U.S. colleges and universities are working to boost the socioeconomic diversity of their incoming classes by strengthening pathways to college success for small-town and rural students.
Diversity %26 Equity Archive
Making higher education dreams a reality for Black rural students
Black students in rural communities face complex hurdles to postsecondary education, including higher-than-average poverty. One group is partnering with colleges and universities across the country to bridge those gaps.
Four-year institutions create two-year colleges to reduce barriers for low-income students
With support from a network, four-year colleges and universities are launching two-year colleges that create an alternative, affordable pathway for low-income students to earn an associate degree and transfer to a four-year program with little to no debt.
Helping first-gen, underrepresented students explore careers in public service and international affairs
Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy and Walsh School of Foreign Service recently partnered to host a free conference encouraging first-generation undergraduate students and students from other traditionally underrepresented groups to enter graduate programs and pursue careers in public service and international affairs.
Who is considered a ‘first-generation’ college student?
Colleges and policymakers often differ on how to define a “first-generation” college student. A new brief explores the assumptions at play—and how they affect programmatic support.
Academic requirements for financial aid are locking out students who need the most support
Experts say that making students’ federal financial aid conditional on “satisfactory academic progress” punishes students who have the fewest resources to help them complete their degree. State and federal lawmakers are working to create more student-friendly policies.
SAT score gaps reveal deeper inequality in education, opportunity
A New York Times story exploring students’ SAT results by income level shines a light on “the deep inequality at the heart of American education”—economic disparities that leave children from the most underserved neighborhoods without the tools they need to succeed.
Biden Administration offers guidance on building diverse college campuses
A new report from the Department of Education recommends ways states and highly selective colleges and universities can expand college access and affordability to increase racial and economic diversity.
Community colleges offer four-year programs as affordable pathways to bachelor’s degrees
California community colleges are offering bachelor’s degree programs that allow students to attend college closer to home at more affordable rates.
Georgetown University, Jesuits pledge $27M to foundation focused on educational advancement and racial healing for Descendant communities
The commitment to the Descendants Truth & Reconciliation Foundation, along with the September inauguration of Georgetown’s new Center for the Study of Slavery and Its Legacies, advance the university’s ongoing work to more deeply understand and respond to its own history and the continued legacies of enslavement.
New index ranks colleges based on their economic diversity
The New York Times has released data on trends in the enrollment of low-income students at top colleges across the country. While some selective colleges and universities have enrolled more economically disadvantaged students, others are backsliding.
Georgetown’s Gateway Exploration Program helps local high school students explore their dreams of becoming physicians
This summer, aspiring physicians from groups underrepresented in medicine participated in a six-week internship program that provides career exposure and research experience.