In recent years, historically underrepresented students have become a larger segment in higher education. Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization is an opportunity to increase educational attainment levels; close equity gaps and address racial disparities in student outcomes; and ensure the federal government, states, and institutions transform…

Predominantly white institutions (PWIs) have increasingly implemented formalized diversity initiatives over the past 50 years as a response to ensuing federal legislation (e.g., 1965 Higher Education Act), student protests of the late 1960s, and the influx of Black students into PWIs. These initiatives were established to support students from…

The purpose of this directory was to identify and describe education practices to take federally-funded GEAR UP and TRIO programs online in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These programs improve academic performance, close the achievement gap, and improve persistence towards graduation for low-income, first-generation, and…

This hearing is the third in a series examining critical issues in postsecondary education as the committee looks to reauthorize the Higher Education Act. The topic discussed is of paramount importance and is arguably the bedrock of Federal higher education policy, that is, the Federal financial aid programs and their effectiveness in providing…

In education, reform tends to follow cycles, often bouncing from one extreme to another without considering the possibility of incorporating multiple perspectives simultaneously. Policies aimed at helping more underrepresented students enter college and complete degrees have bounced from one pole to another, embracing access as the primary goal…

Since the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the retention of African American students at predominately White colleges and universities continues to be problematic. Although many of these institutions have implemented retention programs for African American students, few have incorporated a comprehensive program that utilizes multi-program…

Last Thursday, the House of Representatives passed the College Opportunity and Affordability Act in a vote of 354-58. This legislation, H.R. 4137, moves Congress one step closer to the long-awaited reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which governs federal student financial aid and other programs that promote access for low-income…