New York

EdTrust–New York is a statewide education policy and advocacy organization focused first and foremost on doing right by New York’s children. Although many organizations speak up for the adults employed by schools and colleges, we advocate for students, especially those whose needs and potential are often overlooked.

West

EdTrust–West is committed to dismantling the racial and economic barriers embedded in the California education system. Through our research and advocacy, EdTrust-West engages diverse communities dedicated to education equity and justice and increases political and public will to build an education system where students of color and multilingual learners, especially those experiencing poverty, will thrive.

Massachusetts

The Education Trust team in Massachusetts convenes and supports the Massachusetts Education Equity Partnership (MEEP), a collective effort of more than 20 social justice, civil rights and education organizations from across the Commonwealth working together to promote educational equity for historically underserved students in our state’s schools.

Topic: Higher Education

Higher Education Policymakers Are Focused on Preparing Students for AI. They Should Also Focus on Protecting Them

August 24, 2026 by Jinann Bitar

How will students be protected as AI becomes embedded throughout postsecondary education and training?

Higher Education

Education Equity

Black female student with keys in her hand walking on a path between buildings on a college campus

Work-Study Didn’t Just Pay My Tuition. It Helped Rewrite My Future

August 24, 2026 by Jovanda Irving

Federal Work-Study is more than financial aid. It’s an investment in college students’ futures by giving them real work experience

Higher Education

Education Equity

Getting To & Through College: How Emergency Aid Helped a College Student in Baltimore

August 19, 2026 by Gabriela Montell

A student shares how emergency aid helped him stay in college after unexpected medical bills strained his budget

Higher Education

Students We Serve

Instructor lecturing during an evening class in a windowed room overlooking a parking lot on a college campus

The Leaks in the Teacher Pipeline: Why Recruitment Alone Won’t Diversify the Educator Workforce

August 17, 2026 by Hannah Warren

For many teacher candidates of color, the greatest challenges emerge after enrolling in teacher prep programs: financial burdens, isolation, and inequitable clinical experiences

P-12

Higher Education

Person holding and counting money with paper, money and a calculator on a table

How the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) Works

August 12, 2026 by Robyn Jennings

RAP is a simplified but less affordable repayment option that eliminates a path to student loan forgiveness for more than 43 million student loan borrowers in the U.S.

Higher Education

A stack of books on a table with fenced in windows on the background

Closest to the Problem, Closest to the Solution: Five Years of the Justice Fellows Policy Program

August 12, 2026 by Duke Cruz Dela Rosa

In 2021, EdTrust launched the Justice Fellows Policy Program to give justice-impacted students a voice to help shape higher education policy and become leaders

Higher Education

Students We Serve

Close up of sign outside of the Department of Education building in Washington DC

Accreditation Needs Reform. ED’s Forthcoming Proposed Rule Misses the Mark

July 23, 2026 by Robbie Ha

The Department of Education's forthcoming proposed rule on accreditation would weaken accountability, erode academic freedom, and expand political influence over higher education

Higher Education

Advocacy

Four college students studying together around a table with a laptop open in front of them

What Happens When Grad PLUS Loans Disappear?

July 23, 2026 by Noppakan Sirikul, Tionna Ellis, Tihirah Ruffin, Brianna Huynh

State fact sheets show how ending Grad PLUS loans will widen funding gaps, increase private borrowing, and strain graduate education and workforce pipelines

Higher Education

Advocacy