College Access: Research & Action (CARA)

CARA ensures that first-generation college students, low-income students, and students of color have the knowledge and support necessary to enroll in and persist through postsecondary education. While public school students need opportunities to learn about college and career pathways, most public high schools and institutions of higher education are not structured to provide this assistance. CARA’s programs and policy research address these inequities by putting young people at the forefront of this work. We partner with high schools, community-based organizations, and higher education institutions to transform access and success guidance from an ‘enrichment for some’ to an ‘entitlement for all’. We do this through two primary focus areas: - Institutional Capacity Building: We build the capacity of high schools, colleges, school districts, and nonprofit partners through both our whole school and peer-to-peer models. - Policy Research: We conduct original research on post-secondary access & success, with a focus on policies for institutional change and peer-to-peer advising.