Equity innovations guide

The Equity Innovations Guide highlights programs and pilots that expand access to higher education. It focuses on efforts supporting low- and middle-income students, as well as first-generation students. It emphasizes the need to close equity gaps in admissions, where students from wealthier communities remain overrepresented, despite growth in applicants from diverse backgrounds.

The guide traces this work back to a long tradition of using innovation to expand access, dating back to the original shared application form introduced in 1975. It also connects to a bold new goal: by 2030, to increase the number of applicants from low- and middle-income backgrounds by 650,000. This focus reflects a broader commitment to rethinking the systems and barriers that make college less accessible for many students.

Through case studies and examples, the guide highlights how member institutions, schools, and partner organizations are testing new approaches. These pilots demonstrate how targeted collaboration and innovative practices can help reshape the admissions landscape, creating a more straightforward and equitable path to higher education.