A new Congress presents a new opportunity to restart the process of reauthorizing the Higher Education Act (HEA). Policymakers must reauthorize HEA with a focus on equity because students of color are still struggling to enroll, persist and complete postsecondary education. Policymakers must ensure that students of color have access to an equitable postsecondary education system by providing students from underserved populations with the necessary resources to help them succeed. HEA can help alleviate these barriers by implementing policies that provide students of color the support they need to earn their postsecondary degree or credential. It is time for a comprehensive HEA bill to better serve today’s students, especially students of color.
Enrollment
The percentage of students of color enrolling in postsecondary education is increasing. From fall 1976 to fall 2015, the percentage of Hispanic students enrolled in postsecondary education increased from 4 percent to 17 percent; the percentage of Asian/Pacific Islander students rose from 2 percent to 7 percent; and Black students enrollment increased from 10 percent to 14 percent. Since students of color are increasingly enrolling in college, it is essential that federal policy addresses the needs of these students.
One of the main barriers students continue to face is affordability and understanding how we can better serve students to access and complete FAFSA should become a federal policy priority. Students of color are more likely to be first-generation college students, and many first-generation students are completing the FAFSA on their own or with very little family support. In order to address this barrier, federal policymakers must continue to create and find strategies to make federal aid and the FAFSA more accessible. Research has shown that FAFSA completion is positively associated with enrolling in college. However, high school seniors in higher-poverty school districts are less likely to complete the FAFSA than students in wealthier districts.
Once enrolled, federal policymakers should continue to work with colleges and universities to fund and support students of color to stay enrolled at their institution. According to the National Student Clearinghouse, in 2015 Black students had the lowest persistence rate (66.9 percent) among all students and just over half of Black students returned to the starting institution after their first year (54.5 percent) and an additional 12.4 percent returned to an institution other than the starting institution. Many institutions have programs that work to increase retention for students of color, such as summer bridge programs. Federal policy can work to strengthen these programs at a broader level. Policymakers should ensure support programs that target persistence and retention are evaluated and understood, in order to address enrollment for underrepresented students.
Completion
Students of color are also less likely to complete their postsecondary degree or credential compared to their White peers, and the achievement gap between White students and students of color persists at every degree level. In the 2015-2016 academic year, about 53 percent of certificates were awarded to White students, compared to 47 percent awarded to students of color; 56 percent of associates were awarded to White students, compared to 44 percent of students of color; and 62 percent of bachelors degrees were awarded to White students, compared to 38 percent of students of color.
