Will Carroll
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC FINANCE & STUDENT SUCCESS
Will Carroll is an experienced policy analyst and strategic adviser with expertise spanning K-12 and higher education issues and an extensive background in federal and state education finance. Knowing there is no better investment than education, Will is committed to helping policymakers and institutions identify the best ways to use their resources to ensure all students succeed. As part of HCM’s postsecondary policy team, Will leads work to support postsecondary finance and affordability strategies that provide equitable opportunity and improve student outcomes. He has provided policy expertise, technical modeling, and facilitation support to states developing more equitable and effective methods for funding higher education, including Illinois, Ohio, Oregon, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. He also supports institutions through data analysis and strategic planning to align their student success efforts with state, federal, and workforce policies.
Will previously helped develop and execute policies and budgets for federal education programs for more than a dozen years, spending time at the U.S. Department of Education, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and most recently at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB). At OMB, Will contributed to major regulations and legislation in both K-12 and higher education and led interagency teams in standing up new grant programs and initiatives. His most recent work at OMB covered issues of college affordability and quality, Pell Grants, and free community college.
Will first worked with HCM on the Tackling Transfer Initiative during a detailed assignment to the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program, where he developed research and tools for institutions and state policymakers to improve the success of transfer students.
Will’s commitment to working in education began at Philadelphia Futures, where he supported a cohort of 20 high school students through academic programming and the college application process to become the first in their families to attend college. Will received his master’s of public policy from Duke University and his bachelor’s degree from Haverford College.
Will lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife and two sons, who indulge him in his love of hiking but fully embrace his passion for baking pies.