Topic: Access to higher education
Blog Post
November 1, 2024
Paying It Forward
First-Generation Higher Ed Professionals Empowering Current First-Gen Students
A Conversation with Dr. Shakima M. Clency, Adan Hussain, and Christin Kloski of the Kessler Scholars Collaborative. The Kessler Scholars Collaborative supports and connects more than 1,000 Kessler Scholars across 16 institutions, transforming the college experience and supporting degree attainment for first-generation and limited-income students. The Kessler Scholars Program follows a cohort-based model. This means that, in addition to financial support, Kessler Scholars at each institution receive academic, professional, and personal guidance to help them not just access higher…
Blog Post
November 1, 2024
Pennsylvania Adult Learner Re-Engagement Community of Practice
New Project Announcement and Call to Participate
Higher education institutions currently face the unique challenge of maintaining enrollment in the face of demographic cliffs and changing attitudes towards the value of higher education. One area where institutions may see growth is in re-engaging their own pool of stopped out students who are now adult learners with some college credits and no credential (SCNC). The recent regulation limiting transcript withholding by the US Department of Education creates an opportunity for institutions to identify clear pathways for their stopped…
Blog Post
October 29, 2024
New Research Examines How State Bans on Transcript Withholding Have Impacted Institutions
In July 2024, a new set of federal regulations significantly limiting transcript withholding for students who owe a balance to their institution went into effect. Predating this policy, 13 states created their own rules prohibiting or limiting this practice. These policies varied across states with some creating blanket bans on transcript withholding and others only banning the practice in limited circumstances, such as when a transcript was needed by employers or the military for education verification. Ithaka S+R partnered with…
Blog Post
October 28, 2024
Turning Debt into Credentials
The Ohio College Comeback Compact Continues to Benefit Adult Learners, Institutions, and Northeast Ohio
After a successful pilot year and transition to full program implementation, the Ohio College Comeback Compact continues to show growth and positive student outcomes for adults with some college but no credential who departed postsecondary education with past due balances. With continued generous support from Lumina Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, and the Joyce Foundation, Ithaka S+R is pleased to continue partnering with the eight public colleges and universities in Northeast Ohio for the third year of the Compact.
Blog Post
October 15, 2024
American Talent Initiative Awards Grants to 16 Colleges and Universities
Five Million Dollars to Advance Innovative Practices to Support More Low-Income Students
The American Talent Initiative (ATI) has seen an 18,100 increase in the enrollment of students with Pell Grants since its founding in 2015. To continue and build on this progress, ATI is awarding $5 million in grants across 16 ATI-member institutions to support innovative strategies that break barriers and increase college access and success for lower-income students. The 16 institutions were selected from a competitive pool of 47 applicants.
Blog Post
October 10, 2024
Assessing Administrative Holds and Institutional Debts for Stopped Out Students
A New Project to Support Adult Learner Re-engagement in North Carolina
North Carolina is expanding higher education engagement efforts to adult learners. The University of North Carolina System has dedicated substantial resources to improve infrastructure and program delivery to enroll adult learners and re-engage those who have previously stopped out in their educational journeys. To support this ongoing work of reaching degree attainment and workforce development goals, Ithaka S+R is collaborating with the University of North Carolina (UNC) system office to analyze the scope of administrative holds for unpaid balances, which…
Blog Post
October 7, 2024
Looking at Learning Spaces for Higher Education in Prison Programs
What does equitable access to quality instruction look like in a carceral context? How can higher education in prison programs fulfill their obligation to provide their students with an educational experience that is as close as possible to the one of students on main campuses? Drawing on interviews with former students, higher education in prison program personnel, and department of corrections staff members, our new report documents what instructional conditions are like in carceral spaces, and how those conditions…
Research Report
October 7, 2024
Uneven Terrain
Learning Spaces in Higher Education in Prison
How can prison education programs fulfill their obligation to provide their students with an educational experience that is as close as possible to the one of students on main campuses? Thus far, our research into equitable access has focused largely on instructional delivery and practices, and technological access and use. This report broadens our interrogation of that central question by exploring the role of space, architecture, and design in the context of higher education in prison.
Past Event
October 17, 2024
Re-Enrolling Adult Learners with Administrative Holds and Past Due Balances
When students with some college, no credential (SCNC) are unable to re-enroll at their former institutions, institutions lose out on potential enrollments and students lose out on continuing their education. A number of administrative and financial barriers stand in the way of reenrollment, including transcript holds, registration holds, past due balances, and other related issues. To help address these barriers within Kentucky, the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) partnered with Ithaka S+R to identify a set of actionable recommendations related…
Blog Post
September 30, 2024
An Introduction to Reentry Service Provision and Community Partnership for College Administrators
New Report
When revised federal Pell Grant regulations went into effect in July of 2023, one of the provisions stipulated that college in prison programs would now be obliged to document how they or the organizations they partner with provide reentry services. Ithaka S+R’s new report, Exploring the Landscape of College and Community Reentry Partnerships, examines how colleges and community organizations can best partner to deliver effective services for reintegrating students. This report represents the first findings from a multi-year project…
Research Report
September 30, 2024
Exploring the Landscape of College and Community Reentry Partnerships
Now that federal Pell Grant funding has been reinstated for learners who are incarcerated, the field is in flux. Higher education in prison programs are adapting and developing their practices to meet new policy and regulation needs. Two major facets of the revised regulations for Pell funding are particularly critical for college in prison programs, namely the requirement to track and report student data, and the obligation to document how they or their partner organizations provide reentry services.
Blog Post
September 27, 2024
Building Data Collection and Evaluation Capacity for Higher Education in Prisons
A New Project Supported by Ascendium Education Group
The reinstatement of Pell Grant funding for people who are incarcerated presents a dramatic opportunity for learners in prison, but it also poses a complex challenge. As more educational programs become available for individuals in prison, it’s essential that departments of corrections (DOCs) and higher education in prison programs are able to measure program effectiveness, quality, and impact over time–including by collecting data on student enrollment, academic outcomes, completion rates and more. To collect and use these data, DOCs, state…
Past Event
November 19, 2024
Using a Holistic Credit Mobility Strategy to Improve Student Success
At the Complete College America Annual Convening on November 19 at 11:30am-12:15pm, Elise Miller McNeely and Kyle Gray will highlight Ithaka S+R’s holistic credit mobility framework as well as share examples of systems and institutions using technology, policy, and practices to support students as they navigate the higher education system and accumulate credits from multiple sources and thorough multiple modalities. Learn more about the session.
Issue Brief
September 10, 2024
Transfer Credit Information at Your Fingertips
Preliminary Findings on Use and Implementation of CUNY Transfer Explorer
CUNY Transfer Explorer (CUNY T-Rex) was developed to simplify the transfer of credits and represents an at-scale technology tool solution that provides transparent and up-to-date information about transfer credit equivalencies to students, faculty, and advisors. We undertook a mixed-methods evaluation to understand the process, conditions, and business requirements that were involved in the launch and proliferation of CUNY T-Rex, as well as to understand the behaviors, uses, and implementation of CUNY T-Rex at individual institutions and system wide.
Past Event
September 17, 2024
Holistic Credit Mobility (HCM) Cohort Request for Proposals Information Session
On September 16th from 12:00 to 1:00pm ET, join Ithaka S+R and Complete College America for an informational webinar presenting an overview of the Holistic Credit Mobility (HCM) cohort project and the recent Request for Proposals. This next phase of the HCM project, a collaboration with Complete College America (CCA), will include supporting the early-stage work of a cohort of systems or institutional consortia seeking to improve credit mobility through one or more of the three pillars of…
Past Event
October 14, 2024
Major Trends Facing American Higher Education
Ithaka S+R’s Catharine Bond Hill will present the opening keynote address at the Eastern Association of College and University Business Officers (EACUBO) 2024 annual meeting. The talk will take place on Monday, October 14 from 8:30-9:45am and will focus on major trends facing higher education, including challenges and opportunities. Learn more about the event and see the full schedule.
Past Event
September 10, 2024
Why Is College So Expensive and What Can We Do About It?
“Why is college so expensive and what can we do about it?” It’s no secret that higher education costs have skyrocketed in recent years, presenting serious challenges for students, families, and policymakers alike. This presentation at the Council for Opportunity in Education conference on Tuesday, September 10 from 10:15am – 11:30am will delve into the intricate factors propelling the high cost of higher education, offering insights into the underlying dynamics shaping the landscape. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding…
Blog Post
August 27, 2024
Fostering a Culture of Continuous Improvement
Highlights from the 2024 Kessler Scholars Collaborative Annual Convening
Last month, leadership and staff from the 16 partner institutions of the Kessler Scholars Collaborative gathered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the annual Kessler Scholars Summer Convening. The Kessler Scholars Collaborative brings together campus partner staff each summer for an annual convening designed to build community, foster opportunities for shared learning, and support the growth and advancement of first-generation students. The 2024 convening was co-hosted by the Collaborative and the University of Pittsburgh, and included representatives from Ithaka S+R, the Aspen…
Past Event
November 20, 2024
Communities of Practice: Advancing Institutional and Collective Impact in the American Talent Initiative
This presentation at the 2024 FGLI Consortium Annual Conference will explore how Communities of Practice (CoPs) have been pivotal in advancing the American Talent Initiative’s (ATI) efforts to attract, enroll, and graduate Pell-eligible students with first-generation and other underrepresented student intersections. The panel will examine how Ithaka S+R and the Aspen Institute collaborate in shaping and facilitating these communities, responding to the needs of higher education administrators, leaders, and practitioners in an evolving CoP structure. With detailed examples and best…
Issue Brief
July 11, 2024
Evaluating the Kessler Scholars Program
Findings from the Academic Year 2022-23
Ithaka S+R has served as the external evaluation partner for the Kessler Scholars Collaborative since 2022 when the network expanded to 16 institutions. The evaluation is a five-year, mixed-methods, formative assessment, which aims to support implementation and maximize impact across the entire network and at each of the 16 participating institutions. This Ithaka S+R evaluation builds on an evaluation of the program's initial years gathered by the Center for Education Design, Evaluation, and Research (CEDER) at the University of Michigan.