The latest from HCM
News + Updates
HCM Welcomes Melissa Herman as a 2026 Fall Policy Fellow
Melissa Herman joins HCM as a policy fellow where she will work collaboratively with our team on client initiatives to improve postsecondary outcomes.
HCM Partner Martha Snyder Co-Authors New Book on Higher Ed Finance
HCM Strategists is pleased to recognize the publication of Higher Education Finance Research: Policy, Politics, and Practice, a new book co-authored by HCM Strategists Partner Martha Snyder and Christopher M. Mullin, Ph.D., of Lumina Foundation.
GRANT ANNOUNCEMENT: Scaling State Emergency Aid Initiative
We are proud to announce a new grant opportunity for states, Scaling State Emergency Aid Programs in partnership with Scholarship America, NCAN and EdTrust. Applications are due November 25, 2026. Learn more and apply.
New Release: Mapping the College Affordability Landscape
New HCM research offers a comprehensive look at how states approach college affordability—and a framework for building more coherent affordability systems.
Principal Will Carroll Discusses New North Carolina Community College Funding Model, Propel NC
Principal Will Carroll discusses North Carolina’s new community college funding model, Propel NC.
New Release: The Four Components of HCM’s Balanced Framework for State Higher Education Finance
Building on our Balanced Framework for State Higher Education Funding series, we are releasing four new policy briefs that take a closer look at each of the framework’s essential components: Core Costs, Enrollment, Progression & Outcomes, and Mission Differentiation.
Kristin Hultquist Shares Insights about the Federal Higher Education Rulemaking Process on The RANT Podcast
Kristin Hultquist recently joined Dr. Andy Vaughn on The RANT Podcast with Eloy Ortiz Oakley to discuss negotiated rulemaking.
Watch the replay of “Creating Systems Change: Work-force Pathways”
Watch the replay of “Creating Systems Change: Work-force Pathways” with The Chronicle of Higher Education.
New Research Shows the Highlights and Opportunities California’s Black-Serving Institutions
Inside Higher Ed discusses the new IPEDS data showing how California’s Black students at newly-designated Black-Serving Institutions are performing—and how this data can be used to advocate for more investment.
Principal Julie Ajinkya Discusses the Increase in Advocacy for Student Parents with Imaginable Futures
Principal Julie Ajinkya discusses the increase in state legislation and evolving supports for postsecondary student parents with Imaginable Futures.
Lumina Foundation to Host Conversation on How FutureReady States Are Defining—and Redefining—Credentials of Value
Join the conversation hosted by Lumina Foundation on how states are defining—and redefining—credentials of value.
HCM Strategists is WOSB Certified
HCM Strategists is now certified by the U.S. Small Business Administration as a Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB).
State Business Executives’ Education & Workforce Series: Value-Centered Attainment Goals: A Strategy for Talent, Competitiveness, and Opportunity
Join the conversation hosted by State Business Executives is on value-centered attainment goals with the Lumina Foundation, the Maryland Higher Ed Commission, and HCM Strategists.
HCM Welcomes Taylor Myers as a 2026 Summer Policy Fellow
Taylor Myers joins HCM as a policy fellow where she will work collaboratively with our team on client initiatives to improve postsecondary outcomes.
HCM Welcomes Marianna Fresquez as a 2026 Summer Policy Fellow
Marianna Fresquez joins HCM as a policy fellow where she will work collaboratively with our team on client initiatives to improve postsecondary outcomes.
The Latest from HCM’s Newest State Finance Series: The Balanced Framework Approach to Adequacy and Equity in State Higher Education Finance
Available now, HCM’s latest report from The Balanced Framework series. This publication serves a practical tool to explore how states can effectively balance two fundamental objectives in higher education finance: adequacy and equity.
Senior Affiliate Dr. Brenda Dann-Messier Recognized by Rhode Island Department of Corrections
Senior Affiliate Dr. Brenda Dann-Messier receives the Friend of the Department Award from the State of Rhode Island Department of Corrections.
Kristin Hultquist Featured in AGB’s Trusteeship Magazine Discussing the Opportunities and Concerns Behind Workforce Pell
HCM CEO and Founding Partner, Kristin Hultquist, is featured in the latest issue of the Association of Governing Board’s Trusteeship Magazine discussing Workforce Pell.
HCM’s Tom Allison Featured in Article Highlighting Virginia’s Recent Step to Support Student Parents
Virginia passes a new law requiring colleges to ask students if they are parents, marking a new opportunity to serve student parents in their academic endeavors better.
Kristin Hultquist Discusses Workforce Pell at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit
HCM CEO and Founding Partner, Kristin Hultquist, speaks on a panel at the ASU+GSV Summit discussing “Wiring the Workforce Pell Era: Building the Infrastructure for Short-Term Credentials”.