Topic: Affordability
Blog Post
March 27, 2026
Evaluating the Student Emergency Grant Fund at CUNY
Announcing a New Project
In 2022, Ithaka S+R conducted a study on Georgia State University’s Panther Retention Grant program, a type of microgrant or emergency aid initiative designed to support students with immediate financial need. Through our evaluation, we found that receiving a grant reduced time to degree across student types, including for Pell recipients and students from underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups. We also found that it reduced cumulative debt for most student groups, likely because recipients enrolled in…
Blog Post
March 26, 2026
Postsecondary Value & Public Trust
Introducing a New Program Area at Ithaka S+R
Building on a decade or more of research and practice, we recently formed a new program area, Postsecondary Value & Public Trust. This program advances the economic, social, and civic value of postsecondary education. We partner with state agencies, build networks of institutions, and collaborate with field leaders to improve affordability, strengthen workforce alignment, and maximize value, all key levers in rebuilding public trust in higher education.
Blog Post
March 11, 2026
Expanding Access. Improving Outcomes. Advancing Knowledge.
A Message from Ithaka S+R's New Managing Director
At Ithaka S+R, we work with leaders and policymakers to expand access to postsecondary education, improve student and workforce outcomes, and strengthen the systems that sustain scholarship and knowledge creation. We do this by providing strategic advice, conducting rigorous research, evaluating initiatives, and developing and sustaining nonprofit tools and services.
Research Report
December 8, 2025
Addressing Re-Engagement and Re-Enrollment Barriers for New Jersey Learners with Some College, No Degree
Data, Policies, and Solutions
Re-engaging and re-enrolling adult learners with some college credit but no degree is an increasing priority nationally and in New Jersey. Credential completion not only enables individuals to access higher paying jobs, but also generates tuition revenue for institutions and supports regional economic development. Recognizing this and the other benefits experienced when students return, New Jersey’s higher education institutions and the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE) have made significant investments in re-engaging and re-enrolling stopped out students.
Blog Post
October 14, 2025
Keeping the Value of the Liberal Arts in Mind as “Workforce Pell” Becomes Reality
Federal financial aid for short-term certificate programs, dubbed “Workforce Pell,” is now the law of the land. By making it financially feasible for more students to enroll in these programs, this policy creates an opportunity for higher education institutions to expand existing short-term programs or offer new ones. With public confidence in higher education broadly declining over the last decade and affordability and a focus on practical skills cited as areas where higher education most needs to improve,…
Blog Post
September 17, 2025
Tackling Textbook Affordability
Earlier this month, Empire State University announced that, with funding from ECMC Foundation and in collaboration with Ithaka S+R, Buffalo State University, and SUNY Fredonia, it is undertaking a new project to analyze, pilot, and evaluate affordable course material models. Ithaka S+R is excited to be part of this important work and continue our research on open educational resources. Beyond making college more affordable, low- and no-cost course materials can help address institutional goals beyond affordability, such as…
Past Event
February 5, 2025
Institutional Debt, Administrative Holds, and Student Enrollment
In this session at the 2025 Transfer Convening at UNC-Charlotte, the Adult Learner Re-Engagement team, Ithaka S+R’s Liz Looker and Jonathan Barefield, will present findings from research in North Carolina. We partnered with the UNC System Office and individual institutions to conduct mixed methods research on institutional debt and administrative holds for stopped out students in the state. Specifically, we found that the vast majority of stopped out students owe less than $2,000, and that existing hold policies have disproportionately…
Blog Post
January 7, 2025
Higher Education in Prison and Return to Title IV (R2T4)
The July 2023 restoration of Pell grants for incarcerated students was a watershed moment for increasing access to higher education in prison. But with this change came a complex set of administrative and regulatory issues confronting both prison education programs and students. Return to Title IV (R2T4) rules create risks for all Title IV Federal Student Aid recipients, not just incarcerated learners. If a student receives Title IV funding and withdraws during the semester, the college or university may have…
November 20, 2024
The Clark Kerr Lecture Series
The Political Economy of Cost Control on a University Campus by Lawrence S. Bacow and Towards Sustainable Financing of Higher Education by Richard C. Levin
The 2017 Clark Kerr Lectures at the University of California, Berkeley, were delivered by two distinguished economists—Lawrence Bacow and Richard C. Levin. In addition to conducting research on the economics of higher education during their academic careers, these economists have served as presidents of colleges and universities (Tufts and Harvard Universities and Yale University respectively). They have therefore not just researched the issues facing higher education; they have experienced firsthand the major challenges facing their institutions.
Past Event
November 21, 2024
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Institutional Debt Cancellation for Stopped-Out Students
In a session at the Association for the Study of Higher Education’s (ASHE) 2024 General Conference, Joanna Dressel and James Ward will share insights from a study of an institutional debt cancelation program that found that students of color are disproportionately impacted by institutional debt. The session is scheduled for November 21 at 4:00pm to 5:15pm.
Past Event
November 22, 2024
Shifting the Burden?
Estimating the Effect of Tuition Freezes on Graduate Program Enrollment and Tuition Levels
At the Association for the Study of Higher Education’s (ASHE) 2024 General Conference, James Ward, Cameron Childress, Ifeatu Oliobi, and Robert Kelchen will participate in a panel discussion examining the relationship between state mandated tuition freezes for undergraduates at public institutions and changes in the enrollment and completions of graduate students, the number of graduate programs being offered, and graduate program tuition. The session is scheduled to take place on November 22 at 3:45 to 5:00pm.
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 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
July 17, 2024
Institutions Are Shifting Practices to Comply with a Ban on Transcript Withholding
A new national ban on most transcript withholding took effect this month. The policy, which was announced in fall 2023, is intended to ensure students can access their academic records and minimize the number of credits which are stranded. The new rules direct institutions not to withhold transcripts for any academic terms in which a student received federal financial aid, if the student has fully paid or has a payment plan in place for any unpaid balance. This national ban…
Past Event
August 6, 2024
Aligning Policy and Practice to Address the Barriers Students Encounter from Institutional Debt
At the 2024 SHEEO Higher Education Policy Conference, Ithaka S+R’s Brittany Pearce, Maggie McGrath (Higher Education Compact of Greater Cleveland), Drew Felberg (Stark State College), and Mike Duffey (Chancellor, ODHE) will discuss two innovative projects aimed at addressing institutional debt in Ohio that impacts student enrollment, persistence, and completion rates, particularly for students from low-income backgrounds and students of color. View the full schedule and join the session on August 6 at 2:00-2:45 pm ET.
Blog Post
May 9, 2024
From Debt to Degrees
Evaluating the Ohio College Comeback Compact
Across the US, the number of individuals who started college but stopped out before attaining a degree has continued to grow. Research shows that earning an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, or a targeted credential has wide-ranging benefits, from increased lifetime earnings to improved health outcomes. Postsecondary institutions and regional economies also benefit when students re-enroll and complete programs. Returning students face unique challenges to re-enrollment and completion, and this is especially true for students with past-due balances at their…
Past Event
March 14, 2024
Estimating the Effect of Tuition Freezes and Caps on Graduate Program Expansion and Tuition
At the Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP) Annual Conference in Baltimore, Ithaka S+R’s James Ward will present a paper, co-authored by Cameron Childress, Ifeatu Oliobi, and Robert Kelchen, estimating the relationship between state mandated tuition freezes and caps in undergraduate programs and institutions’ use of graduate programs to to protect against revenue shocks. The authors estimate the effect on graduate program enrollment, the number of graduate programs, and tuition levels. Learn more about the session, taking place…
Blog Post
February 13, 2024
No Longer Stranded?
How New Department of Education Rule Creates Opportunities for Students and Institutions
In 2020, Ithaka S+R estimated that approximately 6.6 million students did not have access to their educational transcripts due to past due balances, resulting in stranded credits. This challenge may impact any student, but our research indicated it was more likely to affect students who identified as women, racial and ethnic minorities, and those from low-income backgrounds. During our initial investigation of stranded credits, we found that nearly all higher education institutions used transcript holds as a tool to…
Past Event
February 20, 2024
Expanding Access to Adult Learners with Institutional Debt
Achieving the Dream Conference 2024
Join us at the Achieving the Dream annual conference in Orlando, Florida for a session on the Ohio College Compact presented by Ithaka S+R’s Joanna Dressel and Brittany Pearce. The Ohio College Comeback Compact is a novel approach to re-enrolling adult learners with some college, no credential (SCNC) who stopped out with institutional debt that inhibits their return to higher education, whether back to their original institution or to a new institution. The Compact permits these students to…
Blog Post
November 9, 2023
Who Has Stranded Credits?
Insights from a New Ithaka S+R Survey
In August 2022, the Ohio College Comeback Compact (“Ohio Compact” or “Compact”) was launched to offer a pathway to re-enrollment for stopped-out college students with stranded credits in the Northeast Ohio region. The Compact allows stopped-out students to return to any of the eight participating public colleges and universities despite owing institutional debt and having their transcript withheld. Through the Compact, students are eligible to receive up to $5,000 in debt forgiveness and a release of their transcript…