Author: Laurie Arnston

More Pell Grant Recipients Enrolling at Top-Tier Universities

New research from Brookings shows that the rise in Pell Grant recipients at wealthy colleges over the past decade is likely due to increased application and enrollment by low-income students, rather than changes in eligibility or admissions standards.

Republican Voters Value Higher Education. Here Are Their Priorities.

A recent survey of 500 Republican voters nationwide conducted by Third Way and the Republican polling firm GS Strategy Group found that Republicans value and support higher education, are in favor of less invasive reforms, and largely support policies directed at college affordability and accountability.

For Parenting Students, Campus Support Bolsters Outcomes

A new report from Trellis Strategies evaluates the impact of the Parenting Students Project (PSP) at Austin Community College (ACC), highlighting the challenges student parents face and the program’s efforts to support them.

Building Infrastructure for Non-Degree Credentials

With the continued increase of alternative, non-degree credentials, education and professional stakeholders have developed quality frameworks meant to guide these credentials. The authors of a new report from PSCWP examine and evaluate criteria and data used in current credential quality frameworks.

Enrollment Trending Upward After COVID-19

Total fall 2024 enrollment rose across multiple factors—including sector, selectivity, and urban-rural classification—bringing it closer to pre-pandemic levels, according to a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Service. Compared to fall 2019, overall enrollment increased by 0.4 percent, and compared to fall 2023, it grew by 4.5 percent.

The Growing Gender Divide in STEM Education

A recent Brookings Institution article, “The Hidden STEM Gender Gap: Why Progress at Top Universities Masks a Growing Crisis,” paints a complex picture of the state of gender equity in STEM higher education. While top universities have made notable progress in narrowing the gender gap in physics, engineering, and computer science (PECS) majors, institutions serving students with lower math achievement are falling further behind.