Whose degrees—and which degrees—matter for defining first-generation status? The question is timely. Since the U.S. Supreme Court barred the consideration of applicants’ racial status this past summer, colleges have talked a big game about doubling down on various markers of student disadvantage, including Pell Grant eligibility and whether they are first generation. 

The challenge is that one college’s definition of a first-generation student might not look like another’s.

Photo: R.J. Lozada

Graduates from one of the most unusual community colleges in the country will soon receive guaranteed admission to campuses in the California State University system. But first, they need to be released from prison.

The nation’s largest public university system is developing a new college transfer program with Mount Tamalpais College, which is located within San Quentin State Prison. The private two-year college is the first accredited institution created within a state prison. 

Photo: Kevin Fleming

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to strike down the use of race in college admissions sent shock waves through higher education, forcing universities and colleges to re-evaluate what information they can ask from applicants while still building a racially diverse campus. 
 
Now, senators are taking fresh aim at legacy and donor preferences for admission to college with a new bipartisan bill that aims to end the controversial practice.