Introducing the Balanced Framework, a signature contribution to HCM’s higher education finance policy work and the first in a new paper series on state funding reform. The framework is designed to help state leaders rethink how higher education is funded—and valued.

The Economic Benefits of Closing Postsecondary Completion Gaps, by Julie Ajinkya, Rachel Rivas and Ernie Tedeschi, using national economic modeling to investigate the question: What would happen if we closed postsecondary completion gaps by 2040? Their analysis finds that closing gaps for those furthest from opportunity is not just moral imperative, but an economic one as well.

In recognition of National Student Month, HCM’s latest brief offers actionable recommendations for policymakers, institutions, advocacy organizations, and state agencies and coordinating boards to strengthen data collection and translate legislation into meaningful, student-centered change.

Strategic data use case study by HCM + The Higher Ed Equity Network