New ERN Report Uncovers Yawning Racial Disparities in MI Higher Ed 

CARES Act Funding Could Remedy Opportunity Gaps, Reduce Burden of Debt Read the full report here. WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 20, 2020) –– A new report, released today, details how Michigan state officials can use the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to address troubling racial and socioeconomic disparities in the number of students earning a degree at

Online Students Deserve a Real Education

By James Murphy & Michael Dannenberg Millions of college students and professors are getting their first taste of online college this spring as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. It’s telling there have been no loud cries to keep this ad-hoc learning going next semester and beyond, but that remains a possibility, so we need

Sanders v. Biden on Higher Ed

by Michael Dannenberg Below is our 30,000 feet high view of the main difference between Senator Sanders and Vice President Biden’s 2020 Presidential campaign higher education plans. — Editor’s Note: Late breaking **UPDATE** at the conclusion of this piece. — The trade publication Inside Higher Ed already has done fine job summarizing the details of the

Statement on Bloomberg Higher Ed Plan

Michael Dannenberg, Director of Strategic Initiatives for Policy at Education Reform Now and a longtime senior Democratic advisor and national expert on higher education policy, released the following statement on Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s higher education plan:   “Mike Bloomberg’s higher education plan combines both resources and rigor to promote racial justice and economic mobility for historically underserved students,

Higher Ed: Do Better or Pay a Price

There’s a rumor in D.C., and it’s one that could pose a challenge for Democrats. The buzz in Washington is that President Trump, concerned about a populist challenge from the Warren – Sanders left on student debt, may choose to tackle the rising price of college. Unnamed administration officials have floated a series of trial balloons,

New Report on the University of Wisconsin Highlights Equity Gaps at UW-Madison vs. UW-Milwaukee

New Report on the University of Wisconsin Highlights Equity Gaps at UW-Madison vs. UW-Milwaukee Education Reform Now Proposes a No Cost “WIRE Initiative” to Redress Disparities Between the State’s Two Major Public Research Universities  WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new issue brief, released today by Education Reform Now, finds that the University of Wisconsin System (UW-System),

Ideas to Make College “Fairer”

By Michael Dannenberg  In wake of the on-going national college admissions scandal, every candidate for state or national office should be asked a simple question: “How do you plan to make college cheaper, fairer, and better?” Not just cheaper, but fairer and better because we’ve got serious equity and quality challenges in higher education. A

Ideas to Make College “Cheaper”

by Michael Dannenberg Over the next several weeks, we’re regularly going to identify an education goal and put forth in brief at least one new idea and a short, pro-con analysis. Most of the time, we’ll put forth a series of ideas to consider. Batter up. Make College “Cheaper” for Families, Debtors, and Taxpayers. Almost

A Deeper Look into Massachusetts’ Struggling Community College System

By: Konrad Mugglestone   To me, one finding from our recent deep dive into Massachusetts public higher education has been particularly shocking. Bay State students of color are much more likely to attend a community college than the national average and much less likely to complete their degrees. Massachusetts Black high school graduates are 50 percent more likely,

No Commencement in the Commonwealth

ERN Report Reveals Bay State’s White-Latinx College Graduation Gap Ranks as 37th Worst in the Country Research—Supported by Latinx Organizations in Massachusetts—Analyzes What’s Going Wrong for Latinx Students and Others & Makes Recommendations for How the Commonwealth Can Increase College Affordability and Close Graduation Gaps at the Same Time WASHINGTON, D.C. – Education Reform Now – a progressive think tank and advocacy organization