Minority students are achieving academic success, but all too often not at the public flagship institutions entrusted with serving them.
“The vast majority of flagships are not affordable for low-income students or middle-income students,” says Mamie Voight, vice president of policy research at the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) and one of the authors of the IHEP report “Opportunity Lost: Net Price and Equity at Public Flagship Institutions.”
IHEP’s mission is to promote college access, success and affordability, especially for underserved populations.
“There’s a close tie between issues of affordability and degree completion,” says Voight. “If an institution is unaffordable to low-income students or middle-income students, then they’re likely unable to access the school or to complete if they do enroll in the school, which means the school won’t be producing as many graduates, particularly students of color or low-income students.”
Voight says the IHEP report also looks at rates of access for Pell Grant recipients, identifying how many low-income students are attending each flagship institution. She says this indicates whether the institution has placed a priority on recruiting and enrolling low-income students.
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