Brenda Brooks dropped out of college 40 years ago. Federal rules mean she can’t afford to go back.
Lately, Englewood native Brenda Brooks has had a tough time finding work. The 60-year-old has decades of experience at CVS and the historic Regal Theater in Avalon Park. But recently, prospective employers have told her, “ ‘You have the quali...
News
Our news, editorial, and analysis on federal policy surrounding higher education’s most pressing issues.
What Confuses Students & Parents About Award Letters Will Surprise You—And That’s the Problem.
Last week, CampusLogic released “Clear Disparity: New Data Adds Consumer Voices to Award Letter Confusion Debate,” a research report around student and parent confusion with financial aid award notifications. This research provides the first large-scale survey data documenting what, precisely, students and parents find unclear about a form that...
From the 101st Airborne to Tennessee’s State Higher Education Leader: A Fighter for Today’s Students
Like many of “today’s students” who are working adults and come from diverse backgrounds, Mike Krause had to fight for a degree. An eighth generation Tennessean, Mike joined the U.S. Army at age 18 after spending six months attending a local community college. He served a total of eight years in the U.S. Army and…
News Releases
Higher Learning Advocates Makes Statement of Support for Quality Higher Education Act
WASHINGTON (October 15, 2019) — Julie Peller, executive director of Higher Learning Advocates, made the following statement to express support for the Quality Higher Education Act introduced by Congresswoman Frederica Wilson: “Today’s students deserve quality in whichever higher learning pathway they choose to earn their postsecondary deg...
News Releases
Higher Learning Advocates Comments on Just-released House College Affordability Act
WASHINGTON, (October 15, 2019) — Today, House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott introduced the College Affordability Act, which serves to reauthorize the Higher Education Act. Higher Learning Advocates — a bipartisan, nonprofit organization that advocates for policy that reflect the changing demographics of today’s ...
Op-eds
Who’s afraid of accountability? The conservative case for better measures of success in higher education.
Higher Learning Advocates board member and former Congressman Luke Messer makes the conservative case for better measures of success in higher education in Politico. Read ‘Who’s afraid of accountability? The conservative case for better measures of success in higher education.’ here.
News Releases
Higher Learning Advocates’ Statement on the FUTURE Act
WASHINGTON (September 19, 2019) – Julie Peller, executive director of Higher Learning Advocates, made the following statement regarding the passing of the FUTURE Act: “Higher Learning Advocates is encouraged that the House of Representatives has passed the FUTURE Act—legislation to ensure current funding for Historically Black Colleges and Un...
The Higher Education Act Reauthorization Needs to Focus on #RealCollege Students
When Congress reauthorizes the Higher Education Act, it must invest in a higher education system that leverages talent in order to propel innovation, create healthier communities, and fuel a more just economy that works for all. Doing so requires a clear focus on supporting today’s #RealCollege students. #RealCollege students know that it is ea...
The Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act Is Essential for College Affordability
The month of September signals change. It is the beginning of a new season, and for many, it is the start of a new school year. One thing that has not changed, however, is the reauthorization status of the Higher Education Act (HEA). This act is essentially the framework for how institutions of higher learning…
My Dream for HEA: Meaningfully Prepare Every Teacher and Principal for Success – Throughout Their Career
New teachers and principals are often told that the first year is “trial by fire” or “sink or swim.” Too many educators leave the profession, and others are far less effective in those early years than they could be. Experienced teachers, on the other hand, often lack career advancement opportunities that allow them to take…
A Q&A with Julie Peller, Executive Director for Higher Learning Advocates
Insights & Outlooks: Last month marked the 11th anniversary of the last reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA). For HEA to better support today’s students, what are you hoping to see updated in the next reauthorization of HEA? Today’s students are now more diverse in age, race, and income level than any previous generation.&helli...
Encouraging State Higher Ed Investments through Federal-State Partnerships
As the nation prepares for yet another attempt at reauthorizing the Higher Education Act, it is crucial to remember the history of this seminal legislation as well as the current plight of public higher education and the reality facing students across the nation. In 1965, when Lyndon Johnson signed the original HEA into reality as…
Jan Yoshiwara: Channeling 1960’s Student Activism For 21st Century Change
Jan Yoshiwara counts herself lucky to have been in high school and college in California during a time of excitement, change and activism in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Her family had been detained in internment camps during World War II, and Jan understood what prejudice looked and felt like through the stories she…