2024 Higher Ed Value Summit

Higher education can change the lives and trajectories of students, their families, and their communities. Yet with public confidence wavering, making the case for postsecondary value and leveraging policies to improve its return on investment for students and taxpayers is more critical than ever.

But we know there’s still immense value in a college degree, so on May 14 Third Way hosted the inaugural Higher Ed Value Summit. Attendees joined the Education team for a day of dynamic learning, tackling tough questions, and celebrating the power of postsecondary education.

The full-day event kicked-off with an interview with Under Secretary of the Department of Education James Kvaal who discussed the evolution of the value movement and reflected on his hopes for the future with Lanae Erickson (Senior Vice President of Social Policy, Education, and Politics, Third Way). Other sessions included discussions on value broadly, at community colleges, and in graduate education, Third Way’s latest value poll, thoughts from leaders in the grantmaking space, and a policy pitch session. Overall, the summit explored facets of value in postsecondary education and underscored the importance policies that ensure higher education’s role in transforming the lives of Americans. Find the full playlist of recordings from the conference here.