The Institute for College Access & Success

10/04/2026

Did you know that nearly 26% of students at rural institutions identify as parenting students? TICAS' Erika Roberson unpacked our report for Inside Higher Ed, highlighting the challenges Rural serving institutions face in supporting parenting students, including gaps in identifying them and what support they need.

More here: https://buff.ly/ZsPXQ04

10/03/2026

Your experience with higher ed can help shape a better system. Share your experience here: buff.ly/yZ5iqF8

10/01/2026

Last week Rep. Norma Torres & Sen. Alex Padilla reintroduced the Basic Assistance for Students in College, the BASIC Act. We are proud to endorse the BASIC Act because it provides institutions with the ability to innovate, implement, and evaluate the efficacy of wraparound resources that address their students’ basic needs insecurity from a holistic lens.

Read more here:

The Official U.S. Congressional website of Congresswoman Norma Torres

09/30/2026

Nearly 300,000 undergraduates in California are also parents, and those at rural-serving colleges are managing that responsibility without the child care, transportation, and mental health support more common on urban campuses.

A new brief by Leticia Mejia, California Skills and Training in Action Research (CalSTAR) Fellow at the Urban Institute, draws on interviews with rural student parents to center their own expertise on what's missing and what would help.

Read more in the first comment ⬇️

Research on rural student parents remains limited, leaving policymakers and program designers unsure about how to address their challenges. This brief explores the experiences of student parents at public rural-serving institutions in California, highlighting their stories through their own voices.....

09/29/2026

The enactment of AB 1534 into law is a win for California students and a model for the nation. Pell recipients cannot afford to exhaust their limited lifetime award eligibility on short-term programs that are unaffordable or do not lead to economic mobility. We look forward to continuing our work to see this program support quality pathways for students in the state.

09/29/2026

As Student Parent Month comes to an end, we are highlighting how rural-serving institutions can better support parenting students to the finish line. Parenting students face significant barriers to postsecondary success, such as difficulty securing adequate and affordable childcare and covering their family’s basic needs.

Our new report examines key actions rural-serving institutions are taking and offers recommendations for policymakers to improve student success for parenting students. Supporting parenting students to complete a credential means supporting the economy: https://buff.ly/C7LLiCK

09/28/2026

Earlier this month, affordability expert Michele Zampini spoke with CNBC about how borrowers exiting SAVE may face sharply higher payments if they don’t act soon.

Zampini says most borrowers should receive their notices by email, but some may get a letter in the mail. Borrowers should make sure their contact information is current with their servicer and on their StudentAid.gov account. More from CNBC here: https://buff.ly/sEPeOIm

09/27/2026

Trying to stay caught up on the latest in higher ed? We’ve got you. Stay in the loop by subscribing to our mailing list for federal policy news, state policy updates, and more: https://buff.ly/oldoo4m

09/26/2026

There's a lot of talk about college affordability. But what does that actually feel like when you’re inside the system? buff.ly/eQsjOHF

09/25/2026

Our Rural Reconnect Initiative, funded by Ascendium's Education Philanthropy, includes a new interactive tool to help us better understand the rural higher education landscape.

The Rural Reconnect Data Explorer provides data on rural populations, postsecondary attainment, and rural-serving institutions, bringing key information together in one place for policymakers, researchers, and higher education leaders.

▶️ Explore the Data Explorer here: https://buff.ly/ijGG3gG

▶️ Learn more about our Rural Reconnect Initiative here: https://buff.ly/aTZzyaW