Hironao Okahana, Associate Vice President, Research & Policy Analysis, Council of Graduate Schools

The latest national data suggest that increasingly more former Pell recipients—thus, students from low-income backgrounds—are pursuing graduate and professional programs. However, the data also suggest that many of them begin their advanced education with sizeable undergraduate debt and continue to rely on student loans to finance their education. Graduate schools should proactively help these students make informed financial aid decisions and manage and reduce their borrowing and debt.

Introduction

The sociodemographic diversity of the graduate student body has evolved over time. Though still disproportionally underrepresented, we reported in the CGS/GRE Survey of Graduate Enrollment & Degrees that first-time enrollment of traditionally underserved students of color continues to grow. Graduate schools continue to make efforts to ensure a more diverse and inclusive student body through a number of initiatives. Another indicator of sociodemographic diversity in higher education is the Pell ratio, that is, the proportion of the student body who receives Pell Grants. This indicator is commonly used to assess sociodemographic diversity of undergraduates since the Pell Grant has income requirements and is specifically targeted to low-income students. Because graduate students are not eligible for Pell Grants, typically we do not closely observe this figure. Nevertheless, looking at proportions of former Pell recipients among graduate students can offer additional insight into the accessibility of graduate education for those from low-income backgrounds.

In May 2018, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released the PowerStats version of the 2015-16 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:16). PowerStats is an online tool that allows researchers to generate data tables and some analyses using various NCES sample surveys, including NPSAS. NPSAS is a nationally representative sample study of financial support for all students at U.S. institutions of higher education. NCES conducts this study every three to four years, and the most recent one, NPSAS:16, captures one of the most comprehensive looks at how undergraduate and graduate students were financially supported during the Academic Year 2015-16. As points of comparison, I also looked at two earlier cohorts: NPSAS:08 and NPSAS:12, which respectively offer snapshots of students in Academic Years 2007-08 and 2011-12.

More Former Pell Recipients at Graduate and Professional Schools

Table 1 summarizes the percentage shares of former Pell recipients among first-year graduate and professional students by selected degree programs. According to NPSAS:16, 45.8% of first-year graduate and professional students received Pell Grants at some point. This is an increase from a little under one-third (32.5%) for the NPSAS:08 cohort and 35.9% for the NPSAS:12 cohort. In all types of graduate and professional programs, the shares for former Pell recipients among first-year students increased when compared to NPSAS:08 and NPSAS:16 cohorts. The shares of former Pell recipients among first-year students in the NPSAS:16 cohort were particularly high in master of public administration or policy (64.2%), master of social work (63.3%), and master of education or teaching (54.5%) programs. Of the first-year students in doctor of philosophy and doctoral degree – professional practice (e.g., MD, JD, DDS, etc.) programs, 41.7% and 39.8%, respectively, were former Pell recipients in the NPSAS:16 cohort. These changes are encouraging signs that the increasing number of students from low-income backgrounds are moving beyond baccalaureate education and pursuing graduate and professional degrees.

Former Pell Recipients Are More Likely to Take out Student Loans

However, the data, which are summarized in Table 2, also suggest that these former Pell recipients among first-year graduate and professional students come with greater financial needs for their advanced education than their counterparts. Among the first-year students in the NPSAS:16 cohort enrolled in various graduate and professional programs, 69.7% of former Pell recipients took out student loans during the 2015-16 academic year. 37.6% of students who never received Pell Grant borrowed toward their advanced education in the same year. The discrepancy was the largest for first-year students in Master of Arts (MA) degree programs. Nearly three-fourths (73%) of former Pell recipients among those MA students took out student loans during the 2015-16 academic year, while only 29.3% of non-former Pell recipients did the same. The median amount borrowed by former Pell recipients who were first-year students in MA degree programs was $18,444, while the median amount borrowed by their counterparts without Pell Grant debt was $13,195. The difference in amount borrowed between former Pell recipients and non-recipients was the smallest among first-year students in doctoral degree – professional practice (e.g., MD, JD, DDS, etc.) programs. Among those who were pursuing doctoral degrees – professional practice, the median amount borrowed by former Pell recipients was $39,106 while the median amount borrowed by non-former Pell recipients was $35,000.

Bigger “Baggage” of Former Pell Recipients

Even before borrowing for their advanced education, as summarized in Table 3, these former Pell recipients arrive at graduate and professional schools with larger amounts of undergraduate debt. More than three quarters (77.2%) of first-year master’s students who formerly received Pell Grants carried outstanding balances from their undergraduate loans, with the median amount of $28,131. This is compared to only 31.2% of their counterparts who never received Pell Grants carrying outstanding balances for their undergraduate debt. Furthermore, the median amount still owed for the latter group was substantially smaller at $18,964. Median amounts still owed on undergraduate debts exceeded $30,000 for first-year students in master of social work ($33,658), master of business administration ($33,352), master of arts ($31,584), and doctor of philosophy ($30,228) programs. Students can defer repayment of their federal student loans while pursuing advanced degrees; however, unsubsidized portions of loans still accrue interest during deferment. The debts former Pell recipients carry over from their undergraduate education, compounded by potential unmet financial needs toward their graduate and professional education, could prevent them from fully realizing the upward social mobility often associated with attaining advanced degrees.

Discussion

An increasing number of former Pell recipients entering graduate and professional programs is a welcome sign. However, it is clear many of these students arrive to graduate school with sizeable undergraduate debt. At the federal-level, the vast majority of financial aid for graduate and professional students comes in the form of loans. Absent federal need-based grants for graduate and professional students that mirror the Pell Grant program for undergraduates, it is no surprise that former Pell recipients are more likely to borrow for their advanced education. Simply limiting the ability of graduate and professional students to borrow would take away one of few aid options for students with the most financial need. What we should encourage, instead, is more informed decisions.

Graduate students need to be aware of how their undergraduate and graduate debts interact with one another, and how to manage both while in school and upon completing their degrees. Thus, CGS advocates at the federal-level for establishing procedures that support master’s and doctoral students in making informed financial aid decisions to reduce their borrowing and debt. Graduate schools, too, can play a role in preparing students to actively manage their personal finances and make informed decisions about saving, spending, and borrowing.

However, debt management alone can only go so far in ensuring access and affordability of graduate education for students from low-income backgrounds. Thus, CGS advocates for extending Pell eligibility to those graduate students who remain income eligible and did not exhaust 12 semesters of Pell while pursuing their undergraduate education. In the NPSAS:16 cohort, only 6.5% of domestic graduate students have received Pell Grants for six years or more. What we advocate would allow the 34.6% who did not use all 12 semesters of Pell Grants to apply their remaining semesters toward their graduate education, as long as they also remain income eligible. This is one way to alleviate their borrowing toward graduate education, thus reducing overall education debts.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

CONTACT: Katherine Hazelrigg / khazelrigg@cgs.nche.edu / 202.461.3888

Washington, DC— Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) President Suzanne Ortega released the following statement on reversal of guidance that aims to promote diversity:

“Diversity is critical to the quality of U.S. graduate programs. Our programs must be able to prepare master’s and doctoral students to work in diverse teams, to understand the impact of research and practice on different U.S. communities, and to consider our nation’s greatest challenges from different perspectives. In light of these needs, the Council of Graduate Schools supports the ability of graduate programs to consider race as one factor in admission decisions. CGS data show modest growth in first-time enrollments for underrepresented minority groups— a trend that must be allowed to flourish. Given these factors, the recent announcement by the Trump Administration to rescind guidance to colleges and universities to promote diversity within the bounds of the law would limit, rather than advance, the quality of U.S. graduate education.”

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For more information about holistic admissions and graduate education, view CGS’s Holistic Review in Graduate Admissions report. Visit Graduate Enrollment and Degrees: 2005-2015 to view trends in admissions.

As a doctoral student in biomedical engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Arezoo Movaghar’s research spans multiple disciplines. Her master’s degree in computer science and artificial intelligence combined with her interest in medicine has led her to a unique research project with UW-Madison faculty in biomedical engineering, social work, biostatistics and medical informatics, and communication sciences and disorders, all affiliated with the Waisman Center. Their goal was to help identify people who carry a particular gene premutation that correlates to a higher risk for neurodegenerative disorders, infertility, and having a child with a disability; they wanted to achieve this in an “easier, more-cost effective way.”

Rather than reliance on traditional genetic testing to identify a gene premutation, Movaghar used her experience in artificial intelligence. “By using machine learning we were able to develop a method to identify premutation carriers – based on just five minutes of speech – with high accuracy,” Movaghar said. It turns out that carriers of this particular gene premutation (fragile X) have increased speech impairment. By using a computer to analyze speech patterns from a recording, researchers can identify those most likely to carry the premutation. Genetic testing is still necessary for confirmation, but beginning with speech analysis will reduce the number tests.

The research team plans to develop a mobile app to streamline data collection and remove barriers. “Incorporating mobile devices into the research provides exciting opportunities,” Movaghar said. “We can scale up our research beyond geographical boundaries, track and monitor participants, and optimize the use of clinical resources.” To learn more about Arezoo’s work visit the University of Wisconsin-Madison website.

Visit the GradImpact Feature Gallery to learn more about the amazing, innovative research being done by graduate students and alumni across the world.

Photo Credit: UW-Madison

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Katherine Hazelrigg   (202) 461-3888/ khazelrigg@cgs.nche.edu

Washington, DC – The Council of Graduate Schools today announced that four federally-recognized Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) will join an existing coalition that are working to gather and use data about the careers of PhD students and alumni. A grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF grant #1661272) has been supporting data collection about PhD careers in STEM fields.

The universities selected to receive awards to participate as funded project partners are:

• Howard University
• North Carolina A&T State University
• University of Arizona
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas

In addition to the 33 universities participating in the project as grant recipients, 31 additional institutions are participating in the project as affiliate partners.

Over the course of the multi-year project, universities will collect data from current PhD students and alumni with surveys that were developed by CGS in consultation with senior university leaders, funding agencies, disciplinary societies, researchers, and PhD students and alumni. The resulting data will allow universities to analyze PhD career preferences and outcomes at the program level and help faculty and university leaders strengthen career services, professional development opportunities, and mentoring in doctoral programs.

“We are thrilled to include four doctoral-granting, MSIs to our PhD Career Pathways project. We know that PhD students aspire to a wide variety of careers, including academic research and teaching,” said CGS President Suzanne Ortega. “We need to gain a better understanding of what the career pathways for our alumni look like. Our university partners are leading the way for the entire community of doctoral institutions.”

Universities from across the country will be able to compare their data on PhD career preferences and outcomes with CGS’s national dataset. Universities will also be able to use the data to communicate the career trajectories of PhD alumni to current and prospective students, helping them to make more informed selections of PhD programs. By analyzing the processes of survey administration, CGS will identify promising practices for implementing the surveys and share them with graduate schools nationwide.

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is supporting the PhD Career Pathways project focused on the humanities. This supplemental grant from NSF will support the data collection in STEM fields at the previously mentioned four MSIs.

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Yi Wen, a doctoral student in biochemistry, molecular and cell biology at Cornell University, received the 2018 Harry and Samuel Mann Outstanding Graduate Student Award for her research that aims to help develop novel vaccines and treatments against HIV and other viruses. A virus can only replicate inside living cells and can infect all life forms. There are millions of different viruses, and viral cells reproduce by using the host cells to create copies. This process can make some viruses especially difficult to kill.

Wen studies virology, exploring membrane biophysics and lipid chemistry to try and find a way to keep the host cells from releasing the viral copies back into the host’s body. Wen’s research focuses on the lipid “PIP2.” Lipids make up the cell membrane, which is akin to its skin. PIP2 is a pretty minor part of cell membranes, but according to Wen, “it plays a major role in cell function and also in HIV infection.” Wen discovered that PIP2 is extremely sensitive to some metal ions.

“The metal ions shield PIP2, and only specific proteins are likely to be able to compete against those metal ions to have access to PIP2,” Wen said. “HIV appears to require those PIP2 clusters as assembly and release sites of new viruses. I think this could be HIV’s Achilles’ heel.” To learn more about Yi’s work visit the Cornell University website.

Visit the GradImpact Feature Gallery to learn more about the amazing, innovative research being done by graduate students and alumni across the world.

Photo Credit: Matt Hayes/CALS, Cornell University

Ryan Gentzler, a recent Master of Public Administration recipient from the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa, saw many challenges facing his fellow Oklahomans from low and middle-income families. Having worked for Tulsa non-profits, he realized that public policy research and advocacy were ways for him to help his community, and he knew the MPA program at OU-Tulsa would help him develop those skills.

“Low-paying work, difficult-to-access healthcare, underfunded schools, and a punitive criminal justice system can make the struggle out of poverty insurmountable, landing the state at the bottom of the pack in many measures of well-being,” said Gentzler. “[I’m] hoping to address these challenges at the structural level.” Gentzler now works for the Oklahoma Policy Institute as a policy analyst. His current focus is to raise awareness surrounding Oklahoma’s criminal justice system. The state’s incarceration rate is one of the highest in the country, and Gentzler seeks solutions to reduce these numbers and promote public safety and rehabilitation.

In the first survey of its kind, Gentzler researched thousands of public records to ascertain how much money in fines and legal fees Oklahomans owed to the court system, and he wanted to know where they lived. Gentzler discovered that as Oklahoma’s state budget got tighter, the court fees increased to meet the shortfalls. In some cases, the fees more than doubled. In addition, Gentzler found that “people in low-income neighborhoods in Tulsa County owed up to ten times as much in court debt as those in wealthier neighborhoods, creating a huge barrier to economic mobility and trapping people in a cycle of incarceration and poverty.” To learn more about Ryan’s work visit the OU-Tulsa website and the Oklahoma Policy Institute.

Visit the GradImpact Feature Gallery to learn more about the amazing, innovative research being done by graduate students and alumni across the world.

Photo Credit: Becca Hyvonen, OU-Tulsa

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

CONTACT: Katherine Hazelrigg / khazelrigg@cgs.nche.edu / 202.461.3888

Washington, DC— Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) President Suzanne Ortega released the following statement on recent immigration proposals

“Recent proposals stemming from Congress and the Administration have focused the nation’s attention on immigration issues impacting students and families. The Council of Graduate Schools remains steadfast in its support of policies that help ensure individuals are afforded opportunities to pursue their graduate studies here in the United States, including those with DACA status and those from the international student community.

“As the House of Representatives continues to debate the future of DACA recipients who, at a young age, were brought to the U.S. and have grown to call it home, CGS implores Congress to yield a solution that will ensure they can continue to live, work, pursue higher education, and strengthen our nation’s economy.

“CGS also remains supportive of policies that bolster the ability of U.S. higher education institutions to recruit and retain international talent. Immigration policies, including the visa process, should strive for greater efficiency without imposing additional barriers so that international graduate students and faculty can enroll, graduate, and apply their education in ways that increase our country’s global competitiveness.

“We remain committed to working in a bipartisan manner and urge Congress to find solutions that support DACA recipients and the international graduate student community.”

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In 2008, Unoma Okorafor completed her doctorate in electrical and computer engineering from Texas A&M University. As a Sloan Scholar at Texas A&M, Dr. Okorafor founded Working to Advance STEM Education for African Women (WAAW) Foundation, an international non-profit organization that seeks to “increase the pipeline of African women entering into Science and Technology fields and ensure they are engaged in Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship to benefit Africa.” WAAW sponsors STEM camps for young girls in 10 African countries and provides coding workshops, outreach, training programs, and scholarships. Her vision is to provide African girls with choices by exposing them early on to the various career opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) and Computer Science (CS) fields.

In addition to educating the girls and young women, Okorafo found it necessary to spend time educating their communities on why foundations like WAAW are needed. The overall sentiment seemed to be that no one was stopping girls from pursuing a STEM-focused education. Okorafor begs to differ. Domestic violence, poverty, sexual violence, teenage pregnancy, unequal divisions of household labor, and the inability to own property in some African countries are all barriers for women, and Okorafor is determined to change this. “I think our communities need to empower more girls to speak up, and to own their space, even if it’s in the STEM fields where it’s male dominated, because we do have something to contribute.” 

In addition to a Sloan Foundation Fellowship, Dr. Okorafo received the AAUW Engineering Dissertation Fellowship and the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Fellowship for promoting STEM education. She has also worked at Texas Instruments, Intel, HP, and IBM researchlabs. To learn more about Unoma’s work visit the Texas A&M University website.

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Garry Johnson, a recent master’s recipient in entrepreneurship & design from the University of Delaware, has a true entrepreneurial spirit, a passion for community leadership, and the drive to make the world a better place. Johnson’s innovative and creative skills have led to several startups focused on increasing diversity in entrepreneurship and the tech industry.

Johnson’s latest brainchild, TalentPool, draws on earlier ideas from his startup, ColorCoded, which focused primarily on helping young men and women of color be competitive for jobs in the tech industry. Now Johnson also wants to see more diversity in entrepreneurs, and he intends to achieve that through his educational platform, TalentPool. “Before the summer is over, this platform will be ready,” Johnson said. “I believe people want it and need it. The entrepreneurial ecosystem needs it, too, an equal playing field for all people to succeed.”

Mr. Johnson recently received first place for TalentPool at the Startup Tech Conference and Pitch Competition at Prairie View A&M University. Johnson’s prize is an interview for the DivInc Accelerator Program. In addition, Johnson started the “I Have a Dream Pitch Competition” at the University of Delaware to empower Wilmington’s young men of color by inspiring confidence and improving skills through entrepreneurship. To learn more about Garry’s work visit the University of Delaware website.

Visit the GradImpact Feature Gallery to learn more about the amazing, innovative research being done by graduate students and alumni across the world.

Photo Credit: University of Delaware

Alyson Nelson has been teaching science to high school students for more than a decade and believes setting lofty expectations rather than underestimating them will help her students achieve even loftier goals. After completing her bachelor’s degree from Clemson University, Nelson began working at Mauldin High School in South Carolina and simultaneously pursued her master’s degree in educational technology and a graduate certificate in school technology coordination at Boise State University. Now she teaches biomedical engineering at the Nikola Tesla STEM High School in Redmond, WA.

Hired in 2013 to develop a signature STEM Lab at the recently opened school, Nelson says people are surprised to hear high school students are taking biomedical engineering courses. Her students are 17-18 years old and developing prosthetics, trying to better understand pandemic infections, and looking for ways to care for and cure patients. “My students are really open to whatever they want to pursue. When the project is relevant to them, they are so much more confident in what they are doing, and they’re so much more passionate about really finding a solution,” said Nelson.

Ms. Nelson was recently named a Paul Allen Distinguished Educator, which “recognizes and rewards teachers who ‘break the mold’ of traditional schooling to provide students with opportunities to become thinkers, makers, and creators through computer science, engineering, and entrepreneurship.” To learn more about Alyson’s work visit the Boise State University website and her webpage on the Allen Distinguished Educators website.

Visit the GradImpact Feature Gallery to learn more about the amazing, innovative research being done by graduate students and alumni across the world.