The Education Trust

For millions of students, getting into college is only half the battle. Staying enrolled often depends on whether they can afford the unexpected costs that financial aid doesn’t cover. A medical emergency, housing expense, or temporary loss of income can quickly put a degree at risk, even for students with generous aid packages. That’s why emergency aid and other safety-net supports are so crucial. They can mean the difference between stopping out and earning a degree.

Parents report persistent disparities in safety, mental health, and attendance — including heightened concerns about school safety and immigration enforcement among multilingual families CONTACT: Chanthy Lopes Clopestoro@edtrust.org New Massachusetts Poll Finds That Students Who Need the Most Support Face the Steepest Barriers to Safety, Mental Health, and Regular Attendance Parents report persistent disparities in safety, mental health, and attendance — including heightened concerns about...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: media@edtrust.org August 18, 2026 Ignoring Race Does Not Make School Discipline Race Neutral. It Makes Inequities Harder to Confront Statement from Eric Duncan, EdTrust’s director of P-12 policy on the U.S. Department of Education’s new guidance restricting consideration of race in school discipline WASHINGTON – “The Department of Education sent a message today: race doesn’t matter.

As students are going back to school across the country, some states are quietly lowering the bar for what it means for students to be academically ready for meaningful college and career pathways — telling a story of progress that is pure fantasy. Take Florida. A recent USA Today investigation examined the state’s use of the Classical Learning Test (CLT) for graduation — a test that fails in terms of both inclusion and rigor.

For many aspiring educators from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, entering a preparation program is only the beginning. Once enrolled, they often encounter barriers that make completion just out of reach. Although many educator preparation programs have attempted to adopt initiatives, scholarships, and other recruitment strategies to diversify the teacher workforce, these strategies often emphasize access over completion.

The Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) is an income-driven student loan repayment plan for federal student loan borrowers that launched July 1, 2026. Established by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), RAP is a less affordable repayment option for the nation’s more than 43 million student loan borrowers.

In 2021, EdTrust launched the Justice Fellows Policy Program to give justice-impacted students a voice to help shape higher education policy and become leaders Formerly incarcerated leaders bring an understanding of higher education policy that research and outside analysis alone cannot provide. They know where policies break down in practice, where barriers persist, and what changes can expand opportunity.

While students are preparing to come back to school, education advocates have been busy, as this summer has proven to be a challenging few months for equity in public education.

The damage caused by segregation did not disappear when the laws changed Black Americans have learned one lesson over and over again. When people in power start talking about “local control,” it is time to pay attention. The phrase is not about good government. It’s not about good schools or fair representation. It’s about denying students and voters equal treatment under the law.

The Trump administration’s proposed changes to Head Start, if finalized, would dismantle the program from the inside out Civil Rights and Disability Organizations’ Joint Statement in Opposition to Administration Efforts to Dismantle Head Start Today, the Trump administration proposed changes to Head Start that, if finalized, would dismantle the program from the inside out.