In school, Dear Aunaetitrakul remembers thinking that society didn’t view Asian Americans as people being oppressed. They were the model minorities who excelled academically, coasting their way through elite colleges, or so the stereotype would have people believe.

Today, as part of her role at Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, Illinois, Aunaetitrakul is on a mission to educate people about the diversity of Asian and Pacific Islander students and the barriers they face. 

America’s “some college, no degree” population is growing, with more than 39 million people starting at a two-year or four-year college and stopping out before earning a degree or certificate. 

A new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center shines a light on this forgotten population—and provides a much-needed blueprint for educators, employers, policymakers, and community leaders on how to move forward.

As the Supreme Court once again considers the role of race in college admissions, colleges are pondering what alternatives they might use if the justices ban race as a factor in selecting students. 

It’s a scenario that has played out at least once before, yielding another approach that was floated then quickly scuttled. Could the so-called strivers model be resurrected now?