Photo: Camilla Forte/The Hechinger Report

Patrick Ben III always knew he’d go to college, even though his parents hadn’t. But when he made it to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the shortcomings of his high school on Chicago’s South Side became evident.

As states push back against diversity programs and the U.S. Supreme Court considers whether to eliminate affirmative action, a central fact remains: The equity divide between white and Black Americans who aspire to college educations is getting worse.

Student loan borrowers who stand to benefit the most from income-driven repayment plans are less likely to know about them, according to a just-released report from New America.

Under a proposed plan from the U.S. Department of Education, IDR minimum monthly loan payments for student-debt holders earning less than $30,000 a year could drop to $0. Ensuring that the most vulnerable borrowers can access this repayment relief must involve more action from the higher education community, the report states.

West Virginia University in Morgantown is known among students for its small-town feel, welcoming environment, and sense of community. “You can’t get lost in Morgantown," says Mikel Hager, a senior and exercise-physiology major.

Despite being a rural campus—and located in a region plagued by the opioid crisis and affected by mining’s environmental and economic challenges—WVU has found ways to attract students from inside and outside the state.