Action Network » Policy

Since the Great Recession, public funding for higher education and the humanities has been slashed at the local, state and federal levels. Even as the economy improves, most states are still spending less per student than they did before 2008. The current administration in Washington not only aims to defund national arts, humanities, and international education programs, but also wants to repeal rules that guarantee free access to information online and financial protections for students. These policy proposals are dangerous. Defending access to education is essential for the health of our communities and our children’s future.

90%

State Funding Down

45 of 50 states spend less per college student than before the recession.[1]

63%

Historically Low Support

Funding for the NEH has been cut more than 63% since 1979.[2]

0.02%

Senseless Cuts

The cultural organizations on the chopping block make up just .02% of the federal budget.[3]

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Court Sets Narrow Standard in Application of Title lX

Decision could minimize colleges’ and universities’ responsibility for victims of sexual misconduct.

Harvard University’s Use of Affirmative Action Upheld

Judge says admissions policy helped achieve a level of diversity that wouldn't have been possible otherwise.

Four Debates and No Questions About K–12 Education

We’ve had four Democratic debates and not one question has covered K–12 education, despite its importance to American society.

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Court Sets Narrow Standard in Application of Title lX

Decision could minimize colleges’ and universities’ responsibility for victims of sexual misconduct.

Concern Over Decline in National Reading Scores

On nation's report card, two out of three children did not meet the standards for reading proficiency.

Border Studies: Beyond the Boundaries of a Single Discipline

13 Nov 2019

In our increasingly interconnected world, the symbolic and material effects of borders and bordering have generated growing interest from scholars across the humanities and social sciences, leading to the emergence, in the last few decades, of border studies as a major field of pedagogy. The burgeoning field of border studies encompasses a broad range of...

Who Are Today’s College Students? The Marginalized Majority

04 Nov 2019

Given the depiction of the American college experience in television, movies, and the nightly news, you might think typical high school seniors spend months visiting prospective colleges; writing and rewriting admissions essays; practicing, taking, and retaking standardized tests; and nervously waiting to see if they have been admitted to one or more of the top...