Our college students are changing. Why aren’t our higher education policies?

Think of the typical college student. For many, the thought conjures a tableau of young adults strolling a leafy quad. They bask in the freedom of student life as they ease their way into adulthood. The real world awaits them. Think again. While this picture may have been broadly representative of college students in generations past, it’s badly outdated for today’s students. College students are now more likely to work, have family commitments and come from low-income backgrounds than in earlier generations.