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Publications & Research
Partnering for Impact: Propelling the Movement for an Equitable Higher Education System
In 2020, College Futures Foundation launched a Policy and Advocacy Ecosystem (Policy Ecosystem) strategy intended to strengthen an ecosystem of grantee organizations working to improve equity in California’s higher education system and foster valuable connections among these organizations. Over the course of four years, the Policy Ecosystem brought 15 nonprofit organizations together to cultivate interactions, Read more >
Publications & Research
Collaboration, Not Competition: Shifting Philanthropic Approaches to Movement Building for Equity
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing inequities and brought about monumental new challenges for California’s students and educational institutions. In May 2020, College Futures Foundation virtually convened a group of nine grantee organizations seeking space to make sense of the pandemic’s early impact on postsecondary students and systems. Over the following months, as the pandemic deepened inequities in students’ lives and reinforced the need for responsive policy intervention, the Foundation reconsidered how its state policy-focused grantmaking strategy could serve as a vehicle to support movement-building in higher education in California. Read more >
News & Commentary
Eloy Ortiz Oakley on the Proposed 2024-25 California Budget
“The $38 billion dollar [deficit] is a big number and it will have an impact. However, the Governor talks about this shortfall in terms of a correction, a normalization of historic surpluses we’ve experienced over the last several years and one that his administration anticipated. So I’d go on to say that our public and Read more >
Vlogcast/Podcast
Episode SevenThe What and Why of Governor Newsom’s Career Education Executive Order
With the Newsom Administration in its final term, it’s time for all of us to come together and reengineer inherited education systems that were not built for our students and families to succeed, says Ben Chida, the governor’s senior advisor for Cradle to Career. Chida stopped by Opportunity Forum with College Futures to discuss Governor Newsom’s latest executive order on career education and his plan to leverage billions of dollars in investments to prepare learners for the workforce of tomorrow. Eloy Ortiz Oakley, president & CEO of College Futures Foundation, hosts.
This episode was recorded on October 18, 2023. Read more >
Spotlights
T.E.A. with College Futures featuring Sarah Pauter
Welcome to T.E.A. with College Futures, a monthly feature dedicated to Talking Equity in Action with grantees, partners, and College Futures Foundation staff. Each month, we’ll highlight efforts addressing inequities in and around higher education and related to socio-economic mobility, and seek learnings and inspirations directly from changemakers. John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY) Satisfactory Read more >
Vlogcast/Podcast
Episode SixCourageously Advancing Racial Equity Post-SCOTUS
How does the work to advance racial equity continue after the latest SCOTUS rulings on race-conscious admissions? Host Eloy Ortiz Oakley discusses lessons learned under Prop 209, today’s legal climate, and opportunities for higher education leaders and advocates with Thuy Thi Nguyen, partner at Garcia Hernández Sawhney, and Jessie Ryan, executive vice president at The Campaign for College Opportunity. Read more >
News & Commentary
On Student Loan Debt Relief Decision
The Supreme Court of the United States ruled to block the student loan debt forgiveness program created by the Biden-Harris administration. This decision comes to us in an especially heightened moment. Students across the nation are overwhelmed by the total cost of attending college amid rising costs of living and speaking honestly about its growing Read more >
News & Commentary
SCOTUS Overturns Affirmative Action. Our Work Is Not Done.
On June 29, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned affirmative action. This ruling, though anticipated by many, is especially poignant less than two weeks after Juneteenth — an opportunity for our whole country to celebrate, honor, and uplift Black communities in the past and present, and to remember and discuss our nation’s complex Read more >
News & Commentary
Data Justice and Action is Long Overdue for AANHPI Students
In order to fulfill the vision of a California where postsecondary education advances racial, social, and economic equity, unlocking upward mobility now and for generations to come, we must deeply understand who our learners are, and what their experiences and needs might be on the path to achieving their educational goals. Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Read more >