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Publications & Research
Collaboration, Not Competition: Shifting Philanthropic Approaches to Movement Building for Equity
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing inequities and brought about monumental new challenges for California’s students and educational institutions. In May 2020, College Futures Foundation—a strategic philanthropy committed to increasing equitable postsecondary success and upward mobility so that California’s economy and communities can thrive—virtually convened a group of nine grantee organizations seeking space to make sense of the pandemic’s early impact on postsecondary students and systems. Over the following months, as the pandemic deepened inequities in students’ lives and reinforced the need for responsive policy intervention, the Foundation reconsidered how its state policy-focused grantmaking strategy could serve as a vehicle to support movement-building in higher education in California. At a time when many grantees were forced to operate in crisis mode, College Futures deliberately aimed to foster a sense of care, support, and community, paired with stable and flexible funding. This was the start of a new policy grantmaking strategy that eventually grew to an “ecosystem” of 16 organizations, intentionally designed to advance connections, knowledge, and movement-building across higher education equity. Read more >
Publications & Research
Supporting Student Success Together
In 2021, in response to the long-standing high rates of college student basic needs insecurity that were exacerbated by the pandemic, College Futures Foundation funded 5 community-based organizations (CBOs) – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County and the Inland Empire, Rise Student Navigator Network, OneFuture Coachella Valley, Braven, and United Way Bay Area – partnering with California higher education institutions to provide holistic student supports. College Futures then engaged Education Northwest, an education research and evaluation firm, in a learning project to examine the capacities, conditions, and strategies necessary to form successful partnerships between CBOs and higher education institutions. Read more >
Publications & Research
Golden Opportunities: Measuring Return on Investment in California Higher Education for Low- and Moderate-Income Learners
At College Futures Foundation, we believe that aligning postsecondary education for economic mobility is an important piece of the puzzle if we want a robust, inclusive economy in California. We also believe that when learners spend their time and money on a postsecondary education, they should see a return on investment (ROI). Yet, ROI measures Read more >
Publications & Research
AB928 Associate Degree for Transfer Intersegmental Implementation Committee, 2023 Final Report and Recommendations
In 2021, California passed The Student Transfer Reform Act (AB 928) with the aim of increasing transfer rates among California community college students by creating an intersegmental committee to reflect, set goals, and establish directions for streamlining transfer programs across all the state’s postsecondary segments. The law called for the committee to be comprised of Read more >
Publications & Research
From Persisting to Thriving: How We Can Act Now to Support College Student Wellness
For years now, college students have been vocal about their increased need and desire for mental health support as they continue to navigate larger social contexts – increasingly hostile political environments, racial conflicts, growing wealth gaps, and global health concerns – while pursuing a postsecondary education. Students of color and others who are underserved, especially, Read more >
Press Releases & Announcements, Publications & Research
WEBINAR: Answering Calls for Care in College
Mental health is one of the most critical priorities for college students today. Since the onset of the pandemic and the declaration of a national public health crisis around mental health, students are speaking up about their increased need and desire for mental health support and a holistic postsecondary educational experience where they are valued, Read more >
Publications & Research
Rethinking & Redesigning Dual Enrollment as a Purposeful, Equitable Pathway to College and Career Opportunity
The Community College Research Center (CCRC) released a new publication this week that details a new research-based framework for strengthening dual enrollment programs as an equitable onramp to high-opportunity college and career pathways after high school. The Dual enrollment equity pathways (DEEP) framework, according to the center’s website, “reflects a shift in mindset from conventional Read more >
Publications & Research
Implementing Universal Financial Aid Application Completion in California
“The increasing cost of higher education has made it exceedingly more difficult for students to afford a college degree. Students who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and receive financial aid via a Pell Grant are more likely to enroll in higher education, persist in their coursework, and obtain a degree,” according Read more >
Publications & Research
Counting on Math Faculty: Examining the Role of Faculty and Instructional Practices in Students Gateway Math Success
Introductory college math, commonly referred to as “gateway” math, has long stood as a barrier to degree completion for community college students, disproportionately impacting students of color and those who are the first in their families to attend college. A new research study conducted by Education Equity Solutions set out to better understand what determines Read more >
