Everyone deserves access to relevant, quality, and affordable postsecondary education that helps them achieve career goals, build generational prosperity, and strengthen communities.
It’s time to LEVEL UP & Get REAL for Black Student Excellence
LEVEL UP is a national research, policy, and advocacy initiative examining the persistent decline in enrollment of Black students.
Together, We Can Build a Stronger Future for Florida’s Students
This playbook looks specifically at Florida’s postsecondary institutions and the actionable opportunities we have to increase access, enrollment, and attainment for Black students
For Black students in particular, higher education has not been as accessible as it is for their peers.
Black student enrollment is declining. Since 2011, community college enrollment among Black students has dropped 44% nationwide.
Campus experiences matter. 1 in 5 Black students across all postsecondary institutions report feeling discriminated against.
Affordability remains a major hurdle. Only 35% of Floridians believe a college degree or credential beyond high school is affordable.
To address these disparities and ensure Black students have the opportunity to excel, our schools, laws and community involvement must change.
From Florida’s state colleges and four-year universities to other credential programs, Black students — like all students — deserve postsecondary pathways that not only recognize their potential, but also ensure the time, effort, and investment they commit will lead to a brighter future.
It’s Time to Get R.E.A.L. about Florida Student Success
Real Transparency and True Affordability
We must focus not only on expanding need-based aid, but making more visible the bottom-line cost students will pay, based on a realistic assessment of what students can reasonably afford.
Ensured Success Through Shared Ownership
At each level — state, system, and institutional — we must create mechanisms to support Black students and ensure shared accountability for their postsecondary success.
Academic and Social Supports Create a Sense of Belonging
Institutions and systems must proactively consider the disproportionate challenges facing Black students inside and outside the classroom by developing supports and connecting them to community resources.
Learner-Centered Teaching Practices for Black Students
Teaching practices should center student’s lived experiences, perspectives, strengths, and needs while also being culturally relevant as a grounding for learning.
Real Transparency and True Affordability
We must focus not only on expanding need-based aid, but making more visible the bottom-line cost students will pay, based on a realistic assessment of what students can reasonably afford.
Ensured Success Through Shared Ownership
At each level — state, system, and institutional — we must create mechanisms to support Black students and ensure shared accountability for their postsecondary success.
Academic and Social Supports Create a Sense of Belonging
Institutions and systems must proactively consider the disproportionate challenges facing Black students inside and outside the classroom by developing supports and connecting them to community resources.
Learner-Centered Teaching Practices for Black Students
Teaching practices should center student’s lived experiences, perspectives, strengths, and needs while also being culturally relevant as a grounding for learning.