The United States loses out on hundreds of billions of dollars each year because of racial and socioeconomic inequities in higher education attainment, according to a new report by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.

The report, conducted in partnership with the Postsecondary Value Commission, an initiative of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and managed by the Institute for Higher Education Policy, found that it would take $3.97 trillion to close racial and socioeconomic gaps in college degree completion in the country. But after that initial investment, the United States stands to gain $956 billion per year in increased in tax revenues and GDP and cost savings on social assistance programs.

Pete Gallego is president of Sul Ross State University and a former Texas legislator and member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Many of the students who attend the Texas institution that Gallego oversees are the first in their family to go to college, face economic issues, and come from rural communities where access to broadband is an ongoing challenge. 

On this podcast, Gallego talks about how Sul Ross helped students weather a global health crisis, an unprecedented winter storm, and an economic downturn—plus what he see as the challenges and opportunities ahead as the state comes out of the pandemic. 

Otero Junior College and Trinidad State Junior College have an image problem. For years, college leaders there say that the antiquated term of "junior" hampers recruiting efforts and gives potential students an erroneous impression of being less than a full-fledged college.

Now, Colorado lawmakers and college officials hope a name change—requiring legislation—will be a first step in helping to reverse years of declining enrollment at the two rural campuses.