Behavioral Insights for Federal Higher Education Policy

The federal role in higher education has grown over the past two decades, and now a new administration has the opportunity to strengthen policies that support students and their colleges and universities. To help inform these decisions, the Urban Institute convened a bipartisan group of scholars and policy advisers to write a series of memos highlighting some of the most critical issues in higher education and recommending policy solutions. This report draws on behavioral science to offer low-cost changes the federal government could make—including simplifying the application for student aid and leveraging existing digital touch points with students—to help ensure academically capable students make it to graduation.