The higher education landscape is facing a crisis of perception. While public trust in colleges and universities is rising, the narrative often portrayed in the media bears little resemblance to the reality of students’ lives. This disconnect has real consequences, fueling the perception that higher education is elitist and out of touch. It’s time to reframe the narrative to better reflect the diverse institutions and students that make up the majority of the higher education landscape.
Community colleges, which enroll nearly half of all undergraduates, are rarely featured in mainstream narratives. Low-cost state colleges and universities serve many more students, yet their contributions are often overlooked. This mismatch between perception and reality has led to a skewed view of higher education, hiding the work of the colleges that educate millions of working- and middle-class families. It’s crucial to highlight these institutions and their students to build a more accurate and productive national conversation.
The current demographic shift in higher education is another critical issue. With the number of high school graduates projected to decline, colleges are facing a demographic cliff. Today’s learners are older, working, parenting, or returning to school later in life. First-generation students are becoming more common, balancing multiple obligations while pursuing a credential. However, the public’s image of college remains stuck in the past, with full-time students living on leafy campuses, unencumbered by outside responsibilities. This disconnect between the current student experience and the public’s perception is a significant challenge.
Policy debates and headlines have often fallen short of addressing the concerns of most students. Controversies at selective institutions attract attention, but they have little to do with the everyday challenges students face. The most pressing questions for the vast majority of learners revolve around affordability, childcare, credit transfer, and employment opportunities. These issues receive far less attention in the media.
While some changes have been made in higher education policy to reflect the complex experiences of today’s students, they don’t fully address the key challenges in supporting economic mobility. Efforts like the expansion of Workforce Pell Grants and the federal ‘5250’ tax benefit are important steps, but funding alone isn’t comprehensive enough. Policymakers need to ensure that access to workforce training translates into real outcomes, not just low-quality training options with untrusted credentials. A federal data system that captures the diverse realities of today’s students is long overdue.
Congress members’ backgrounds, shaped by selective universities, can also contribute to the disconnect. Pop culture, with its portrayal of pristine campuses and idealized lecture halls, further influences the nation’s perception of higher education. To rectify this, Complete College America launched the Complete College Photo Library, a collection of images reflecting the diverse realities of students in workforce training and balancing life. This effort aims to shift the visual narrative and help the public understand the connection between institutional activities and outcomes.
New models of the collegiate experience are also reshaping the narrative. Online community colleges and alternative STEM education programs, like Campus and Marcy Lab School, offer innovative pathways for students. These innovations remind us that the true value of higher education lies in providing opportunities to millions of students, most of whom are raising children, working, serving in the military, or managing multiple bills. It’s about essential skills for stable careers, dual enrollment programs, and prison education initiatives that give people dignity and a chance to succeed.
In conclusion, policymakers and the media must expand the frame to feature real students and their diverse experiences. The higher education landscape should be a big, beautiful, and sometimes messy public square that belongs to us all, not an ideological crusade or a gated enclave for the few. This reframing is essential for the future of higher education, ensuring that the narrative accurately reflects the needs and realities of the millions of students it serves.