Who are Today’s Students?
Attendance
Adult Learners:
37
%
of today’s students are older than 25.
Part-Time Students:
40
%
of students are part-time.
First-Generation Students:
34
%
of undergraduates are the first in their families to attend college.
Family and Finances
Low-Income Students:
31
%
are at or below the federal poverty level.
Independent Students:
49
%
of students are financially independent.
Student Parents:
24
%
of students are raising children while studying.
Diversity
Students of Color:
African-American student enrollment grew
72
%
between 1996 and 2020, while Hispanic enrollment grew by
240
%
Life and Work
Working Students:
64
%
of students work while in college.
Veterans:
More than
340,000
post-9/11 veterans have used G.I. Bill benefits to complete their degrees.
Commuters:
Only
13
%
of students live on campus.
Policy Recommendations
While more students are participating in higher education than ever before, there is a vast and growing disconnect between federal policy and the needs of today’s students, employers, and communities. Federal policy can, and should, support the needs of today’s students to ensure that more students not only access postsecondary learning but have the tools they need to succeed.
Support Returning Students
Reform federal student aid rules to remove barriers to reentry, including lifetime eligibility caps and satisfactory academic progress rules, for students coming back to higher education.
Count Income Correctly
Reform federal financial aid formulas to allow for more accurate and generous accounting of income and assets for independent students and student parents.
Update Work Study
Reform Federal Work Study to incent completion, expand Job Location Development Programs, ease requirements for off-campus work, and incentivize the connection between aid and course of study.
Simplify Student Loan Programs
Streamline critical elements of federal student loans, including the FAFSA and verification and income-driven repayment options.
Support Student Parents
Expand funding for campus-connected child care and allow institutions to use funds for partnerships to provide emergency child care options for student parents.
Connect Federal Need Based Programs
Provide connections for low-income students to federal need-based aid programs, including by notifying low-income students they may be eligible for food assistance through SNAP.
Address Financial Barriers
Incentivize institutions of higher education to address financial barriers to completion, including textbook costs and with micro-grants targeted at completion.
Support Changing Models of Instruction
Reform federal student aid rules and oversight to encourage effective and high-quality new models focused on outcomes, such as competency-based education.
Recognize New Programs and Providers
Allow students to receive federal student aid for attendance at high-quality short-term programs and high-quality, approved non-institutional programs, including apprenticeships and employer-based training.
Connect Learning Opportunities
Allow federal student aid to be used for dual enrollment programs and payment of prior learning assessments.
Today’s Student Policy Toolkit
It’s time for policies to be updated to better support the success of today’s students. We propose 15 policy recommendations that address barriers to college access and success.
Voices of Today’s Students
Today’s students are returning adults, parents, providers, veterans, and the first in their families to go to college. They need a system that is flexible, affordable and responsive to their needs. But to serve today’s students well, we first need to hear their stories.
Today’s Students Coalition
Today’s students deserve strong advocates in Washington, DC. The Today’s Students Coalition works to accelerate federal policy change for society’s most diverse generation of students.
