Students are the most important stakeholders in public-policy debates about higher education. And yet, they are often excluded from policy discussions that impact them directly. Students struggle to mobilize their collective strength to counteract the institutional interests that do not always share their priorities.

While students have historically been able to mobilize on issues such as financial aid and student debt, it is important to expand student voice to other issues that affect higher education. A strong student voice would be an important addition to discussions about issues that impact cost and quality including: online education, work-study, competency-based assessments, and many other issues that “hit a nerve” with students.

Today, the Center for American Progress releases our first issue brief that looks at student voice and how to improve it. Please join us to explore policies that can help students contribute to making policy discussions more practical and effective.