By Maura Possley

Chicago (Dec. 9, 2024) — Historic disruptions in higher education in recent years have affected equity in the college admission process. But in a growing number of states, policies and practices are emerging to ensure equitable access to higher education for students across the nation.

NACAC’s 2024 Elevate Equity: Illinois convening spotlighted the state’s approach to equity in higher education at a time when colleges and universities are navigating the effects of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end race-conscious admission, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the rollout of a new FAFSA experience.

The daylong event brought together education professionals, policy makers and leaders at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) to examine ways to construct a more equitable system in college admission and highlight successful strategies as a model for other states.

“This moment finds us at a crossroads,” said David Hawkins, NACAC’s chief education and policy officer.

Made possible by the Joyce Foundation and the Crown Family Foundation, Elevate Equity: Illinois focused on three important aspects for promoting equity: centering student voices in college advising, simplifying the application process through direct admission, and identifying strategies to assist students who are interested in a postsecondary education in a time of disruption.

In remarks to attendees, UIC Chancellor Marie Lynn Miranda noted that UIC has benefitted from a deep commitment to higher education by Illinois’ top elected officials.

“We’re not just buying and selling widgets; we’re asking for the privilege to shape the lives and minds of students on campus,” Miranda said.

Student input is integral to building an equitable and thriving admission and recruitment process, and it requires creativity, said Miranda. At UIC, the student voice is at the forefront of recruitment and admission by streamlining processes, meeting students where they are, and in the university’s marketing to the public, said Maureen Woods, executive director of strategic recruitment and outreach for UIC’s Office of Enrollment Management.

UIC student ambassadors interact with prospective families and students, “giving them that true understanding of the ups and downs of the college experience,” Woods said.

“We want students to feel welcome and less anxiety in this process,” she said. “Bringing a student voice in is a great ingredient to see improvement.”

Particularly for first generation college students, access to resources and information is critical, said Tashawnna Johnson, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) alumni counselor. Regular communication and help navigating transitions such as the return to in-person work post-pandemic has been effective, she said.

“We’re just trying to be as active as possible,” Johnson said.

The disruptions of the last several years, such as the COVID pandemic, have forced institutions to recognize that the traditional ways of engaging students don’t work, said Dom McKoy, executive director of the To&Through Project within the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice.

“We’re seeing a lot more of these conversations to meet students where they’re at. We’re seeing things are different,” McKoy said. “There is a real challenge right now to ensure all students in the city (of Chicago) see college as an option. Having that true choice.”

Simplifying the admission process for students through direct admission is an effective method for fostering equity by shifting the burden from students and school counselors to institutions, said Sakshee Chawla, senior policy analyst at the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association.

Minnesota has been at the forefront of piloting direct admission processes with significant support by funders and government partners, and Illinois will soon follow.

In its third year of the direct admission pilot program, Minnesota’s approach to start small and scale over time has seen significant success in reaching its goals to increase enrollment for the fall after high school graduation and increase enrollment at state institutions, said Wendy Robinson, assistant commissioner of policy, programming, and grants for the State of Minnesota.

With 55 colleges and universities and 120 high schools in Minnesota’s direct admission program, she expects participation to only increase.

“We hope we get to the point where we have saturation of all our public institutions,” Robinson said.

Illinois is poised to launch its direct admission program in 2025 through the Common App. When students opt in to the direct admission process, the application will automatically match them with various in-state institutions for admission based on their grade point average.

Illinois’ goal will be to grow the program to include community college participation in the process and pass legislation to cement a direct admission process into law.

“Equity is at the core of everything we have been engaged in,” said Ginger Ostro, executive director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

Among the challenges colleges and universities have faced during the last several years is declining enrollment. Data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSC) finds that undergraduate enrollment still lags when compared to pre-pandemic levels. First-year enrollment declines are particularly felt in Illinois, along with declines in FAFSA completion.

At CPS, leaders have developed ways to engage students early and often to discuss their post-secondary options, said Heidi Truax, executive director of CPS’ Office of School Counseling and Postsecondary Advising.

Resources for CPS students begin in sixth grade to prepare them to graduate high school. CPS has worked to partner with colleges and universities to prepare students with a meaningful plan that considers affordability, admissibility, fit, and ability to find a sense of belonging, Truax said. CPS also provides two years of support after graduation to help students continue and maintain their path.

While Illinois students have seen one of the largest declines in immediate freshman enrollment​, according to NSC, Truax said CPS has seen a nearly 50 percent increase in graduates enrolling in college since 2004.

In addition to enrollment declines, students stopping out of their post-secondary education during the upheaval of the pandemic and other factors has been a focus of the Degrees When Due initiative of the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP).

In its research, conducted primarily during the pandemic with 200 institutions in 23 states, Degrees When Due focused on reengaging adult students who cited three main reasons for stopping out of school: the need to find employment, raising and supporting children and family, and reprioritizing work, family and school.

Degrees When Due analyzed the barriers students face in returning to school to reclaim degrees to provide evidence to institutions that new practices and new approaches are necessary to reengage these students, who often stop out of school just short of attaining graduation, said Amanda Janice Roberson, IHEP vice president of operations.

Among its findings, Degrees When Due discovered that for students who were awarded an associate or bachelor’s degree through degree reclamation, nearly half were students of color, 46% were students from low-income backgrounds, and 52% were women.

“Students are motivated to return,” Roberson said. “Through this work, we focus on the need to meet students where they are. They need that sense of belonging.”

The 2024 Elevate Equity: Illinois discussions will inform a report by NACAC about effective practices, challenges, and opportunities with suggestions for implementation by schools and institutions, administration, and local and state government. The report is expected to publish in early 2025.