Complex Intersections:Navigating the Waters of Policy, Research, and

Practiceto Best Serve Underrepresented Students

NPEAApril 2010

PRESENTED BYThe Institute for Higher Education Policy

Lorelle Espinosa, Ph.D.Director of Policy and Strategic

InitiativesInstitute for Higher Education Policy

Anne Bowles, M.A.Policy and Outreach Associate

Institute for Higher Education Policy

About IHEP

– Independent, non-profit organization whose mission is to increase college access and success in postsecondary education around the world through unique research and innovative programs

– Committed to equal opportunity for ALL, with a special emphasis on historically underrepresented populations, such as low-income, minority, and first-generation college students

– Primary audiences for IHEP are those who make or inform decisions about education: policymakers, senior institutional leaders, researchers, funders, private sector leaders, and the media

– Key activities include policy research reports and studies, seminars and convenings, network- and capacity- building efforts, as an intermediary for various organizations, and presentations

About the Pathways to College Network

– Alliance of nearly 30 national organizations that advances college opportunity for underserved students by raising public awareness, supporting innovative research, and promoting evidence-based policies and practices across the K-12 and higher education sectors

– Pathways promotes the use of research that is both rigorous and actionable, and the alignment of efforts across middle school, high school, and higher education in order to promote college access and success for underserved students

– Primary audiences for Pathways are researchers, policymakers, and practitioners at the secondary and post-secondary levels

– Key activities include research-based publications, network convenings, e- newsletter, issue briefs, online tools and resources, and presentations

Intersections

Policy Research and Evaluation

Federal Policy

State Policy

Institutional Policy andPractice Programmatic Activities

Higher Education Policy Environment

PRESENTED BY

Institute for Higher Education Policy

Student Aid BillWhat’s In / What’s Out

What’s In What’s Out

Automatic annual increase in maximum Pell Grant, by rate of inflation

Automatic annual increase in maximum Pell Grant, by rate of inflation plus one percentage point

$2-billion for community-college grant program to improve educational and career-training programs

$10-billion for community-college grants

 $750-million for College Access Challenge Grants

 $3-billion for College Access and Innovation Fund

$2.55-billion for historically black colleges and minority-serving institutions

Expansion of Perkins Loan program, from $1-billion per year to $6-billion

$1.5-billion to increase income-based repayment benefits for student-loan borrowers

 

Chronicle of Higher Education withmodifications

Pell Grants• Adds $36 Billion for Pell Grants

• Appropriation for Pell Grant Shortfall: The bill appropriates $13.5 billion to fund projected short-falls in Pell appropriation levels through fiscal year (FY) 2012.

Mandatory Pell Add-Ons

• Pell Grant maximums in future years would be changed to reflect an appropriated base with a mandatory add-on. From 2014-15 through 2017-18, increases to the mandatory add-on would be based on estimated changes to the consumer price index (CPI). The add-ons would be calculated as follows.

• For 2012-13, the bill reduces the previous mandatory add-on from $1090 to $690 (the $690 add-on is maintained for 2010-11 and 2011-12).

• For 2013-14, the bill establishes a mandatory add-on equal to: [Greater of $5550 or prior year's maximum (i.e., total of appropriated amount + mandatory add-on)] minus [Greater of $4860 or prior year's appropriated maximum, rounded to the nearest $5, with a minimum add-on of $690].

Loans

• Income-Based Repayment (IBR): Beginning on July 1, 2014, new borrowers will qualify for IBR if the borrower's standard repayment exceeds 10% of discretionary income and the income-based repayment amount is lowered to 10 percent of the borrower's discretionary income. Loan forgiveness occurs after 20 years of repayment.

• Elimination of the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP): No new Stafford, PLUS, or consolidation loans may be disbursed through the FFEL program after June 30, 2010.

• Assistance to Institutions Participating in the DL Program: The Secretary is required to provide technical assistance to institutions of higher education participating or seeking to participate in the Direct Loan Program and is given $50 million for fiscal year (FY) 2010 in funding to provide such assistance.

Access & Success Initiatives

• College Access Challenge Grant Program: Funding for the program is increased annually from FY 2010 through FY 2014.

• Community Colleges: Appropriates $500 Million a year for fiscal years 2010 through 2014 in the Community College and Career Training Grant program for community colleges to develop and improve educational or career training programs. Ensures that each state receives at least 0.5 percent of the total funds appropriated.

Pathways to College Network

• Pathways can serve as a resource• Online libraries • Online tools• e-newsletter• Issue briefs• Presentations• Access to

broad network of partner organizations working in the college access and success space

Points of Intersection

• Research that informs federal policy: GEAR UP

• Research that informs state policy: Dual-enrollment programs and early college high schools

• Research that informs practice: College Goal Sunday

• Practice that informs research: Private loan phenomenon

• Practitioners are on the front line of identifying the next big research and policy issue (e.g. longer learning days)

Key Takeaways

• In the ‘evidence-based’ era, practitioners are wise to use research to inform practice

• Use data to demonstrate the effectiveness of your program and to drive the research questions

• Research findings can in turn influence both practice and policy

• There are gaps in the continuum: Call to action

Small Group Discussion

• How have you made use of research in your work? (e.g. to inform proposals, programming, etc.)

• Where/how do you access research?• Have you seen research inform policy

in your program, school, or state?• What day-to-day challenges could be

served by research? • How can you and your colleagues (i.e.

practice) better inform research and policy?

• How can Pathways help close the gaps?

Contact Information

Lorelle Espinosa, Ph.D.Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives

Institute for Higher Education Policylespinosa@ihep.org

Anne Bowles, M.A.Policy and Outreach Associate

Institute for Higher Education Policyabowles@ihep.org

IHEP website: www.ihep.orgPathways website: www.pathwaystocollege.net