Opinions & Commentaries

Invest in the Success of Low-Income Students
By Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D.
Featured in The Huffington Post
May 15, 2013

For several years, I have watched the higher education community engage in hand-wringing over strategies for improving the educational outcomes for low- and moderate-income students. At present, low-income students remain less likely to enroll and complete college, when compared to their higher-income peers. Given these trends, the attention being dedicated to these students is certainly warranted. However, long-standing efforts designed to improve the outcomes for low- and moderate-income students, such as the federal Pell grants and TRIO programs, are constantly being thrashed and called ineffective. This chorus of opposition is growing more and more audible. While there is a need to enhance these programs to effectively serve more deserving students, I do believe that it is not in our best interest to scrutinize the outputs of these programs, without simultaneously scrutinizing the inputs...read more

For its weekly blog question to education experts, the National Journal focused recently on the value of looking at employment outcomes and salaries of graduates from various degree or certificate programs. Journalist Fawn Johnson wrote about Virginia becoming the first state in the country, next month, to give the public data about whether college is worth it. Below, Institute for Higher Education Policy President Dr. Michelle Asha Cooper offers thoughts and insights about this issue to help inform the higher education debate.

What’s That Degree Really Worth?
By Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D.
Featured in the National Journal
May 23, 2012

Even as increasing numbers of people ask, “Is college worth it?,” studies continue to make the benefits of a college degree or credential abundantly clear—$1 million more in earnings during a lifetime compared with a high school graduate, for example. While college remains a strong, worthwhile investment, especially for low- and moderate-income families, too many of these students are not making the best choices to optimize this investment...read more

A Compromise Needed for Student Loans
By Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D.
Featured in the National Journal
April 26, 2012

In this week’s video address , President Obama stated that a college degree has “never been more important” for the economy, and has also “never been more expensive.” As we gear up for the presidential election season, economic issues are sure to be a key point, and concern about college affordability is quickly becoming a critical element of that discussion.

At a time when we need more Americans to enroll and complete college, we find that current and prospective students are growing more concerned about financing their postsecondary education. In fact, the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance estimates , that during this decade, more than 2 million low- and moderate-income academically-qualified students will be denied access to college because of financial barriers. Likewise, for those students who do enter college, we find that many struggle financially, and significant numbers drop out because of financial challenges. The problems of college affordability are very real and complex; and, most importantly, they impact nearly all Americans...read more

Education Is a Viable Solution to the Jobs Crisis
By Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D.
Featured in Huffington Post
Sept. 29, 2011

President Obama introduced his much anticipated package aimed at boosting job creation. This announcement comes on the heels of the jobs report for August 2011, which fueled existing anxiety over what has become termed as "the jobs crisis."

Because unemployment is all too real for many Americans, President Obama's speech focused on solutions for stimulating the economy and getting more Americans back to work: Building roads, bridges, and other infrastructure projects; offering payroll tax cuts and tax breaks for businesses; providing assistance to local governments; and offering a mortgage relief program to struggling families, to name a few...read more

Five Myths About Student Loan Delinquency
By Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D.
Featured on Forbes.com
May 11, 2011

People who default on their loans aren't the only ones who have a hard time.

A recent report, Delinquency: The Untold Story of Student Loan Borrowing, finds that the majority of student loan borrowers never default on their loans, yet millions have difficulty repaying their obligations and become "delinquent" nonetheless. Student loan defaults tend to get all the attention, but that paints an incomplete picture of the range of difficulties student loan borrowers experience. To fill in and correct that picture, here are five common myths that the report addresses.

Myth 1: Delinquency is less serious and common than defaulting.

There is a false dichotomy between defaulters and everyone else, who supposedly does fine. In reality, many borrowers have difficulty making their monthly payments but avoid default. For every defaulter, at least two borrowers became delinquent...read more

The Future of Pell Grants
By Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D.
Featured in The Chronicle of Higher Education
March 21, 2011

Some of the more recent critiques of the Pell Grant program argue that it does not provide students with incentives for completion. That point is supported by research showing that a sizable number of college students drop out, often in the first or second year.

While the issue of college dropouts deserves attention, in considering the value of the Pell Grant program it is necessary to acknowledge that various factors limit the program's effectiveness. For one thing, growth in college costs has outpaced growth in the Pell Grant program. Despite regular increases in funding, the purchasing power of Pell Grants has diminished significantly over the last three decades. In addition, the number of students eligible to participate in the program has grown substantially in recent years, and continued growth is projected, accompanied by an increase in program costs...read more

Reaching Educational Goals Means Evaluating Every Cut
By Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D.
Featured in The Hill's Congress Blog
Feb. 18, 2011

The underlying tension to maintain government-funded programs on the one hand and to reduce the national deficit on the other is evident throughout the Obama administration’s fiscal year 2012 (FY 2012) budget proposal for all government agencies. While many government agencies witnessed overall cuts, the Department of Education’s budget proposes a $2 billion increase over the fiscal year 2011 (FY 2011) proposal.

In the recent State of the Union address, the president outlined his vision for “winning the future” and to fully achieve this goal, investments in education are critical. Even with the budget’s overall increase, the Obama administration has determined that some cuts are needed, primarily to sustain the maximum Pell Grant at $5,550. Preserving the Pell Grant program reflects our nation’s long-standing commitment to educational opportunity for low-income students...read more

State Lines are the Enemy of Educational Reform
It's time we moved past them.
By Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D.
Featured on Forbes.com
Feb. 8, 2011

The Obama administration and other leading supporters of educational reform have made increased college completion a national priority. Policymakers, private-sector leaders and nonprofit and philanthropic organizations are seeking to help the nation attain this goal by spurring educational innovation, developing new models for learning and scaling up promising practices.

As this focus on college completion takes a central role in economic and political discourse, we must be sure to target our interventions for maximum effect...read more

A Closer Look at Gainful Employment
By Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D.
Featured on Forbes.com
Oct. 13, 2010

Everyone aspires to a good job. So why does this phrase cause frustration in the education community? "Gainful employment" sounds like a reasonable idea. A vast majority of the 14.9 million unemployed Americans certainly aspire to it. Millions of students studying in U.S. colleges and universities hope to acquire training that will lead to it. And those of us currently holding jobs certainly want to remain a part of it.

So given that "gainful employment" is so desirable, why does the utterance of this phrase cause so much frustration and tension in the education community?

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Education proposed regulations requiring career education programs to "prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation," or risk losing access to federal student aid. To establish eligibility, the department would determine if the student loan repayment rate of graduates in the particular program fell below 35 percent and if the annual loan payment was both 12 percent of average earnings and 30 percent of discretionary income.

Based on its performance under these tests, a particular program could be deemed eligible, restricted or ineligible. Also, under certain circumstances, the proposed regulations would require an institution to disclose the results of tests to current and prospective students. (It is important to note that the tests target particular programs, or areas of study within an institution, and not necessarily the entirety of the institution.)...read more

Investing in Education and Equity: Our Nation's Best Future
By Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D.
Featured on Diversity & Democracy
Sept. 20, 2010

As momentum builds around the goal of increased college completion, pockets of American society still ask, "Does college matter?" To them, I respond unequivocally: "YES!"

Educational opportunity yields a broad array of benefits to both individuals and society. Reports like the College Board's Education Pays (Baum and Payea 2007) have consistently shown that going to college has far-reaching and quantifiable personal and national benefits, including higher salaries, improved health, increased volunteerism, and reduced reliance on welfare and other social support programs. In recent years, higher education advocates have attempted to better articulate these benefits and the related need for individuals and society to invest in higher education. National organizations such as the National Forum on Higher Education for the Public Good and the Association of American Colleges and Universities have made higher education's role in sustaining the public good a central theme of their ongoing campaigns.

Yet despite these efforts, access to and success within higher education remains unequal. Many students—particularly those who are black, Latino/a, first generation, and low income—face numerous challenges throughout their educational journeys that obstruct their paths to and through college...read more

The Global Achievement Gap
By Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D.
Featured on OECD: Education Today
Sept. 7, 2010

Given the ripple effect of the financial crisis, leaders around the world have taken a keen interest in reexamining strategies for long-term economic and societal growth. Although varied opinions exist about the cause, magnitude, and ultimate duration of the current economic situation, there appears to be a growing consensus about the connection of education to social stability and long-term economic success. World leaders who desire for their countries to have a competitive advantage in the global marketplace all recognize the first step toward this goal is to have a well-educated citizenry and workforce.

In recent decades, the United States, like many other countries, has experienced growth in participation rates in tertiary education, but completion rates have not kept pace. The postsecondary system has widened opportunity to numerous students from diverse backgrounds and encouraged lifelong learning among adults and existing workers. Subsequently, increased attention has been placed on student success and completion in the nation’s colleges and universities. And many have begun to question whether college students are truly being prepared to compete in a dynamic global economy...read more

Reducing Poverty through Higher Education
By Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D.
Featured on Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity
Aug. 23, 2010

Even in the midst of our nation’s economic uncertainty and growing rates of unemployment, most Americans have a dogged optimism of the future. According to a recent Pew report, 62 percent think their economic situation is going to improve next year.

This is especially true for young people from low-income backgrounds who want to move beyond the financial constraints within which they have lived to experience economic freedom and rewards. But the transition from hope to reality for social mobility among poor young adults remains daunting.

One pathway, in particular, that can make a difference between a lifetime of poverty and a secure economic future is higher education.

Obtaining a college degree or other advanced credential has proven to be a critical factor in producing both individual and societal benefits. It is often education that breaks generational cycles of poverty. Yet it is troubling to know that 1 in 10 impoverished young adults who have a postsecondary degree still fail to immediately get out of poverty. This is an alarming trend because these students already face greater academic and financial risks than their more well-off peers when attempting to complete college...read more

The Truth about 'Model Minorities'
By Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D., and Robert Teranishi
Featured on Forbes.com
Aug. 6, 2010

Stereotypes about Asian American students hurt those who are struggling and underprivileged. For over four decades, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) have been regarded as a "model minority." While many embrace this popular image—that they are academically and economically successful when compared with other racial groups—it is largely false.

In fact, the model minority designation heralded upon the AAPI community in 1966 had less to do with celebrating student achievement, and had more to do with reinforcing negative stereotypes of African-American students as underachievers at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Considering that we continue to apply this image to the AAPI community many years after the inception of this stereotype suggests that the general populace remains comfortable with this distorted comparison.

In terms of access and success in higher education, there is simply no model minority. Of course one can easily identify data that show AAPI students as having a competitive advantage over other racial groups, with higher grade point averages, standardized test scores, rates of majors in fields such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and more advanced degrees (National Center for Education Statistics, 2003; U.S. Census Bureau, 2003)...read more

The Scientific Imperative of Achieving Diversity
By Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D., and Arthur L. Coleman
Featured on Forbes.com
June 8, 2010

We can make our nation stronger by encouraging minorities to pursue higher education.

One of the toughest issues facing America today is how to sustain our nation's prosperity within a rapidly changing global economy. There's no simple solution to the problem, but we do know one critical element: investing in education.

Among our many educational investments, we must remain focused on tapping the potential of our expanding, increasingly diverse workforce. To this end, we must ensure diversity within our higher-education institutions, as it is the pipeline to a workforce that will allow us to meet both vital economic and educational aims. Our nation's colleges and universities have the responsibility of forging diverse learning environments, and helping tomorrow's workers become critical thinkers, effective communicators, ethical decision-makers and effective team members (See "The Economic Imperative of Diversity"). The diversity imperative has significant implications for our nation in nearly every professional field and corresponding academic discipline. But in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), specifically as it relates to the health care professions, data clearly underscores diversity's importance.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10 of the fastest-growing occupations in the U.S. are health care related. In 2008 health care provided 14.3 million jobs for wage and salary workers. Between 2008 and 2018 it is predicted that the health care field will generate 3.2 million new wage and salary jobs, more than any other industry. Yet STEM fields look little like the America of the 21st century, with much smaller percentages of female, African-American, Native American, Latino and low-income students than those pursuing other undergraduate disciplines...read more

The Economic Imperative of Achieving Diversity
By Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D., and Arthur L. Coleman
Featured on Forbes.com
April 27, 2010

Around the globe the pressure to raise college completion levels is growing. Many political and business leaders recognize that prosperity, within a rapidly changing global economy, requires more knowledgeable workers: Today's employers expect workers to be, among other things, critical thinkers, effective communicators, ethical decision-makers and effective team members.

Given these realities, the educational community faces significant challenges—and opportunities—in ensuring that all students are equipped with the skills that are vital to America's long-term economic success.

Who are these current students? Are they ready to become future workers? Are we ready for them? Current demographic trends show that today's workforce is more diverse than in previous decades...read more

Recommitting to Educational Opportunity
By Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D.
Featured on Forbes.com
March 23, 2010

The benefits of helping low-income students get a degree far outweigh the difficulties. What are the benefits of going to college? Since the passing of the GI Bill at the end World War II and the growth of the community college movement, politicians and educators have repeatedly debated the point. Is it worth the time and money? Who is benefiting, and how?

For many young adults, particularly those from low-income families, there are massive challenges associated with finishing a college degree. For these students, there is often a real need to generate an income immediately. They may also be deterred by the rising cost of college and student loans. Many low-income young adults must manage competing obligations, such as family and work-related responsibilities, that restrict their ability to enroll and complete college...read more

Preparing Students for College and Beyond
By Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D.
Featured on Forbes.com
Feb. 24, 2010

Awarding more college degrees is an important goal—but we need to make sure our students are ready to succeed.

In the midst of anxieties about the nation's economy and unemployment rate, there is much discussion about the responsibility of the educational community. Research confirms that increasing the number of Americans with a college degree would help our economy recover faster and help the United States retain its competitive advantage globally. The best way to do that is to improve the readiness of high school students to succeed in college—and teach college graduates how to succeed in a real job.

Several years ago, the nonprofit educational reform organization Achieve, Inc. conducted a national study of high school graduates, employers and college instructors to assess the college- and career-readiness of high school graduates. According to the survey, as many as 40 percent of the nation's high school graduates said they were inadequately prepared to deal with the demands of postsecondary education or entry-level jobs...read more

Closing The STEM Gap
By Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D.
Featured on Forbes.com
Dec. 22, 2009

To retain America's leadership in scientific disciplines, we must make the success of minority students a priority.

In November, President Obama announced the Educate to Innovate campaign, an initiative designed to improve the participation and performance of America's students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). It recognizes that American students are underperforming in math and science at a time when our nation needs those skills the most, and seeks to increase students' proficiency in related subject areas, expand education and career opportunities for underrepresented groups...read more

Are U.S. College Students Financially Literate?
By Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D.
Featured on Forbes.com
Nov. 24, 2009

Students must be given the tools to secure their own financial future.

Almost a year after the worst financial crisis in decades, college and university leaders continue to struggle with their new reality—one defined by state budget cuts, enrollment caps, decreased endowments and increased college costs.

Of all the crises at hand, ballooning college costs (including tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and transportation) have gotten the most attention. According to a recent report from the College Board, costs for the 2009-10 academic year are up, even as institutional leaders struggle to resolve their precarious financial situations. The average price of tuition and fees for in-state students at four-year public colleges in the U.S. rose 6.5% over the last year to $7,020. Even in the midst of larger economic concerns, history suggests college prices will continue to rise...read more

Race Still Matters
By Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D. and and David A. Longanecker
Featured on InsideHigherEd.com
Sept. 3, 2009

Does race matter? As rhetorical as it seems, this question continues to emerge as a topic worthy of debate. In the wake of electing the first black American as the 44th president of the United States, many people had a sigh of relief that America had proven to be post-racial. For many others, however, particularly many people of color, their excitement about electing Barack Obama was muted by the awareness, reinforced daily, that race still matters greatly in America , and that the election was diminishing the perception of this reality, particularly for the non-minority population.

Six months into President Obama’s term, we now celebrate the confirmation of Justice Sonia Sotomayor as the first Hispanic to serve on the Supreme Court. In between these two historic events, we also witnessed the unfortunate debacle in Cambridge, Massachusetts involving Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Police Sergeant James Crowley, of the Cambridge police department. In varying ways, each of these scenarios has raised numerous questions about race and its prevalence in today’s society. Does race matter?... read more