Established in 1993, the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit research, policy, and advocacy organization focused on promoting access and success for historically marginalized and underrepresented learners. The organization supports efforts at the national, state, local, and institutional levels, providing research, reports, and analytic tools with a focus on the following:
- Degree completion
- Data and transparency
- Affordability and need-based aid
- Barriers in justice and education
Institute for Higher Education Policy utilizes the data and evidence from supported research to launch initiatives aimed at improving educational outcomes.
Examples of IHEP's initiatives include:
- Degrees When Due – a nationwide completion initiative designed to improve learner attainment rates.
- TransferBOOST (Bachelor’s Opportunity Options that are Straightforward and Transparent) - a multi-year state-level initiative developed to provide affordable, quality, and well-supported pathways for learners.
- Value Data Collaborative (VDC) - an initiative utilizing the Postsecondary Value Framework to assess state, system, and institutional performance on students’ return on investment in postsecondary education
- Postsecondary Data Collaborative (PostsecData) - an IHEP-led coalition of organizations advocating for the use of high-quality postsecondary data to promote student success, evaluate and inform policy, and empower college choice.
Free, online, interactive tools are available to support a variety of stakeholders in higher education and include:
- Equitable Value Explorer – an interactive diagnostic tool allowing analysis and comparison of institutions against the Postsecondary Value Framework, and built around publicly available data supplemented by analyses provided by the University of Texas System
- Degree Mining Tool – a free online system for institutions to identify students who are eligible for credentials they have earned but have not been awarded
- Equity Planning System – a student-centered action guide for higher education leaders, practitioners, and organizations to realize equity goals, including a three-part curriculum with assessment, workshops, and coaching
- Postsecondary Data GPS – an interactive tool for institutions to explore data related to access, progression, completion, and cost; with downloadable Excel templates for data analyses and visualization
- Reengagement Investment Calculator – a calculator tool for institutions to explore the cost/revenue information related to debt-forgiveness programs as a strategy to re-enroll adult learners who have stopped out of higher education
Resources
IHEP Resources
