The Basic Facts on Unmet Essential Needs A recent study found that three in five college students experienced insecurity in meeting their basic needs, such as housing and food. However, many federal safety net policies designed to support Americans in need were not created with today’s postsecondary students in mind.   Research now shows today’s…

A satisfactory academic progress, or SAP, reset can make college more affordable for low-income Americans, especially the 39 million with some college and no credential (SCNC) population. Higher Learning Advocates’ analyzed how in a new higher education policy brief, Satisfactory Academic Progress: Making Financial Aid Work for Today’s Students. In the brief, we highlight how…

Education creates opportunities and is integral to maintaining America’s globally competitive economy. An educated workforce begins in local communities and expands to the state, the nation, and the world. Higher Learning Advocates higher education policy toolkit for the 118th Congress focuses on connecting opportunity, supporting students, and delivering value with solutions to help strengthen our nation’s…

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…

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…

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…

Today’s students are more diverse than any previous generation of college students: they’re diverse in age, race, and income level. They’re more mobile and may not live on campus. Most participate in the workforce, either full-time or part-time. Work and family responsibilities beyond the classroom—whether that is on-campus or online—often compete with the educational goals…

In spring 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic swept across the country, colleges and universities swiftly shuttered their campuses to students, unsure of for how long or what was coming next. As faculty scrambled to continue their courses virtually, they utilized emergency remote learning to deliver course content like lectures and seminars, facilitated online assessments, and…