Higher Ed 101s

Our series of 101 explainers sets out to answer these questions and decode the complex but critical policy issues that impact today’s students and providers. Featuring visual infographics, compact definitions, and user-friendly explanations, the 101s offer policymakers, analysts, and media a quick explanation of key policy issues in postsecondary education.

Want more 101s from Higher Learning Advocates? For more information or to suggest a topic for an upcoming 101 feature, contact our Deputy Director Emily Bouck West.

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  • 101: Income-Driven Repayment (IDR)

    What is Income-Driven Repayment (IDR)?Income-driven repayment (IDR) is a federal student loan repayment program that allows students to repay…

  • The Glossary of Higher Education Policy

    Today’s students need a bipartisan and comprehensive rewrite of the Higher Education Act that upgrades quality, strengthens affordability, and…

  • 101: Pell Grant Rainy Day Fund

    What is the Pell Grant Program?The Pell Grant program is a federal means-tested program that offers postsecondary aid in…

  • 101: Competency-Based Education

    More and more of today’s students are adults, parents and older students who are learning outside the traditional academic…

  • 101: Accreditation

    What is Accreditation?Accreditation is the linchpin of the federal role in higher education as the gate-keeping system for the…

  • 101: NACIQI

    What is NACIQI?Established by a Congressional statue in 1992 and maintained in the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008,…

  • 101: Accreditation Glossary

    This "101" accreditation glossary is a handy resource decoding the language used during NACIQI meetings and other accreditation debates.…

  • 101: Higher Education and the Triad

    What is the Triad?The process of regulating and guaranteeing the quality of higher education in the U.S. is complex…

  • 101: Postsecondary Data

    What is postsecondary data?Postsecondary data captures information related to institutions of higher education (IHEs) – including colleges, universities, and…