From Access to Success: A Funder's Guide to Ensuring More Americans Earn Postsecondary Degrees

Highlights discussions from a May 2010 convening on proven strategies to increase the number of Americans earning a postsecondary degree. Examines barriers and intervention levers at the student, institutional, and policy levels and the role of funders.

• Observation: Financial aid to students from families earning over $100,000 a year is increasing four- to five-times faster than aid to students whose families earn under $20,000 a year Tweet
• Observation: Inadequate assessment tests and placement tools fail to provide institutions with accurate information about individual students' needs Tweet
• Observation: Grantmakers can help by investing in community- and school-based models targeting low-income and first-generation college students Tweet
• Observation: Funders can invest in financial education models designed to reach students early to aid their understanding of the costs and benefits of postsecondary education Tweet
• Observation: Proven methods to increase graduation rates include redesigning courses that many students drop and requiring attendance at labs, lectures, and tutoring sessions Tweet