A report from the American Talent Initiative (ATI) shows impressive results in terms of increasing the number and share of Pell Grant recipients at high-performing institutions, but momentum appears to be waning.
ATI was formed in December 2016 with the goal of increasing the number of low- and middle-income students at well-resourced institutions that have six-year graduation rates of 70% or above. It is co-managed by The Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program and Ithaka S+R. The target number is to enroll at least 50,000 new students by 2025.
There are 320 ATI-eligible institutions meeting the required graduation rate, and 128 have thus far become ATI members. Initial results are impressive. As noted in the report “Expanding Opportunity for Lower-Income Students: Three Years of the American Talent Initiative,” there was increased enrollment of 20,696 low- and middle-income students in the first two years of ATI (2016–18).
ATI member institutions were responsible for 62% of the progress toward the goal. The report notes that enrollment data collected thus far from member institutions for the 2018–19 academic year indicates progress toward the goal has slowed. Member institutions continue to increase low- and middle-income student enrollment, but other institutions are showing decline, which leads to a minimal overall net gain.
“There are talented, high-achieving low-income students out there,” said Emily Schwartz, program manager at Ithaka S+R and one of the authors of the report. “It’s making sure that institutions are going about socioeconomic diversity in a comprehensive way and piecing together everything under a comprehensive strategy.”
The four points suggested in the report are (1) institutional leadership committing to a comprehensive strategy with an investment of resources to support it; (2) expanding beyond traditional pipelines to find these students; (3) prioritizing need-based aid; and (4) ensuring all students have what they need to succeed.
“All of those pieces working cohesively in a comprehensive strategy is a pattern we saw across the institutions that have been the most successful,” said Schwartz. “Institutions are facing competing priorities on their campuses. To best counter those challenges, which includes [lack of sufficient] state funding, we think this comprehensive approach stands out.”
