"Mordecai Brownlee's body hurts. Last week he trekked three days and 71 miles along Denver's High Line Canal to raise $90,000 in emergency funds for Community College of Aurora students' basic needs. "ROI starts with stability," the president of CCA said this week in Atlanta at Inside Higher Ed's Student Success US 2025. Brownlee's mission shows how far some leaders will go to make sure their students are given every opportunity to succeed."
"Return on investment is often conflated with value. And these days, most Americans don't believe in the value of a college degree-only 35 percent rated it "very important" in a recent Gallup poll, down from 75 percent who viewed it that way in 2010. Proposed solutions to the value problem often focus on graduates' earnings. Speaking at Hillsdale College in September, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said degrees must provide a clear return on investment."
Mordecai Brownlee walked 71 miles over three days to raise $90,000 in emergency funds for Community College of Aurora students' basic needs. ROI was framed as starting with stability. Many student success leaders emphasize that return on investment extends beyond earnings to include students' time, opportunity costs, and engagement. Public confidence in the value of a college degree has declined sharply, with just 35 percent calling it very important in a recent Gallup poll. Policy voices argue degrees must deliver clear vocational returns. Institutions are increasingly measuring ROI by students' sense of belonging and by funding tuition assistance and emergency supports.
Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs
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