When educational institutions and urban systems collaborate to put students’ needs first, more students persist and succeed in college.

Students living with low incomes often attend college in urban areas and can be stymied by nonacademic or off-campus barriers to success. This focus area works to eliminate those barriers. The urban higher education ecosystem, or UHEE, consists of the many interconnected sectors and systems that together impact student outcomes. These sectors and systems include: higher education, K-12 schools, businesses and employers, government agencies and departments, nonprofit social service providers, housing, food, child care, transit, health care, college access nonprofits, philanthropy and youth development, among others. We embrace a holistic, place-based approach to help strengthen these ecosystems by encouraging cross-sector partnerships.

Well-Functioning Ecosystems

We seek to encourage colleges and universities to engage with other institutions, nonprofits, government agencies, school districts and employers to increase the number of students who earn a high-quality degree or credential.