Higher education has become central to conversations about diversity, debt, hiring and the workforce. This year, colleges can expect a flurry of state bills and executive orders that will address these topics and potentially reshape how the sector does business.
That spans from policies aiming to boost college attainment to calls to restrict diversity, equity and inclusion efforts on college campuses. While some of these moves have traditionally targeted public colleges, political influence in higher education is spreading, and leaders from private institutions now say they are facing similar external pressures.
Below, we're rounding up three state policy trends that colleges will be grappling with in 2024.
Attacks on DEI in higher ed
In 2023, Florida and Texas banned DEI efforts at public colleges entirely. Lawmakers who supported those policies are part of a conservative-led movement that assert DEI programs have grown beyond their original scope and cause division among students and employees.
This year, colleges nationwide can expect to see continued political attacks against their DEI programs.
Utah lawmakers, for instance, recently passed one of the most wide-ranging bans against DEI at public colleges in the country. The bill is now awaiting Republican Gov. Spencer Cox’s signature.
Meanwhile, the Kentucky Legislature is weighing at least two proposals that would dramatically reshape the state's DEI landscape.
One would ban almost all public college DEI programs and prohibit colleges from having scholarship eligibility based on sex or race.
A second bill would forbid public colleges from promoting so-called “divisive concepts” in mandatory training. Examples of such topics include that anyone of a specific race or sex is inherently privileged or that the state of Kentucky is fundamentally racist or sexist.
The bills each have support from Republican leaders in their respective chambers. If they widely draw support from conservative lawmakers, they stand a good chance of becoming law — the statehouse’s Republicans carry a veto-proof majority over Kentucky's Democratic governor.
Many policies leave wiggle room for DEI required by federal law or accreditation standards. But they often feature broad language that can leave college employees unsure of what they can and can’t do under the law.
In Oklahoma, for instance, Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt ordered public colleges to review all DEI programs and jobs and eliminate those not necessary for accreditation and compliance. Institutions are expected to report back to the Legislature on their findings by May.
But the three-page executive order left college leaders in the state with radically different interpretations. While Oklahoma State University said it would require no significant changes upon an initial review, the University of Oklahoma said the order was forcing it to cut all of its diversity offices. Civil rights groups pushed back against the University of Oklahoma’s interpretation and urged the institution to preserve its DEI programs.
Meanwhile, some college leaders have attempted to stay ahead of potential legislative changes. For example, the University of Texas System paused the creation of new DEI policies four months before the state banned such programs entirely.
FAFSA graduation requirements
At least two states — Nebraska and Oklahoma — will begin requiring high school seniors to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid in the 2024-25 school year.
In total, roughly a dozen states have made the form a graduation requirement, beginning with Louisiana in the 2017-18 school year. Last year, Louisiana’s high school seniors had one of the highest FAFSA completion rates by the end of June, 67.3% compared to a little over half of students nationwide.
Advocates for FAFSA mandates say the requirement helps high school students — even those who don’t intend on going to college — know what financial aid options are available. Research has shown that filling out the form is a strong indicator of whether a student enrolls in postsecondary education.
Already this year, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced she will push for legislation requiring high school seniors to complete the FAFSA or apply for state-administered scholarships through the New York State Dream Act application.
In Pennsylvania, a similar proposal passed the state Senate and is awaiting a vote in the House. Just over half of the state's 12th graders completed the FAFSA last year by early June.
Leaders from Pennsylvania's public college systems voiced support for the bill last year, with Daniel Greenstein, chancellor of Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, saying the state was leaving money on the table.
Data from the National College Attainment Network backs up that claim. The nonprofit found that the high school students graduating in 2022 missed out on roughly $3.6 billion in Pell Grants because they did not fill out the FAFSA.
The increased attention to the FAFSA comes amid the U.S. Department of Education's release of its simplified version.
The previous version of the FAFSA was infamously difficult to complete, requiring over 100 questions. The new form could take less than 10 minutes and requires students to answer as few as 18 questions, according to the Education Department.
But technical glitches hindered the initial rollout, which came three months later than usual.
A higher FAFSA completion rate could also change how states spend and distribute local grants, as they often rely on federal financial aid data when doling out those awards, according to research from the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association. The new FAFSA is expected to increase the number of students eligible for Pell Grants, and it could strain state budgets if combined with more students filling out the form.
Rollback of degree requirements for state jobs
In 2023, a wave of states rescinded rules requiring government job candidates to have four-year college degrees.
Maryland kicked off the movement the year prior, when then-Gov. Larry Hogan dropped four-year degree requirements from thousands of state jobs. The Republican billed the "first in the nation" move as a way of recruiting qualified candidates who had alternative examples of experience, such as apprenticeships and boot camps.
The trend has picked up momentum since and is expected to continue in a tight labor market. State leaders often cite the need for a wider talent pool, and some, like Utah's Republican governor, have railed against the prioritization of degrees in the hiring process.
Last year, several states — including Minnesota, Virginia and Pennsylvania — also dropped degree requirements for most state jobs. In total, at least 16 states have dropped degree requirements as of October.
The changes came as Americans are increasingly skeptical about the value of a college degree. The dual influences could steer young people away from higher education as the sector braces for a decline in traditional-age students.
