While student engagement has long been associated with students' learning, development, and success, the climate and culture of historically white institutions often create barriers to engagement among racially minoritized students. Given the institutional responsibility to facilitate equitable engagement, there is a need for new policies and…

Since 2015, The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice has documented the significant challenges basic needs insecurity poses to students enrolled in higher education. Like many systemic issues, these insecurities existed long before the pandemic but have only been exacerbated by it. The Hope Center's latest national data on student basic…

Financial aid opens the door to a college degree and makes higher education a real possibility for students from all racial and ethnic backgrounds. Student knowledge about financial aid availability and application processes, however, varies substantially by race, ethnicity, and income. Despite belonging to families with lower-than-average family…

Earning a college degree is a major pathway to economic mobility. Although Black women enter college at higher rates than white, Hispanic, and Black men (for example, in 2020, Black women enrolled in college at a 40% rate, compared to 37% for White men, 31% for Black men, and 30% for Hispanic men) they still face barriers to degree completion,…

This book offers context, research, policy, and practice-based recommendations centering college access and success for a historically overlooked population: rural Students and Communities of Color. Through an exploration of how colleges and universities can effectively welcome students from rural areas who identify as Asian and Pacific Islander,…

Although there has been a growing body of research on student-athlete retention in higher education, no studies to date have conducted a meta-analysis for investigating predictors of student-athlete retention and attrition. Moreover, the results of existing literature indicate that the factors impacting collegiate athletes' retention are mixed.…

Almost two-thirds (64%) of students who are considering dropping out of college cited emotional stress or personal mental health challenges as the reason--more than twice the percentage of those who cite the cost of attendance. The mental health crisis disproportionately impacts students of color, and there is also a critical lack of diversity in…

In this brief, Research for Action examines the prevalence of school policing in Pennsylvania schools. While data on police presence is limited, this brief is able to examine: (1) race/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in school police staffing and spending; (2) race/ethnic disparities in referrals to law enforcement and school-based arrests by…

Within Massachusetts alone, 23,000 students are experiencing homelessness. And, with the expiration of COVID-era protections like an eviction moratorium and rental assistance, many experts predict that number will increase. Child and family homelessness is associated with a host of negative outcomes including poor physical and mental health, lower…

This year's "Tennessee Higher Education Fact Book" consists of five sections and an appendix of additional resources and terminology. The five main sections of the report include: (1) Student Participation, Fall 2020; (2) Student Success, Academic Year 2019-20; (3) Academic and Fiscal Trends, Academic Year 2019-20; (4) Quality Assurance…

During the last 60 years, national standardized testing has confirmed a gap in reading and math scores between White and Black students, often called the achievement, opportunity, equity, or race-based gap (Coleman et al., 1966; NCES, 2021). Researchers have attempted to identify factors that influence these student outcomes (Jayavant, 2016).…

The College Board released national Advanced Placement (AP) Program Results: Class of 2018 on February 6, 2019. This memorandum provides information pertinent to the AP and International Baccalaureate (IB) examination participation and performance for the Class of 2018 in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). The AP exam results in MCPS were…

In January 2010, the General Assembly passed the Complete College Tennessee Act (CCTA), a comprehensive reform agenda seeking to transform public higher education through changes in academic, fiscal, and administrative policies at the state and institutional levels. While the higher education landscape has been shaped by the CCTA, it is also…

Detroit has a long and complicated history with housing instability, and obtaining safe and stable housing is a significant challenge, particularly for low-income residents. For many renters, housing quality is poor, rents are high, and eviction is common. In 2017, 16% of households with children in Detroit reported being either evicted or forced…

U.S. education leaders have spent decades highlighting and attempting to close achievement gaps among demographic groups. The gaps between African-American and Latino students compared to their white and Asian peers, as well as the gaps between low-income students and others, are among the most pernicious. In 2017, Oak Foundation commissioned…