Higher Education and the New Demographics for Policy

Abstract

For much of the last half of the 20th century, federal and state policies have focused on opening the doors of higher education to the underserved populations of America. The result has been a qualified success: more students from all backgrounds are attending college than ever before, but large gaps still exist in who goes where and who completes degree programs. Low-income and first-generation students, as well as students of color, are less likely to attend four-year institutions and to persist through degree completion than are more advantaged students. In this context, the author draws some impacts between the demographic changes and the higher education policies at different levels in the United States.