of the federal Pell grant has dropped sharply as college costs have increased, reducing college access for lower-income students. The combined effect of these trends has been to decrease postsecondary opportunity for lower-income students.

Government-funded grant programs aren't keeping pace with increasing college costs for low-income students. Many families and students are accepting more debt to pay for college. In the 2003-2004 school year, the average Pell Grant of $2,466 covered about 23 percent of average total charges at four-year public institutions

Distributing resources more efficiently and effectively can promote expanded, equal access to postsecondary education. The Foundation is supporting an initiative to examine how financial aid, financial policies and practices on the federal, state and institutional levels should be structured to maximize access and success for all students.