Category: Student Success

2026, admissions, Advising, College Access, College Affordability, Financial Aid, Research/Policy, Retention, ROI/College Outcomes, Student Success, Workforce

Beyond the Earnings Premium: What Provosts/CAOs Need to Know About the New ROI Agenda in Higher Education

The ROI of Higher Education explores the evolving value of college degrees amid rising costs and skepticism. It emphasizes the necessity for institutions to demonstrate educational attainment’s impact on economic and social outcomes. Leaders must prioritize student completion, integrate experiential learning, and align curricula with workforce needs to maintain relevance and value in higher education. Continue reading Beyond the Earnings Premium: What Provosts/CAOs Need to Know About the New ROI Agenda in Higher Education

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2026, College Access, College Affordability, Research/Policy, Student Success

Things That Sound Too Good to Be True (They Are)

Watson Scott Swail examines the limitations of large charitable donations, like MacKenzie Scott’s $42 million gift to 10,000 Degrees, aiming to improve college access. While these initiatives provide immediate benefits to some students, their scale and duration are insufficient to effect nationwide change. Sustainable public funding and early interventions are crucial for lasting impact. Continue reading Things That Sound Too Good to Be True (They Are)

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Illuminated pyramid sculpture with orange, blue, and pink panels on university campus
2026, Retention, Student Success

The Geometry of Student Success

By Watson Scott Swail, President/CEO & Senior Research Scholar, Educational Policy Institute In the mid-1990s, I created the Swail Geometric Framework to help higher education practitioners better understand the primary factors that contribute to student attrition and the strategies they can use to address them. Since then, dozens—if not hundreds—of universities have used the model successfully. First published in the ASHE-ERIC/Jossey-Bass volume “Retaining Minority Students in Higher … Continue reading The Geometry of Student Success

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Student Success, Retention, College Access, 2026

Two Roads Less Traveled: Rolling the Dice with Educational Opportunity

By Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scholar, Educational Policy Institute There has been recent talk about TRIO programs and funding issues due to pressures from the Trump Administration. The Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) fought hard to retain their funding, which they were able to do successfully (DISCLOSURE: I served as Vice President for Research and founding Executive Director of the Pell Institute at … Continue reading Two Roads Less Traveled: Rolling the Dice with Educational Opportunity

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2025, College Access, K12, Politics, Research/Policy, STEM, Student Success

It’s All About the Math

by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scientist There is an interesting article on the Washington Post website dated yesterday (November 18, 2025) about how race is aligned with who gets to take algebra in middle school. The thesis of the article is that early algebra is offered less to Black and Hispanic students than other students, including and especially White and Asian … Continue reading It’s All About the Math

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