Issue Area: Equity Lens

Without Affirmative Action, It’s Back to Basics

article-cropped June 27, 2023 by Anthony P. Carnevale, Zachary Mabel, Kathryn Peltier Campbell

This spring, the US Supreme Court is widely expected to ban the consideration of race in college admissions, ending a practice that—while well-intentioned—never actually succeeded in ensuring that racial demographics…

Two Cautions for Educators to Consider in the Aftermath of Affirmative Action Decisions

article-cropped June 21, 2023 by Liliana M. Garces

As influential as the U.S. Supreme Court’s forthcoming decisions on affirmative action will be, it’s important to remember that court opinions do not implement themselves — all educators in our…

A Brief History of Affirmative Action and the Assault on Race-Conscious Admissions

article-cropped June 15, 2023 by Wil Del Pilar, Ph.D.

As we await the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard College and Students for Fair Admission v. University of North Carolina challenging the use of…

An Undocumented Student’s Uphill Road to College and Career Success

article-cropped June 14, 2023 by Alexa Maqueo Toledo

As a DACA recipient in Tennessee, my higher education journey wasn’t easy. I didn’t qualify for in-state tuition because my state prohibits undocumented students from accessing it. Never mind that…

Allowing All Undocumented Students to Get Driver’s and Professional Licenses Would Help Them Thrive

article-cropped April 19, 2023 by Ali Procopio

Expanding higher education access for undocumented students isn’t just a matter of lifting restrictions on college enrollment and financial aid. To help undocumented students reach their full potential, states should…

Lack of Access to Child Care Subsidies Is a Barrier to Student-Parent Completion & Success

article-cropped December 19, 2022 by Antoinette J. Waller, Gabriel Montague, Brittani Williams

“I make too much to qualify for child care assistance but not enough to afford child care”– a student-father enrolled in a bridge program between a two-year and a four-year…

Many Determined College Students Are Also Dedicated Parents: A Preview of the Student Parent Affordability Report

article-cropped August 09, 2022 by Brittani Williams

The typical image of a college student is a fresh-faced freshman right out of high school, right? But that doesn’t reflect today’s reality. In fact, more than one-fifth of all…

Formerly Incarcerated People Deserve Second Chances. I’m Living Proof.

article-cropped May 12, 2022 by William Freeman III

Last month was Second Chance Month, so I’ve been thinking a lot about the barriers facing justice-involved people and what having a second chance really means for a formerly incarcerated,…