Resources

Higher Learning Advocates’ 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.

101: Means-Tested Federal and State Programs

Means-tested federal and state programs help millions of low-income Americans access housing, food, health care, child care, and more. But complex programs combined with myriad eligibility requirements can make it difficult for students to access these benefits. This 101 provides an outline of the programs, how each program is connected to college students’ needs, and…
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Online Program Managers (OPMS): Ensuring Quality & Protecting Innovation

Over the last two years, the COVID-19 pandemic and the changing needs of today’s students have necessitated an unprecedented shift towards online learning. Institutions of higher education were able to meet this demand partially due to online program management entities, or OPMs. OPMs are service providers which work through contracts with universities to bring academic…
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Outsourcing Online Programs: Policy Options for OPM Oversight

As a form of outsourcing in higher education, online program management (OPM) is not remarkable. Universities regularly, and with little fanfare, outsource many functions that used to be done in-house. Bookstores, dining halls, housing facilities, parking garages, and housekeeping are all part of the outsourcing model in American higher education. This brief is intended to…
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College Students: You could get money from the Earned Income Tax Credit

College Students: You could get money from the Earned Income Tax Credit

This year, more people than ever before are eligible for the expanded Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) –including college students age 18+ without dependents. This tax credit can give you back money, up to $1,502, to spend however you want – towards groceries, rent, a car, or more. All you need to do is file…
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Financial Aid Officers: Help Students Get Money from the Earned Income Tax Credit

Financial Aid Officers: Help Students Get Money from the Earned Income Tax Credit

This year, more people than ever before are eligible for the expanded Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) – including> college students age 18+ without dependents. This tax credit gives students back money, up to $1,502, to spend however they want – towards groceries, rent, a car, or more. All they need to do is file…
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What Works for Today’s Students: Connecting Students to Means-Tested Benefits

What Works for Today’s Students: Connecting Students to Means-Tested Benefits

Students facing basic needs insecurities are significantly less likely to leave college without completing an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. Today’s students show a great deal of resilience in the face of adversity—but succeeding in an academic environment is extremely difficult without access to basic needs, like food and shelter. The federal government has various programs…
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101: Students & Means Tested Programs

Every year, more than one million students drop out—70 percent do so because of financial insecurity, which is disproportionately felt by low-income students. That’s where means-tested benefit programs and income supports can help. Means-tested federal and state programs help millions of low-income Americans access housing, food, health care, child care, and more. But the myriad…
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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.

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