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Expanding Opportunity for Lower-Income Students

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Expanding Opportunity for Lower-Income Students Expanding Opportunity for Lower-Income Students Three Years of the American Talent Initiative Cover image courtesy of Colby College and Ed Collier Photography Acknowledgments The American Talent Initiative, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, is co-managed by The Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program and Ithaka S+R. If your college or university is interested in joining the American Talent Initiative, please email Benjamin Fresquez ([email protected]). The Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program aims to advance higher education practices, policies, and Authors: leadership that significantly improve Emily Schwartz, Martin Kurzweil, Cindy Le, Tania LaViolet, Linda Perlstein, Elizabeth student outcomes. The program is part Davidson Pisacreta, and Josh Wyner of The Aspen Institute, a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Acknowledgments: • The 128 members of the American Talent Initiative, especially the staff who set their goals, collected and submitted their data, and participated in numerous conversations and meetings. • The members on the ATI steering committee who provide consistent leadership and Ithaka S+R is a not-for-profit service that strategic guidance on the direction of the American Talent Initiative. provides research and strategic guidance • William E. “Brit” Kirwan, chancellor emeritus of the University System of Maryland, to help the academic and cultural for his vision and leadership in the planning for and launch of the American Talent communities serve the public good and Initiative. navigate economic, technological, and demographic change. Ithaka S+R is part • The staff of the Aspen Institute and Ithaka S+R who devote their time and energy to of ITHAKA. the American Talent Initiative, including Ben Fresquez, Gelsey Mehl, McKenzie Maxson, Yazmin Padilla, Elizabeth Banes, and Sindy Lopez. • Daniel Rossman, Researcher at Ithaka S+R, for his consultation throughout the data collection and analysis process. Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 510 cities and 129 countries around ATI Steering Committee: the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. • Ana Mari Cauce, President, University of Washington The organization focuses on five key • Michael V. Drake, President, The Ohio State University areas for creating lasting change: Arts, Education, Environment, Government • Christopher Eisgruber, President, Princeton University Innovation, and Public Health. Bloom- • Martin Kurzweil, Director, Educational Transformation Program, Ithaka S+R berg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, • Daniel R. Porterfield, President and CEO, The Aspen Institute including his foundation and personal • Carol Quillen, President, Davidson College philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that • Eric F. Spina, President, University of Dayton works in cities around the world. In 2019, • Josh Wyner, Vice President and Executive Director, College Excellence Program, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed The Aspen Institute $3.3 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us ATI gratefully acknowledges Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Aronson Family Foundation, on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and and the Gray Foundation for supporting this publication. Twitter. Acknowledgments 1 Executive Summary The American Talent Initiative (ATI) was for- low- and middle-income student enrollment be- med in December 2016 to address a persistent tween 2017–18 and 2018–19, these increases were issue—specifically, that the American colleges offset by declines at other institutions during and universities with the greatest resources, the same period, resulting in a net, aggregate and where students have the highest likelihood increase of just eight lower-income students. We of graduating, have historically served far too do not yet have the data to determine wheth- few young people from low- and middle-income er the trend was similar for the remaining 200 backgrounds. The American Talent Initiative ATI-eligible institutions. has a goal to enroll an additional 50,000 low- and The strong progress at many institutions middle-income students at these institutions by and the mixed results at others have yield- the year 2025. ed important insights about the institutional ATI is on track to meet its goal. Between strategies that are most effective in maintain- 2015–16, the year before the initiative started, ing and increasing socioeconomic diversity, as and 2017–18, enrollment of low- and middle- well as challenges that must be overcome. This income students increased by 20,696 at the report explores these strategies and challeng- 320 ATI-eligible institutions with graduation es in depth, focusing on four features common rates at or above 70 percent. In just two years, among the most successful institutions: the ATI-eligible colleges and universities pro- gressed more than 40 percent of the way to the 1. Committing to a comprehensive strategy 50,000-by-2025 goal. at the leadership and board level, with the The 128 institutions that make up the ATI investment of resources to support it membership led the way, contributing dispro- 2. Moving beyond traditional pipelines of portionately to the initiative’s early progress: incoming students ATI members account for 54 percent of all 3. Prioritizing need-based aid undergraduates enrolled at the ATI-eligible 4. Ensuring that all students are set up to institutions, yet they were responsible for 62 thrive on campus percent of the progress toward the goal, ac- counting for an additional 12,837 low- and The recent data indicating that progress middle-income students. from the first two years of ATI has not been rep- Yet continued progress toward the goal is licated in year three raises the urgency of ATI’s not guaranteed. Indeed, enrollment data col- mission and the need to overcome the challeng- lected directly from 120 member institutions for es that may stand in the way. The success of the 2018–19 academic year indicate that gains many of the member institutions in expanding in lower-income enrollment have leveled off. opportunity points to a path forward. While the majority of ATI members increased Executive Summary 2 The Four Features of Successful Institutions 1. Committing to a comprehensive strategy at the leadership and board level, with the investment of resources to support it 2. Moving beyond traditional pipelines of incoming students 3. Prioritizing need-based aid 4. Ensuring that all students are set up to thrive on campus 1. 2. 4. 3. Introduction Talent is broadly distributed, but opportunity is not. 1. America’s higher education institutions are key education are at a low point, reflecting this ineq- to cultivating talent and enabling upward mo- uitable reality. According to a 2018 Gallup poll, bility. For individuals, a bachelor’s degree is only 48 percent of American adults have confi- an essential conduit to the middle class; as the dence in higher education, a decline of nearly 10 economy continues to evolve in ways that favor percentage points in just three years.2 those who can think critically, apply technical There are multiple contributors to the cur- knowledge to new challenges, and communicate rent state of affairs. One important factor is that across different media and cultural contexts, American colleges and universities with the higher education will become even more crucial greatest resources—those where students have to a successful career. Expanding higher educa- the highest likelihood of graduating—have his- tion attainment is also central to the national torically served far too few young people from interest and our social fabric as populations low- and middle-income backgrounds. More diversify, sources of knowledge proliferate, than half of the students at these institutions and traditional democratic systems are at risk come from families in the top 20 percent of the of increasing fragmentation. In an increasing- national income distribution.3 This pattern of ly complex world, America must develop its enrollment does not reflect a shortage of talent. greatest asset, the immense talent of its people, Each year, tens of thousands of highly talent- to navigate the economic, social, and political ed low- and middle-income students graduate challenges that lie ahead. from high school or community college with While the importance of broadening access academic records that indicate that they would to the benefits of higher education is greater thrive at one of these colleges, but they do not than ever, the realities of college access and suc- enroll in these, or in some cases any, four-year cess have failed to keep pace. Individuals from colleges.4 the top of the economic ladder are far more like- In short, talent is broadly distributed, but ly to earn a degree than those at the middle or opportunity is not. Expanding opportunity at lower rungs. More than three-quarters of bach- high-graduation-rate schools would yield great elor’s degrees are granted to young adults from benefits: for students, who will gain a world- the top half of the income distribution.1 Public class education and pathways into leadership; perceptions of the value and fairness of higher for institutions, which will be enriched by the Introduction 5 The ATI members that have been most successful in building or maintaining relatively high levels of low- and middle-income enrollment are those whose leaders prioritize and put resources behind a comprehensive strategy for expanded opportunity. infusion of talent and diverse perspectives; and above 70 percent—enrollment of lower-income for the nation. students is on track to meet the initiative’s goal The American Talent Initiative formed in of 50,000 additional low- and middle-income December 2016 to address this challenge—spe- students by 2025. As of the 2017–18 academic cifically, to support and encourage the 320 U.S. year, the most recent year for which we have colleges and universities with the highest gradu- complete data, there were 20,696 more low- ation rates in their efforts to expand opportunity and middle-income students enrolled at the for lower-income students.
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