Investment

The rising cost and decreasing financial support of postsecondary programs have had the chilling effect of limiting access and, as a result, decreasing enrollment and completion rates. We must tackle the cost of college through collective resource sharing and efficiencies to reduce student loan debt and maximize investments.

Challenges

How can we:

Create a new business model through shared assets, infrastructure, and services.
Design flexible pathways to reduce the amount of time it takes to complete a credential.
Advocate for state reinvestment in public higher education systems.
Cement systems as central to the federal education and workforce agenda.

Here are some of the ways NASH members are meeting the challenges of the Investment Imperative:

Scaling up RI Reconnect
Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner (RIOPC)

The RI Reconnect program is an initiative that deploys navigators to provide one-on-one coaching and resources to individuals looking to enter or re-matriculate at a RI institution of higher education or enroll in a postsecondary training program from start to finish. Since being launched in 2020, 2,844 students have experienced the strength in educational support in a wide range of outreach initiatives. The NASH RRI will support RIOPC in developing a funding model and community-based implementation plan to expand and scale up this already successful initiative to all Rhode Island postsecondary students—including those resettled as refugees.

Reginald F. Lewis (RFL) Scholars Program
University of Louisiana System

This program is designed to enhance both the achievement and educational experience for exemplary Black male students. Two students from each of the System’s nine-member institutions make up yearly cohorts participating in a three-year program focusing on three key areas—academics, social and career advancement, and community service. The RFL Scholars Program draws from research that Black male achievement is best accomplished by prioritizing academic endeavors over social programming.

The Investment Imperative

Investment

Challenges

Here are some of the ways NASH members are meeting the challenges of the Investment Imperative: