Resources

Research and Evaluation

2017–18 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study

Oct. 8, 2021

Around 60 percent of undergraduates used some form of federal financial aid to pay for their postsecondary education during the 2017-18 academic year, according to new data from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Download PDF Continue Reading

Community Colleges

Student Outcomes at Community Colleges

What Factors Explain Variation in Loan Repayment and Earnings?

Sept. 28, 2021

Student outcomes at community colleges vary widely across institutions and programs, leaving some policymakers to wonder if more pressure is needed to hold these institutions accountable for their students’ future labor market outcomes, says this report from the Brookings Institution.

Download PDF Continue Reading

Adult Learners

How to Achieve More Equitable Community College Student Outcomes: Lessons From Six Years of CCRC Research on Guided Pathways

Lessons From Six Years of CCRC Research on Guided Pathways

Sept. 21, 2021

Hundreds of community colleges have sought to implement whole-college reforms using the guided pathways model, either on their own or as part of a national or state initiative. This report from the Community College Research Center describes the evolution of guided pathways reforms, as well as the next frontiers for guided pathways practice and research.

Download PDF Continue Reading

Adult Learners

Digital Skills and Older Workers

Supporting Success in Training and Employment in a Digital World

Sept. 15, 2021

The acceleration of the shift to online and remote learning and working brings new opportunities, but it also brings the potential for further inequities in the labor market. This report from the Urban Institute documents some of the barriers and opportunities that exist for older workers accessing online programs, with a focus on their digital…

Download PDF Continue Reading

Tuition Reimbursement

Study Shows the Benefits of Walmart Education Effort

Retail Giant’s ‘Live Better U’ Program Is Proving Its Value

Sept. 14, 2021

This study shows how Walmart's Live Better U employee education initiative improves outcomes for associates and for Walmart. The report focuses on measurable impact for participating associates and includes disaggregated outcomes by race and ethnicity, showing how Walmart’s employees of color use and benefit from the program alongside white colleagues. This analysis focuses specifically on…

Download PDF Continue Reading

Racial Justice and Equity

Achieving Financial Equity and Justice for HBCUs

Sept. 14, 2021

Historically Black colleges and universities are engines of upward mobility and job creation for their graduates, and recent investments are imperative if the nation is to see progress in racial, social, and economic equity. This report from the Century Foundation provides a fuller understanding of the history and current financial standing of HBCUs.

Download PDF Continue Reading

Student Supports

Texas Policies for Reconnecting Opportunity Youth in Back on Track Pathways

Policy Alignment and Gaps for Improving Outcomes for Opportunity Youth

Sept. 8, 2021

This paper from Jobs for the Future provides an overview of Texas policies that support Back on Track pathways for opportunity youth to attain high school and postsecondary credentials. It also identifies opportunities and gaps for improving these outcomes.

Download PDF Continue Reading

Racial Justice and Equity

Examining Disparities in College Opportunity by Gender for Black Californians

The State of Higher Education for Black Californians

Sept. 2, 2021

More Black students in California are earning college degrees, but alarming equity gaps in graduation rates remain, according to this report from the Campaign for College Opportunity. Equally concerning are the differences in graduation rates based on gender, the report notes.

Download PDF Continue Reading

Adult Learners

The Adult-Ready Playbook

A Comprehensive Policy and Practice Guide to Improve Outcomes for Post-Traditional Learners

Sept. 1, 2021

A first-of- its-kind resource from the Education Strategy Group pulls together the most promising strategies for serving adult learners into a single, comprehensive framework—one that fundamentally re-envisions education for this population of students.

Download PDF Continue Reading

State Policy

Lumina’s State Policy Agenda

A collection of evidence-based policies to increase educational attainment

Aug. 31, 2021

Lumina’s state policy agenda recommends ways in which states can identify, attract, and spend resources so that many more Americans can earn post-high school credentials with workplace value. The Agenda seeks to build a fairer, more racially just postsecondary system and is Lumina’s response to state leaders who ask how they can reach their state…

Download PDF Continue Reading