While race-conscious affirmative action in college admissions was never a panacea for systemic racial inequality in the United States, it signaled good intentions. 

In practice, it was a small but significant attempt to begin correcting disparities in upward economic mobility between racial groups. Without it, we are facing a new and uncharted admissions landscape, writes Anthony Carnevale of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce in this essay.

The public has become increasingly focused on the financial returns of higher education in recent years, with many questioning the value of a college degree. But a new survey from the Association of American Colleges and Universities paints a different picture.

According to the survey, more than 80 percent of employers believe higher education prepares college graduates for workforce success—though some executives find students lack certain skills.

Breaking the cycle of poverty takes more than just high-quality training. It’s a sentiment that is increasingly echoed across workforce training, with new ventures like the Google Career Certificates Fund and established institutions like City Colleges of Chicago putting much more emphasis on the wraparound supports that make education possible.

But it’s expensive to provide services like mental health counseling and childcare. In Colorado, a new breed of financing aims to help.