Higher education across the country, including in New Jersey, hangs in the balance.
The current presidential administration is working to abolish the U.S. Department of Education, weaken student debt relief, attack academic freedom and more.
Under recent federal actions, civil rights enforcement in higher education has not only diminished dramatically, but has been weaponized against colleges and universities, creating a chilling effect on efforts to advance equity and inclusion. The administration has also issued executive orders banning diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in institutions receiving federal funding, threatening to cut such funding from higher education institutions who do not comply.
Federal attacks on international student enrollment in higher education have also increased. Foundational supports—such as research grants and federal data collection systems—have been undermined, threatening the integrity and planning capacity of higher education institutions. The recent budget bill, signed into law on July 4, 2025, restructures student aid—eliminating Grad PLUS loans, imposing new caps on borrowing federal student loans, restricting new borrowers’ repayment plans, and eliminating rules that allow borrowers to temporarily defer loan payments due to economic hardship or unemployment. This will force students to borrow more and take longer to pay off their loans.
These assaults on higher education are compounded by broader federal attacks on K-12 school funding and massive cuts to Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that will harm children and families, causing them to face mounting barriers to college readiness and access.
At the same time, the impacts of the 2023 Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College limiting affirmative action policies are just starting to surface.
In these swiftly shifting dynamics, New Jersey higher education stands on the brink of a decline in the admission and enrollment rates of underrepresented students of color, even as the state grows increasingly diverse.
Before the changing national landscape, the Garden State’s higher education landscape was already in crisis—with escalating unaffordability plaguing institutions across the state. Growing tuition and fees, coupled with the alarming surge in student debt, have created formidable barriers hindering the access of low-income, first-generation and students of color to quality higher education.
The latest New Jersey state budget season included a continuing fight against proposed higher education cuts, including rollbacks to operational aid for higher education institutions as well as reductions in tuition assistance. Efforts of the outgoing New Jersey gubernatorial administration to increase affordability have been helpful, but not sufficient to undo decades of underfunding of our state’s higher education institutions.
With a new gubernatorial administration starting next year, New Jersey must make a choice.
New Jersey must decide whether its future in higher education will be swept up in the national attack on affordability and diversity, or whether it will forge its own path toward a prosperous and inclusive higher education system for all its residents. Will it fold to the ever-changing and chaotic whims of the current national political dynamics, or will it make a long-term commitment to position itself as a leader in quality, accessible higher education—ensuring a well-educated workforce that truly represents the state and can drive economic growth?
Investing in higher education and achieving educational equity today are not only moral imperatives to expand mobility for the next generation, but also an economic strategy that can make New Jersey a model for fostering long-term prosperity.
Following the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, affirmative action policies and programs were instituted to counteract widespread racial segregation in education, systemic racial discrimination, and exclusion faced by Black and other people of color. Within higher education institutions, these policies aimed to provide equitable access to educational opportunities for historically marginalized groups, increasing enrollment of students of color and fostering a more diverse and integrated learning environment.
In New Jersey, despite being an ostensibly progressive state, K-12 schools have remained among the most racially and economically segregated in the nation. In fact, New Jersey schools are the seventh most segregated, with Newark being the most economically segregated and the second-most racially segregated metro area in the nation when it comes to public schools. This segregation—which in 2018 spurred a major civil rights lawsuit against the State that is still ongoing—has perpetuated disparities in educational resources and outcomes, underscoring the necessity of proactive policies to promote diversity and inclusion in higher education.
Decades of legal challenges have gradually weakened affirmative action policies, beginning with the Supreme Court’s 1978 ruling in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, which rejected affirmative action as a remedy for societal discrimination. Despite this, the Court upheld the consideration of race as a factor in college admissions as recently as 2016, recognizing its role in promoting campus diversity.
However, in June 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a devastating decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College restricting affirmative action and effectively ending race-conscious admissions as they existed. The ruling has sparked profound concerns about the potential repercussions on racial diversity in higher education. States renowned for their diversity, such as California and Texas, witnessed a decline in diversity after the passage of state-level policies that prohibited affirmative action in college admissions, providing an ominous backdrop for the changes taking hold nationally in this moment. Just as these states saw troubling declines in Black, Latina/o and Indigenous student representation, several top U.S. universities have reported significant drops in Black student enrollment following the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision. For example, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) saw a massive drop from 13 to five percent in Black incoming freshmen, and Amherst College in Massachusetts similarly saw a drop from 11 to three percent.
This data does not bode well for the future of racial diversity in higher education in New Jersey. As one of the most diverse states in the nation, with nearly half its population consisting of people of color, New Jersey must work to ensure that all of its students are able to access higher education. The state and its institutions of higher education must swiftly adopt comprehensive alternatives aimed at bolstering diversity, while also addressing underlying issues of affordability and accessibility—factors that significantly affect economic and racial diversity in higher education.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision, which restricted approaches that higher education institutions have been utilizing for decades to diversify their campuses, many institutions are seeking alternative methods to maintain diverse student bodies, such as emphasizing socioeconomic factors instead of race.
In February 2025, the Department of Education issued a “Dear Colleague” letter addressed to all educational institutions, demanding that they eliminate practices that differentiate based on race in admissions, financial aid, hiring or other areas. Institutions were told if they did not eliminate their diversity initiatives, they would be at risk of losing federal funding. The letter offered an extreme and questionable interpretation of the law governing DEI policy, stating that policies that are race-neutral but promote racial diversity are also illegal. This directive prompted legal challenges from organizations such as the American Federation of Teachers and the American Sociological Association, who argue that the memo violates constitutional rights and could hinder educational activities related to DEI. On April 24, 2025, three separate federal courts blocked implementation of the anti-DEI Dear Colleague Letter, but litigation continues and educational institutions continue to feel pressure and confusion as a result of federal anti-DEI policy directives and aggressive enforcement tactics.
Long-term disinvestment in public higher education by states across the nation is one of the major reasons for the rising cost of college and the related rise in student debt. In 1990, state per student funding was nearly 140 percent higher than federal funding per student. By 2015, however, that margin had narrowed significantly, with state support per student only 12 percent above federal levels. Overall, by 2018, state funding for public two- and four-year colleges had fallen by more than $6.6 billion, after adjusting for inflation, compared to 2008—just before the full impact of the Great Recession hit. Then, in immediate response to the COVID-19 pandemic, states—including New Jersey—further cut spending in a range of services, including higher education. Even as the federal government stepped in to provide additional funding for states during the height of the pandemic, New Jersey spending remains below levels in the 1990s and 2000s.
Per-Student Appropriations
Source: State Higher Education Finance (SHEF) Data, New Jersey, 1980-2024 (adjusted for inflation).
State spending on community college has also lagged significantly behind, with New Jersey ranking 46th—among 47 states with community colleges—in state spending per full-time student in 2024, at $2,506 per student—compared to the national median of $8,555.
New Jersey has seen a significant increase in the average tuition at public, four-year colleges. New Jersey colleges and universities have the fourth highest attendance costs in the nation for in-state, full-time students at public institutions at $29,392 per year (see figure below). Compounding this issue, New Jersey is one of the most expensive states to live in, adding additional financial burdens and needs.
Overall, the state’s lack of investment over time has shifted the costs of college onto students, resulting in a system of higher education that is unaffordable to many young people, and creates a long-term debt burden for many others.
Average undergraduate tuition, fees, room, and board charges for full-time students in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by state, among public 4-year institutions for academic years 2022-23.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics.
The Higher Education Restructuring Act of 1994 abolished New Jersey’s central authority of the Chancellor and Department of Higher Education, and replaced it with a Council of College Presidents and Secretary of Higher Education. Intended to foster innovation and entrepreneurship, the shift reduced oversight, leaving institutions responsible for their own financing and capital funding. This led to massive borrowing and hundreds of millions of dollars of debt over the next few decades, to keep up with rising demand for post-secondary education in the 1990s and 2000s, ultimately pushing the state to rely on bonding to fund university costs. Stronger oversight, as well as greater capacity and expertise to review complex financial data, could have detected severe budget shortfalls of institutions like New Jersey City University—which recently faced a major financial crisis—sooner; such oversight could have flagged declining enrollment, deteriorating facilities, risky real estate investments, and mounting debt in the hundreds of millions, which prompted statutory reforms requiring fiscal monitors for financially distressed universities. With a growing structural deficit and declining enrollment expected, New Jersey institutions of higher education face a critical moment. Proposed solutions to struggling finances include mergers—like Montclair State University’s 2023 merger with Bloomfield College, and NJCU’s planned merger with Kean University—as well as increased state funding for institutions’ capital needs.
It is no secret that students have been taking on increasing levels of debt for college in recent years. Nationally, from 2000 to 2020, the average amount borrowed by college graduates increased by 15 percent from $29,120 to $33,440—in constant dollars. New Jersey college graduates left with even more debt—$39,709 in 2020, the sixth highest level of debt nationally. New Jersey is also among the top 10 states in college graduates with debt, at 63 percent in 2020.
Average amount of debt among bachelor’s degree recipients who borrowed by state: 2020 (in 2022 dollars).
Source: Pell Institute, Indicators of Higher Education Equity in the United States: 50-Year Historical Trend Report (2024).
The total federal student loan debt balance in New Jersey currently stands at approximately $46.2 billion. This substantial figure has far-reaching implications for both the state and its residents. The financial weight of student loans increases financial stress for borrowers who struggle with balancing repayment while covering other essential living costs, reduces disposable income and limits long-term wealth-building opportunities, such as buying homes and launching small businesses. This is particularly true for Black and other families of color who face an enormous racial wealth gap nationally and an even greater one in New Jersey. Furthermore, debt affects career choices, as graduates may prioritize higher-paying jobs over pursuing their passions or entering lower-paying, but essential, fields like teaching, social work or healthcare, resulting in shortages over time. With billions tied up in student loans, New Jersey residents also have less money to spend on local businesses, services and investments—and reduced consumer spending slows economic growth. Finally, student debt creates an intergenerational cycle of debt, specifically for Black and other families of color, exacerbating wealth gaps and keeping families from obtaining economic stability.
Nationwide, Black families are disproportionately burdened by student loans. This is due in large part to the massive racial wealth gap between white households and Black households. As Black families have less generational wealth and fewer family assets, they often must borrow more than white families for college, take on more debt and ultimately have less wealth to pay down these loans. For example, in 2022 dollars, a decade after earning a bachelor’s degree, Black graduates in the U.S. had borrowed an average of $71,904, compared to $39,740 borrowed by white graduates, to fund their undergraduate and graduate education.
Research has shown Black students have greater difficulty paying off student debt and are more likely to default, in part, due to continued barriers in employment. Black student loan borrowers owe 50 percent more in student debt at graduation compared to their white peers, which grows to 100 percent four years after graduation. Default on student loans can have long-lasting consequences—impacting credit histories, and making it difficult to buy a home or access other credit—further exacerbating the extreme racial wealth gap.
Across all groups, more education is generally associated with greater wealth, but Black college-educated households in the U.S. hold less than a fifth of the wealth of college-educated white households. This is the result of current and historical racial barriers to wealth-building—barriers which student loans have exacerbated. Thus, we must make higher education more affordable and repair the harms facing current borrowers—particularly Black borrowers—due to declining investments in higher education.
A major cause of concern for the financial stability and future of many colleges and universities throughout the country is declining enrollment. The pandemic and its far-reaching impacts drove college enrollment nationwide to its lowest point in roughly 15 years in 2020. These declines persisted through 2022. Most of the enrollment decline due to the pandemic took place at community colleges, which had their lowest enrollment levels in 20 years. Much of this is due to economic stress, especially for potential students from low-income families. While there have been slight increases in undergraduate enrollment in the last couple years, we now face a looming demographic cliff. As the number of 18-year old high school graduates peaks in 2025—caused by declining birth rates starting in 2007—higher education institutions and policymakers will need to focus on increasing college-going rates, enhancing retention and graduation rates, and diversifying student populations by recruiting underrepresented groups, adult learners and transfer students. While New Jersey’s estimated drop in the number of high school graduates will only be one percent—significantly lower than most northeast states, it will come at a time when there is increasing skepticism about the return on investment of a college education given increasing debt loads and low national completion rates, specifically for low-income students.
Like the U.S. more broadly, New Jersey institutions of higher education have been experiencing declines in enrollment. While there were accelerated declines in fall 2020 and fall 2021 due to the pandemic—with enrollment at four-year public institutions declining by 4.8 percent and enrollment at community colleges declining by 13.2 percent—enrollment declines began long before the pandemic. Fall 2024 enrollment in New Jersey institutions of higher education increased by just 1.84 percent after approximately 12 years of consecutive enrollment declines. Community colleges, after seeing two years of a slight increase in enrollment, saw a decrease from fall 2023 to fall 2024 of 1.09 percent, following steep enrollment declines of nearly 38 percent between 2010 and 2021.
Source: Fall 2024 Preliminary Enrollment Dashboard, New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education.
Despite growing costs and concerns about debt loads, a college degree is more important than ever for economic security. For example, unlike young men without a college degree, college-educated young men across the U.S. now earn more than they did in the 1970s. The gap in median earnings between these two groups has widened significantly over the years—from 23 percent in 1973 to 71 percent today. For young women, the gap in median earnings between those with and without a college degree is 79 percent.
We owe it to future generations to lower financial and institutional barriers to higher education. Investing in both young people and adults who need further education—as part of a comprehensive strategy to expand access to higher education—will generate lasting benefits for New Jersey, including greater economic security for residents and a more diverse, better-educated workforce. New Jersey and its institutions of higher education must focus on college affordability, accessibility and diversity to ensure that higher education in the state is truly inclusive and serves the needs of our increasingly diverse state.
Currently, New Jersey offers several programs that are geared towards college affordability, but current debt burdens indicate they are insufficient. In addition, the vast array of programs makes it difficult for students to know how to best access these programs and what would be most beneficial for their own financial situations.
High school counselors are important in helping with navigating this maze, but in New Jersey, like much of the nation, counselors are stretched thin. Specifically, in the 2018-19 school year, over 244,000 New Jersey students did not have access to a school counselor, and among schools that did have counseling staff, student-to-counselor ratios were higher than they should be, particularly in New Jersey’s highest poverty districts.
Without adequate guidance, students do not have the resources they need to adequately navigate the college application process and specifically, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). While New Jersey offers several options for financial aid support for families, students who want to take advantage of these opportunities must fill out either a FAFSA—the federal form which requires students to provide a Social Security Number—or the New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application (NJAFAA)—a state alternative to FAFSA for undocumented students who do not meet FAFSA eligibility requirements. Evidence suggests that students who complete a financial aid form are more likely to attend college. Furthermore, research shows that students from lower-income families and students of color have lower rates of FAFSA completion, which leads to inequitable access to financial aid and higher education.
New Jersey, like other states, recently passed P.L. 2023, c.295, legislation requiring students to complete financial aid applications.
However, New Jersey must do more to support students filling out financial aid applications, as merely requiring their completion will not address the underlying issues and challenges that students and families face in completing the form. While the FAFSA/NJAFAA completion law requires the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) and the New Jersey Department of Education to make resources—such as webinars, presentations, guidance documents and a list of available state and federal resources—available to school counselors to share with students and families, more can be done. A recent study found that while students and families in New Jersey took advantage of FAFSA completion supports available in their communities, they needed more targeted and individualized assistance. Furthermore, the study found that students and families needed access to understandable, accessible content about college planning—information in multiple languages and in modalities such as social media, so they could access it and share it with their communities in their own time.
While this new law and application supports are generally a positive step that has already opened doors for many students, important implementation concerns remain. Due to uncertainty around federal data privacy enforcement given the current federal administration’s mass layoffs of U.S. Department of Education employees with the highest total loss at the Federal Student Aid office—potentially compromising FAFSA functionality and customer support—New Jersey recently passed P.L.2025, c.95. This law adds protections to sensitive student data shared in college financial aid forms that could be potentially used by federal authorities to target immigrant students and families.
With the FAFSA/NJAFAA requirement in place, New Jersey now leads the nation with a FAFSA completion rate of 67 percent. However, these gains must be paired with stronger safeguards to protect student data, as well as better training for school counselors and educators on both data privacy and how to correctly guide students through the application process. Families are often told the requirement is to complete the FAFSA—not a financial aid application—even when they may not be eligible for FAFSA. To ensure the law is implemented with student protection at the forefront, the state should provide clear guidance through the state Department of Education (DOE), which oversees K-12 schools, and HESAA to ensure K-12 schools have the resources they need to support students responsibly.
While a variety of programs exist to support students with the costs of college, the state needs greater investments and a more streamlined approach to college accessibility and affordability. An incoming administration has a powerful opportunity to move New Jersey into an era of greater equity and affordability in higher education.
The following are key existing affordability programs in the state:
The New Jersey Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) is a need-based financial aid program, which goes to full-time undergraduate students enrolled in an approved degree or certificate program. One third of all full-time New Jersey residents attending undergraduate school in New Jersey are receiving support through TAG.
The New Jersey College Promise combines the Community College Opportunity Grant (CCOG) and the Garden State Guarantee (GSG). CCOG, launched in 2019 and later codified into law in February 2021, makes community colleges affordable for lower-income New Jerseyans. CCOG awards pay for the cost of tuition and approved educational fees for New Jersey residents who meet income eligibility requirements. Under the GSG, which launched in the fall of 2022, New Jersey residents who attend a New Jersey four-year public institution of higher education and meet income eligibility requirements can attend tuition-free during their third and fourth years of study. Students are automatically enrolled in the CCOG and GSG if they complete the FAFSA and meet eligibility requirements. In the 2022-2023 academic year, 15,099 students received CCOG awards and 15,072 students received GSG awards. To provide context, approximately 490,000 students were enrolled in New Jersey’s public, private and religious higher education institutions in the 2022-2023 school year—meaning only six percent of students enrolled in New Jersey institutions participated in the College Promise.
The New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) assists students from educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds by providing financial assistance and support services, including tutoring and counseling, to students attending higher education institutions in New Jersey. This program provides undergraduate grants from $200 to $3,050 annually, depending on the type of institution and financial need. While 42 New Jersey higher education institutions participate in EOF, the number of available spaces at each institution is limited; each campus program is responsible for recruitment, selection and program services, and may have different eligibility requirements or application processes.
The NJ STARS program offers free tuition to New Jersey residents at their home county college who rank in the top 15 percent of their class at the end of either junior or senior year of high school. Furthermore, NJ STARS recipients who earn an associate degree from a county college with a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher, have a family income less than $250,000, and meet all other program eligibility requirements may be eligible to receive an NJ STARS II award to transfer to a New Jersey TAG participating college or university to earn a baccalaureate degree.
The Governor’s Urban Scholarship (GUS) benefits students at the top five percent of their high school class in 33 municipalities.
In the pursuit of a more equitable and accessible higher education system, it is imperative to confront entrenched policies and financial barriers that perpetuate disparities in college enrollment, retention and graduation rates. As we navigate the complexities of reforming New Jersey’s higher education landscape, it is essential to critically assess existing programs and challenges and advocate for transformative measures that prioritize equity, affordability, inclusivity and student success. This section outlines a series of policy proposals aimed at dismantling obstacles to access, reducing student costs and fostering inclusion within our higher education institutions. In this moment, New Jersey can pave a path towards a more just and opportunity-rich educational landscape that reflects the diversity of the state.
The Institute’s proposals incorporate four broad approaches: 1) investing in New Jersey students; 2) strengthening support and awareness for students; 3) improving equity and inclusivity in admissions; and 4) smoothing pathways for students to increase graduation rates.
Because long-term state disinvestment in public higher education is a primary driver behind the escalating costs of college and the related rise in student debt, lawmakers must take proactive steps to—at a minimum—restore previous levels of funding. The state needs to ensure sufficient support to nurture high-quality, affordable and accessible public higher education. This entails increasing funding—specifically operating support—for public two- and four-year colleges, and prioritizing need-based aid programs over merit-based programs. Research shows that prioritizing need-based aid programs can boost college retention and graduation rates, rather than benefitting students who would have attended college without the aid. Moreover, crafting funding formulas that channel additional state funds towards colleges with the greatest need is essential for building capacity and fostering equity across institutions.
It is imperative to initiate reform by returning to pre-Great Recession funding levels. Restoring funding to the inflation-adjusted totals from 2008 will serve as a foundational step in alleviating heavy student loan burdens and dismantling financial barriers to entry, thus bolstering mobility.
Additionally, considering a funding level akin to that of the 1990s, during peak funding years, would dramatically improve college affordability, ending the trend of declining support. This higher level of investment should be the target of long-term funding goals.
Increasing state spending will necessitate concentrated efforts from both the Governor and Legislature to prioritize higher education in the budget.
New Jersey must continue to make investments to ensure its affordability programs are as robust as possible to ensure student success. New Jersey’s Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) boosts on-time bachelor’s degree completion rates at public universities, and is most effective for the lowest-income students at private universities, where it offers the largest grants and the greatest increase in financial aid.
In January 2020, Governor Murphy established the Tuition Aid Grant Study Commission, charged with identifying barriers to the success of the state’s TAG program. The Commission issued recommendations in October 2022, which included providing TAG awards to students in summer terms, giving larger grants to students with the most financial need, and increasing students’ maximum lifetime number of semesters of TAG awards. In April 2023, Governor Murphy signed P.L. 2023, c.34, authorizing HESAA to award Summer TAG awards to eligible students in a one-time pilot during summer of 2023 and 11,012 students participated. The pilot was funded for a second year, after which Governor Murphy signed P.L. 2023, c.286, codifying Summer TAG policies into law, subject to available funding. Unfortunately, Summer TAG was only partially funded for FY2025 and FY2026.
In future years, New Jersey should make fully funding Summer TAG a priority. Evidence shows that low- and moderate-income students receiving summer grants graduate earlier and ultimately earn higher wages. By increasing funding for programs such as TAG and addressing challenges with student access to TAG, New Jersey can invest in the future success of its residents.
New Jersey should pass A2870/S1545 to expand TAG to include part-time undergraduates, and consider other legislation to make TAG as robust as possible.
A study commissioned by the Rutgers University New Jersey State Policy Lab found that students and families often do not know how the CCOG and GSG programs connect and found the interaction of the programs confusing. More specifically, as GSG covers the final two years of a four-year degree, many families struggled to understand how it aligns with CCOG, which provides funds for the first two years at community college. Instead of the current fragmented approach of participating in CCOG and later transitioning to GSG, the state’s College Promise should establish clear pathways for New Jersey students who want to complete a two-year degree tuition-free, as well as for those who want to complete a four-year degree tuition-free.
These pathways would reduce confusion and allow students in high school who are applying to college to understand how to best utilize the state’s College Promise programs.
Transferring between programs can present challenges that may also affect graduation timelines, such as credit transfer issues. In fact, only 21 percent of New Jersey community college students transfer to four-year schools and complete a bachelor’s degree within six years. Although this is higher than the national average of 16 percent, it is far below the 80 percent who aspire to do so.
Additionally, while New Jersey ranks first in the country for bachelor’s degree attainment among community college students, it falls to 24th place for low-income students. More investments must be made to help low-income students and students of color reach their goals of attaining bachelor’s degrees.
A crucial first step is simplifying the CCOG and GSG pathways, ensuring that high school students opting for a four-year program can follow a clear path towards a four-year college degree. In fact, a few New Jersey institutions have created their own promise programs to link up with GSG—such as Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Rutgers University-Newark, William Patterson University and Stockton University. These programs provide eligible students with funding for the first and second years of a four-year degree, simplifying the path for students to receive a four-year college degree at one institution when combined with GSG. Expanding on and clarifying these options for students will be crucial for maximizing impact.
New Jersey should take the lead from other states—such as New Mexico and Arizona—which offer full-tuition assistance to lower-income students in four-year public institutions of higher education. New Jersey should also focus on improving funding for CCOG and GSG long-term and increasing the number of students and the income thresholds for these programs so more New Jersey students can qualify. Both programs should also be embedded with more dedicated support for students to increase rates of on-time graduation.
New Jersey should pass pending legislation to expand and improve upon the Community College Opportunity Grant Program by allowing adult students enrolled in postsecondary career and technical education programs to receive financial assistance (A2854/S2882), appropriating funds for this expansion (A2852/S2883), and also including career and technical education programs at county colleges and county vocational schools in the grant program (A2885/S698). These programs would be helpful in the near-term as plans for greater investments and the streamlining of CCOG and GSG are developed.
New Jersey should increase support services for high school students filling out financial aid forms including FAFSA and NJAFAA. This includes workshops, as well as targeted student and family support. Language access should also be a key component of any outreach. Some examples for support services include placing financial aid coaches in schools during after-school hours or summer months so that students and parents can access them easily for one-on-one support, as well as making videos, informational guides and FAQs available online. There should be a focus on the targeted sharing of information, and it should be done early and often.
The state should also invest in more funding for school counselors in high schools. Policymakers should consider creating partnerships through the HESAA, community-based organizations, high schools and higher education institutions in New Jersey with the goal of providing students and families with the support needed to fill out financial aid applications. In 2023, New Jersey students who did not fill out FAFSA missed out on approximately $103 million in federal Pell Grants. These are critical funds that New Jersey students could have used in their pursuit of higher education. New Jersey must make accessing existing federal and state programs easier and clearer for students. The financial aid application forms are a lever to unlock financial aid that can make higher education more affordable in New Jersey, but more work needs to be done to ensure that aid reaches all of the students who need access.
While ensuring college affordability is important, it must be paired with robust college access programming. Such initiatives are essential for aiding low-income students and students of color in preparing for and navigating the college application process. Investing in programs that offer tutoring, mentoring and assistance with college applications can significantly enhance accessibility to higher education.
One noteworthy example in New Jersey is Rutgers Future Scholars (RFS), which selects first-generation students from five host communities and supports them from middle school through high school with five years of pre-college programming including college readiness, mentoring and career exploration. Students who successfully complete the program, graduate high school and are accepted to Rutgers University receive a full-tuition scholarship. Since its founding, more than 3,500 scholars have participated, with a 98 percent high school graduation rate (compared to 79 percent in the partner districts), and an 81 percent college enrollment (compared to 56 percent in the partner districts). Additionally, RFS graduates have a 70 percent college graduation rate, compared to the national first-generation graduation rate of 42 percent. RFS has become a national model, with over six universities having already adopted their model.
Other initiatives such as Gear Up and Upward Bound aim to increase the preparedness and success of low-income students in post-secondary education. Expanding on these kinds of efforts, some states have established statewide college access networks. These networks consist of organizations dedicated to providing resources and support to students and families navigating the college admissions process. For instance, the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) works to bolster college enrollment and completion rates by offering information, resources and support to students and families. In New Jersey, the Greater Trenton College Access Network (TCAN) serves as a localized version of such a network. TCAN, a collaboration among community-based organizations, schools, universities and public institutions, aims to enhance college access and workforce development programming for underserved communities.
While college access programming exists in some New Jersey neighborhoods, New Jersey should establish a statewide network to ensure that all students and families, particularly those with the greatest need, have access to resources and support in navigating the college admissions process, including assistance with college applications, scholarships and financial aid.
In addition to increased funding and streamlining of programs, outreach regarding New Jersey’s College Promise program must be improved. In Institute conversations with recent high school graduates and college professors, several of them had never heard of New Jersey’s College Promise programs—specifically CCOG and GSG. A study commissioned by the Rutgers University New Jersey State Policy Lab in November 2022 revealed many higher education administrators found that people were not aware of the CCOG unless they were actively looking for this information, and even when they did know about it, they often did not understand how the grant works. Similarly, GSG is a newer option and the state has been relying on universities to promote the program.
Lawmakers must prioritize early outreach efforts to maximize awareness among students and families. It is essential to explore avenues for expanding outreach—aligning with the proposals above—including increased engagement with high school guidance counselors, community-based organizations, teacher education programs and public campaigns to ensure that students opting for higher education have information and access to affordable pathways. If students understand that they have the option to attend college for free, their aspirations and ideas about what is possible will grow.
In 2020, the city of West Sacramento, California automatically admitted every one of its graduating high school seniors to a local two-year college. Following suit, New York City announced a similar strategy in July 2023, extending automatic acceptance to community colleges for the state’s high school seniors. This proactive approach aims to bolster college enrollment, dismantle barriers and streamline the pathway to higher education for all students. While 13 states—a diverse group including California, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi and Texas—have implemented guaranteed admissions policies, each typically entails specific requirements, such as minimum grade-point averages or minimum standardized test scores. In fact, there is currently pending legislation in New Jersey to establish a program that would guarantee admission to public institutions of higher education for students who meet minimum academic merit requirements.
Automatic enrollment preserves individual choice while alleviating the burden of the application process and removing barriers to access. The college application process can be daunting and tedious, particularly for first-generation college students, immigrants or the children of parents who have limited English proficiency. Automatic enrollment eliminates these barriers, thereby addressing equity gaps for marginalized groups such as Black, Latina/o, lower-income and first-generation students.
As community colleges strive to engage students and rebuild enrollment after the pandemic, the adoption of automatic admission policies could prove instrumental. Establishing an automatic enrollment policy across New Jersey would significantly enhance accessibility and promote diversity.
Ending legacy and donor preferences for college admissions which disproportionately benefit white students from wealthy backgrounds, could lead to increased equity. Several colleges across the country have recently ended their policy of legacy preferences, while most Ivy League schools seem unwilling to do so following the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision on affirmative action. New Jersey’s own Princeton University has stated that it would continue its policy of considering legacy preferences.
A bi-partisan federal bill to end legacy and donor preferences was introduced in 2023 and several states have taken action to end these preferences. Colorado banned legacy preferences in admissions at public universities in 2021. In 2024, Virginia and Illinois followed suit, while also banning donor preferences. Maryland and California further extended the ban to private colleges. States like New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Minnesota have introduced similar bills. New York’s bill would penalize institutions that continued using legacy preferences by requiring them to pay a civil penalty equivalent to 10 percent of their tuition revenue—funds that would then be used to support the state’s tuition assistance awards to support low-income students. Massachusetts proposed a bill that would require any school that uses legacy or donor preferences to pay a “public service fee” equal to a small percentage of its endowment, which would generate significant funds for community colleges. At Harvard, this fee would amount to a hundred million dollars per year.
New Jersey’s legislature should pass S3370 to prohibit institutions of higher education from giving preferential consideration for admission to legacy students. This bill should be amended to additionally prohibit donor admissions as well as adopt an enforcement mechanism similar to New York’s or Massachusetts’s proposal.
Institutions of higher education, specifically selective public and private institutions, admit students of color at significantly lower rates than their share of the college-age population, despite the qualifications and talents of these applicants. It is imperative and most importantly—still legal—for institutions of higher education to advance diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Institutions of higher education may still consider factors such as a student’s discussion of how race affected their life in admissions essays, whether an applicant is the first in their family to attend college, or whether an applicant comes from a socioeconomically disadvantaged background. Courts have upheld numerous programs that promote equal opportunity for all students, such as the removal of standardized testing. It is important to note that the “Dear Colleague” letter sent from the Office for Civil Rights of the Department Education to educational institutions threatening to terminate federal funding if they continue their DEI programs and policies cannot create or change the law—only courts and Congress can do this.
In 2023, the Biden administration issued guidance to help colleges and universities understand the Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College as they continue to pursue campuses that are inclusive and racially diverse. This guidance is still relevant, and includes suggestions such as: redoubling efforts to recruit and retain talented students from underserved communities; fostering a sense of belonging for students currently enrolled; providing students with need-based financial support to allow them to enroll and thrive; partnering with school districts in underserved communities to support improved access to high quality advanced courses; investing time and resources into programs that identify and nurture students’ potential; enrolling, supporting and graduating students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are attending or have graduated from community college; and reviewing admissions policies to consider the ways that a student’s background, including experiences linked to their race, have shaped their lives. New Jersey’s institutions of higher education should similarly implement policies to attract, enroll, retain and support diverse student bodies, while working within the confines of the Supreme Court decision.
At a time when our country’s institutions of education are under attack, institutions must not preemptively comply to political pressures before any official change in laws. Anticipatory obedience could undermine core academic principles and the autonomy of higher education institutions. This is not the time for complacency. It is the time to uphold the foundational values of academia, including a commitment to racial equity, diverse learning environments and equitable access to resources and opportunities throughout the education system.
Dual enrollment programs, in which high schools partner with an institution of higher education to offer coursework that can be applied towards both high school and postsecondary degrees, provide a valuable opportunity for students to gain ground in meeting college and career goals. When offered at a reduced cost, high school students can earn credits and get a head start on their postsecondary education without accruing student debt. Studies show dual enrollment students are more likely to meet college readiness benchmarks; more likely to enter college; less likely to require remedial English or math; earn higher first-year grade point averages; have higher college completion rates; and have shorter average time to bachelor’s degree completion.
New Jersey’s 2022 Dual Enrollment Study Commission Report highlights significant disparities in access to dual enrollment opportunities based on race, income and disability status. During the 2020-2021 school year, 18.9 percent of white high school students took at least one dual enrollment course—more than double the rate for Black students (8.2 percent) and nearly twice the rate for Latina/o students (9.8 percent). Among economically disadvantaged students, only 9.3 percent enrolled in a dual enrollment course, and the rate was even lower—just 5.5 percent—for students with disabilities.
While the rates of New Jersey high school students enrolled in dual enrollment courses has increased since the 2016-2017 school year, the Dual Enrollment Study Commission Report recommended that New Jersey implement an innovative pilot program which would allow for the immediate expansion of dual enrollment opportunities, particularly for low-income students. In January 2024, New Jersey announced a $500,000 grant for a state dual enrollment pilot program. However, this program is limited, as only two New Jersey community colleges were selected to participate. The Commission also recommended allowing for program flexibility in dual enrollment, ensuring state-level support, and providing wrap-around supports for students. New Jersey should implement these recommendations and provide funding for the expansion of dual enrollment programs at all New Jersey community colleges with low-income students able to enroll free of charge.
As part of this effort, New Jersey should pass pending legislation to improve dual enrollment opportunities, as these bills are common sense changes that can go a long way in supporting students in meeting their college goals. The legislature should pass A1073, which requires certain school districts to enter into dual enrollment agreements with one or more institutions of higher education. It should also pass A2899/S144, the New Jersey College Ready Students Program Act, which would provide tuition-free dual enrollment opportunities at county college for low-income high school students.
Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) classes are college-level courses with exams that are offered to students—typically juniors and seniors—in high school. These courses allow students to gain experience with college-level work, earn college credits before starting college, and in the long run, save money and potentially graduate early. In New Jersey, access to AP and IB classes reveal a stark racial divide. Only 19 percent of Black and 23 percent of Latina/o juniors and seniors took at least one AP or IB class, compared to 41 percent of white and 68 percent of Asian students. The racial divide is more prominent in more segregated parts of the state—such as Essex County—where affluent, mostly white Livingston saw 76 percent of upperclassman in advanced courses, while Irvington, which is predominantly Black and Latina/o with higher rates of poverty, was at just 12 percent. Overall, Black students are four times more likely than their white peers to be in New Jersey schools offering three or fewer AP classes and white students are twice as likely as their Black peers to be in schools offering 18 or more AP classes. More must be done to improve access to AP and IB classes for Black and Latina/o students across the state including legislation, similar to other states, to support the expansion of advanced courses in high schools.
In 2007, New Jersey passed a law mandating a seamless transfer of academic credits from associate degree programs to baccalaureate programs at public institutions of higher education. This law required two-year and four-year institutions to negotiate a Statewide Transfer Agreement, which was negotiated and implemented in 2008. Currently, about 91 percent of students who transferred from a New Jersey community college to a four-year public college or university with an A.A. or A.S. degree had all of their credits accepted by the receiving public institution. Since the Statewide Transfer Agreement has not been updated since 2008, and several legislative, policy and institutional changes have occurred since then, it is worthwhile to revisit and refresh the transfer processes to meet current needs. Credits should seamlessly transfer between institutions to reduce financial burdens for students, avoid redundancy, ensure timely graduation, and promote efficiency and flexibility.
New Jersey should pass A4220/S3178, which replaces the Statewide Transfer Agreement with updated standards for credit transfer that will apply to all public institutions of higher education and establishes a New Jersey Transfer Ombudsperson to oversee compliance and resolve credit transfer disputes.