APLU Initiative Explores Ways to Improve College Affordability

Through a grant from TIAA Institute, APLU’s Powered by Publics initiative has worked with nine institutions over the past year to examine innovative strategies and programs that will improve college affordability and reduce student debt. As part of this one-year collaborative research study, APLU recently released two research briefs: a landscape analysis of issues related to affordability and debt and an exploration of the disbursement of emergency student aid available through the CARES Act.

APLU will release another brief in mid-April examining the effectiveness of financial aid innovations such as completion grants, institutional debt forgiveness, and use of open educational resources and affordable learning materials.

APLU and the TIAA Institute also hosted a Powered by Publics-wide virtual convening showcasing the results of the research. The first session highlighted campus innovations for improving affordability and reducing student debt.

Another session explored the distribution of emergency student aid made available through the CARES Act, and implications for the future.

The institutions that participated in this effort are: Cleveland State University; Rutgers University-Newark; University of Cincinnati; University of Louisville; University of North Texas; University of Texas at San Antonio; Virginia Commonwealth University; Wayne State University; and West Virginia University.