The Most Important Door that Will Ever Open: Realizing the Mission of Higher Education Through Equitable Admissions Policies

In signing the Higher Education Act of 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson described education as “the most important door that will ever open.” Earning a college credential can mean a better living and a better life for students and their families. But to earn that credential, students must first navigate the admissions process. Education is indeed a door, but recruitment, admissions, and enrollment policies and practices dictate how wide that door is open. Left unexamined, these policies and practices often limit opportunities for Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and underrepresented Asian American and Pacific Islander students and students from low-income backgrounds. It’s time to rethink these policies. It’s time to open the door for all of today’s students.

In the report, we demonstrate how these policies and practices limit opportunities for Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and underrepresented Asian
American Pacific Islander students and students from low-income backgrounds. As IHEP has done for nearly 30 years, we also provide research-backed, data-informed, student-centered solutions to disrupt these inequities and promote opportunities for underrepresented students.

Accompanying the report is a set of advocacy tools designed to drive change and increase equity in access and success.