Institute for Higher Education Policy
Friday, October 9
All college programs now face an earnings premium test. Here’s what you need to know
The new federal earnings premium test has generated a lot of discussion, and with it, some confusion. Will it ban certain colleges’ majors? No. Instead, the rule sets a basic expectation: college programs enrolling students who receive federal student aid must show that the program leaves their graduates better off…
ihep.org
Wednesday, September 16
Where Things Stand with Key Postsecondary Data Collections at NCES
Early last year, the U.S. Department of Education (ED), at the direction of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), decimated the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). Those actions involved cancelling contracts, cutting staff, and disrupting the data collections that researchers and policymakers rely on to…
ihep.org
Thursday, September 10
Voices from the Field: How ACTS Compliance Strained Student Supports at the University of Findlay
Kristen Lindsay is the Director of Institutional Research (IR) and Assessment, and the sole dedicated IR professional, at the University of Findlay (UF). In late 2025, when the Department of Education launched the Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) data collection, she was forced to pivot projects…
ihep.org
Tuesday, August 18
How the Education Department can Strengthen IPEDS Data Quality
Over the last year, colleges and universities across the country bore the brunt of a rushed rollout for a new federal data collection. Unlike prior updates to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the new Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) was developed and implemented in a…
ihep.org
Thursday, August 6
Postsecondary Data for Action Network Convenes in Washington to Turn Evidence into Policy Change
Nearly 50 higher education professionals from 12 institutions and campus systems gathered in Washington, DC on July 15 and 16 for a convening of the Postsecondary Data for Action Network (PDAN). Launched by the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) and the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) in late…
ihep.org
Friday, July 31
How a Postsecondary Student Success Grant Propels Data-Driven Action at UT San Antonio
At the University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio), a bipartisan federal grant designed to boost college completion is helping campus leaders identify strategies that support students who are the first in their families to attend college thrive on campus and in their studies. Since 2022, the Postsecondary…
ihep.org
Wednesday, July 15
Postsecondary Data for Action Network Spotlight: How the University of Northern Iowa Uses Data to Strengthen Student Retention and Success
Colleges and universities often point to retention and graduation rates as key measures of success. However, improving student outcomes requires looking beyond aggregate metrics at disaggregated data to better understand how different groups of students are experiencing college, where barriers may exist, and what…
ihep.org