As an alternative to affirmative action, colleges from California to Florida have tried a range of strategies to achieve the diversity they say is essential to their campuses. Many have given greater preference to low-income families. Others started admitting top students from every community in their state.

But after years of experimentation—often prompted by state-level bans on considering race in admissions—there’s no clear solution. In states requiring race-neutral policies, many colleges have seen enrollment drops among Black and Hispanic students, especially at selective colleges.

Photo:  James Bernal

The expansion of the Second Change Pell Grant program represents more than a second chance for students who are incarcerated.

Done right, this could be a pivotal moment for higher education to also revamp the postsecondary experience for other underserved learners, including those coming from under-resourced rural areas and environments that lack college preparation programming.

Many religious colleges and universities are wrestling with thorny questions over whether to maintain their religious identity and just what that identity really means for their operations and mission.

Clark Gilbert of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints delves into the role of religion in higher education and why he believes religion is central to addressing some of the most vexing challenges facing colleges and students today.