A coalition of higher education associations and more than 50 colleges and universities has launched an effort aimed at answering families’ doubts about whether a degree is worth the cost.
The National Student Success Project was announced Oct. 22 at an event in downtown Washington. It is organized by the American Council on Education (ACE), the American Association of Community Colleges, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities and the Association of American Universities. The Strada Education Foundation supports the project. Organizers say work began in early 2026.
The Five Commitments
Participating institutions pledge to:
- Deliver strong value for the investment students make
- Offer clear, affordable pathways to a degree or other significant credential
- Advance academic excellence through innovative programs and strong teaching
- Spark career ambitions through real-world experience and guidance
- Cultivate a community that supports all students and promotes civil dialogue and respect
The project’s central statement says delivering value “means they finish their academic programs and flourish afterward.” It also says each institution will meet its responsibility in its own way. Participants are expected to show concrete examples, such as specific policies and programs, of how they are following through. Those examples will appear on the project’s website and will be added to in coming weeks, with the aim of building a catalog of effective practices.
The statement frames the effort as an acceleration of existing work. “We aspire to build a movement to lift higher education to new heights,” it says.
Who is Involved
A 19-member advisory board of presidents and chancellors guided the project. It spans community colleges, regional publics, research universities and private institutions. Members include leaders of Reed College, Bates College, Baylor University, Michigan State University, the University of Kentucky, Morgan State University, Northern Virginia Community College and UC San Diego. Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff is also on the board. Cornell is currently facing a faculty no-confidence resolution over its handling of sexual assault on campus, a connection the project’s materials do not address.
The five association presidents issued a joint statement: AASCU’s Charles Welch, ACE’s Ted Mitchell, AACC’s DeRionne Pollard, APLU’s Waded Cruzado and AAU’s Barbara Snyder. They said it is important for students, parents, policymakers and the public to “understand the depth of our commitment to student success.”
The pressures behind it
The launch comes as colleges face skepticism about their value alongside demographic shifts, changing funding models and artificial intelligence. A recent Gallup survey found 38% of U.S. adults had high confidence in higher education in June. In an Oct. 1 essay for ACE’s Higher Education Today blog, East Carolina University leader Philip Rogers described institutions facing a choice between acting early and having change forced on them. He wrote of his own campus, which set a $25 million savings goal over three years after enrollment fell about six percent in five years. The essay is separate from the new project.
What is Missing
The materials describe commitments but no shared metrics, targets or deadlines, and they do not say how progress will be measured or reported. Organizers say participants will “assess outcomes” and share practices, but no enforcement or accountability mechanism is mentioned. The launch also comes as the administration pursues policies that many in higher education oppose, though the project’s materials do not mention them.
