The University of Iowa is proud to be part of a national alliance of leading colleges and universities that a new report shows is on track to enroll 50,000 more lower-income students by 2025. The findings underscore the importance of the American Talent Initiative’s (ATI) collaborative push to expand opportunity and socioeconomic diversity across the country.

From the 2015–16 school year to the 2017–18 school year, U.S. colleges and universities with graduation rates of 70% or higher—the UI among them—added 20,696 students who qualify for Pell grants. That number represents more than 40% of ATI’s 2025 goal. While ATI measures the collective progress of all high graduation-rate institutions, those that have joined ATI have contributed disproportionately to this increase.

“We are committed to supporting all students who come to the University of Iowa, and our participation in the American Talent Initiative aligns with that goal by focusing on connecting our Pell-eligible students with supportive environments as soon as possible,” says UI President Bruce Harreld. “The Rural Scholars program and the Iowa GROW initiative are examples of our priority to ensure our students are connected with ‘relationship-rich’ environments throughout their time at Iowa.”

ATI, which is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies and managed by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program and Ithaka S+R, has grown from 30 founding members in 2016 to 128 by the end of 2019 and includes flagship state universities, prominent liberal arts colleges, and every member of the Ivy League. Last year, 19 additional colleges and universities joined ATI, which now has 37 public and 91 private institutions. The UI has been an ATI member since 2018. The initiative also is funded by the Gray Foundation and the Jeffrey H. and Shari L. Aronson Family Foundation.  

“We are excited to see colleges and universities significantly increasing access to all qualified students—no matter their family’s income,” says Jenny Sharfstein Kane, who leads the College Access and Success work at Bloomberg Philanthropies. “What’s more, we are learning the most effective strategies for opening these doors of opportunity. We salute the schools that are leading the way through aggressive, comprehensive approaches and will continue to push for even more progress ahead.” 

Data for the 2018–19 school year are not yet publicly available for all high graduation-rate colleges and universities, and data collected from 120 ATI member institutions indicate that continued progress toward the goal is not guaranteed. While the majority of ATI schools increased Pell enrollment between the 2017–18 and 2018–19 school years, that was offset by declines at other institutions. Overall, Pell enrollment at ATI schools stayed virtually the same over the year.

“The first two years of the Initiative demonstrate what is possible when colleges and universities make a concrete commitment to expand access,” says Daniel R. Porterfield, president and CEO of the Aspen Institute and former president of Franklin & Marshall College, a founding ATI member. “Indications of a leveling off in the most recent year should serve as a call to action to sustain that commitment and to not lose sight of why this work is important to our institutions and our country.”  

While the new data show a leveling off of aggregate progress, ATI leaders are optimistic that members will intensify their commitment to expanding opportunity.

“The ATI mission remains important because the nation needs talent from all backgrounds to thrive,” says Catharine Bond Hill, managing director at Ithaka S+R, which authored the report. “We are excited to share what we’ve learned from the colleges and universities featured in this year’s report, and we look forward to sharing new insights as schools incorporate more of these proven strategies.”