LEDA Policy Corps Key Issues

The 2019-2020 LEDA Policy Corps identified a set of key policy issues that affect students from historically marginalized communities. These issue areas are:

• Higher education data and transparency
• Higher education access, affordability, and completion

To address these issues, the Policy Corps recommends that:

• Higher education laws and policies proactively adapt to the needs of the changing demographics of college students, with a specific focus on equity, inclusion, and belonging
• Higher education institutions and related postsecondary programs should provide holistic and culturally services that address mental, financial, socioemotional, and academic needs for historically marginalized students. These might include:
  • Opportunities to help students transition to college(e.g. summer bridge programs)
  • Support for basic needs including affordable housing, access to healthy and affordable food options, and emergency grants for unanticipated expenses
  • Proactive advising that follows and opt-out model instead of opt-in
  • A community that supports health and wellness
• Higher education programs and institutions should be transparent in how they report data and information, ensuring that it is presented in a way that is transparent, easily accessible, and disaggregated by race, income, first generation status, class year and program. Reported information should include:
• The true cost of attendance,
• The resources that are available to students,
• Diversity of students and faculty,
• History of the college,
• Financial aid offers,
• Graduate salaries, and
• Loan repayment information

Selected Press and Media (2019-2020)

• Heidy, Jessica, Will, and Eric Waldo (Executive Director of Reach Higher): Student Reflections: Belonging in Higher Ed – A SXSW EDU Panel, SXSW EDU
• Heidy: Why Community And Belonging Are Important For U-FLi Students, Forbes
• Jessica: Money Matters: My Journey Through Princeton, Forbes
• Will: How I’m Working To Make My University A More Inclusive And Welcoming Community, Forbes
• Amber M. Briggs (staff): Listening To Today’s Students, Forbes
• Jorden: Equity for Low-income Black Students, Higher Learning Advocates
• Martin and Mysia: CCA 2019 Annual Convening Recap – #CompletionNation19, Complete College America
• Mysia: Student Voice: Today’s Students Rethinking Financial Aid, Higher Learning Advocates
• Joscelyn: Getting To and Through College, The Education Trust
• Luis: How do you manage college online – quarantined with eight people?, Hechinger Report/Washington Post
• Mysia: Insights & Outlooks, Higher Learning Advocates
• Martin: Insights & Outlooks, Higher Learning Advocates
• Getzamany: Insights & Outlooks, Higher Learning Advocates
• Abel, Carolina, Amber M. Briggs (staff), and Nada Abdelaziz (staff): A conversation with students on overcoming hidden barriers to college success, NPEA
• Supporting DACA Students in Higher Ed: A Q&A with Students, Today’s Students Coalition on Medium (adapted from College Board’s Prepárate Conference)
• Willian: The Power Higher Ed Institutions Can Have in Supporting Undocumented Students, NCAN
• Maria: A Recent Graduate’s Perspective: How Higher Ed Institutions Can Better Support First-Gen Students, NCAN

Selected Press and Media (2018-2019)

• Moises: Student Voice: A First-Generation Advocate for Equity in Education, Higher Learning Advocates
• Diego: More Than Access, Higher Learning Advocates
• Aya: Student Voice: Universities overlook graduate students’ mental health, Hechinger Report
• Charlie: Student Voices: Hearing and Supporting Native/Indigenous Students, The Education Trust