Getting a college or university education in the US has become more expensive and less accessible over recent decades.
With hopes for a better future for so many young people with potential, National Higher Education Day seeks to celebrate the possibilities and dreams of future college graduates.
The day also raises awareness about the need for college preparedness and provides a platform for advocates of higher education, particularly through scholarship and other financial support opportunities!
National Higher Education Day Timeline
Harvard College Founded
Harvard College is established in Massachusetts as the first institution of higher education in the American colonies, marking the beginning of formal college education in what would become the United States.
Morrill Land-Grant Act Expands Public Higher Education
President Abraham Lincoln signs the Morrill Act, granting federal land to states to fund colleges that focus on agriculture and the mechanical arts, greatly expanding access to publicly supported higher education.
GI Bill Opens College to Millions of Veterans
The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, known as the GI Bill, provides tuition and living support to returning World War II veterans, dramatically increasing college enrollment and reshaping the social role of higher education.
Higher Education Act Creates Modern Federal Student Aid
President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Higher Education Act, establishing extensive federal financial aid programs and strengthening colleges, with the goal of making higher education more accessible to students with financial need.
Creation of the Pell Grant Program
Amendments to the Higher Education Act establish the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant, later renamed the Pell Grant, which offers need-based federal grants to low-income students to help pay for college.
Rapid Growth of Community Colleges and Remedial Education
By the late 20th century, community colleges enroll millions of students, emphasizing open admissions, remedial education, and workforce training, and becoming a central pathway to higher education for diverse and nontraditional learners.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program Enacted
Congress creates the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program to encourage college graduates to work in government and nonprofit roles by cancelling remaining federal student loan balances after qualifying public service and payments.
How to Celebrate National Higher Education Day
Show some care and appreciation by inspiring potential college students and encouraging them to go far in life during National Higher Education Day.
Consider some of these ideas to get on board with celebrating and embracing this event:
Donate to a Scholarship Program
One of the most excellent ways to celebrate National Higher Education Day is to make a donation that helps make it possible for an upcoming student to get the training and degree they need to make their impact on the world.
This can happen through a number of different programs and charities that provide college scholarships for students from different backgrounds or with unique interests for the future.
Promote Higher Education
Teachers, parents, students and other community leaders can all play a part in National Higher Education Day by using their voice throughout their sphere of influence.
This might mean having a conversation with a potential college student, helping to tutor a high school student for college preparedness, or sharing about higher education experiences and opportunities on social media.
Host a National Higher Education Day Event
High schools, colleges, libraries and other community activists can work together for National Higher Education Day to put on events that promote awareness and accessibility.
Invite the community to a lecture, an open college day, a scholarship review seminar, a financial aid workshop or some other form of gathering that tears down barriers and helps potential students get their needs met.
History of National Higher Education Day
The inaugural celebration of National Higher Education Day took place in 2015 after it was founded through the efforts of Izamar Olaguez and Marcie Hronis.
The purpose behind the day was to encourage students to pursue higher education, along with shining a spotlight and raising awareness about the need for more affordable tuition and fees at colleges and universities, particularly in the United States.
While the day officially started in fairly recent years, the background of and motivation behind this day goes back 50 years prior to its first celebration, starting with the National Higher Education Act of 1965.
The aim of this act was to improve the possibilities for students by offering assistance through higher education programs and financial assistance, making college more accessible for everyone.
The team behind National Higher Education Day states that their goal is to fully equip and prepare every student in the United States for a higher education, academically and scholastically as well as financially.
Facts About National Higher Education Day
The Global Expansion of Higher Education
Since the 1970s, higher education has shifted from an elite system to a mass system in much of the world.
UNESCO data show that the global gross enrollment ratio in tertiary education rose from about 10 percent in 1970 to more than 40 percent by 2020, with especially rapid growth in East Asia, Latin America, and parts of the Middle East and North Africa as countries invested in universities and technical institutes to support economic development.
The College Wage Premium and Lifetime Earnings
In the United States, the economic payoff to completing higher education is substantial and has generally grown over time.
Analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York estimates that, after accounting for tuition and opportunity costs, the median college graduate earns roughly $1 million more in lifetime earnings than the typical worker with only a high school diploma, and that the “college wage premium” has remained persistently high since the 1990s.
First-Generation Students Face Distinct Barriers
Students who are the first in their families to attend college are less likely to complete a degree than their peers whose parents have degrees, even when they have similar academic preparation.
Research from the U.S. Department of Education found that only about 26 percent of first-generation students who began at a four-year institution earned a bachelor’s degree within six years, compared with 59 percent of students whose parents had at least a bachelor’s degree, highlighting persistent equity gaps in access, advising, and financial stability.
Pell Grants as a Cornerstone of College Access
The federal Pell Grant program, created in 1972, has become the main need-based grant aid for low-income students in the United States.
According to the Congressional Budget Office and the U.S. Department of Education, Pell Grants now help more than 6 million students per year pay for college, and recipients are disproportionately from families with incomes below $40,000, making the program central to efforts to broaden access to higher education.
Rising Tuition and Declining Public Funding
Public universities in many U.S. states have raised tuition sharply over the past few decades as government funding has declined.
The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association reports that, after adjusting for inflation, average state and local appropriations per student fell substantially between 1980 and the mid‑2010s, while net tuition revenue per student more than doubled, shifting more of the cost of higher education from taxpayers to individual students and families.
Completion Rates Lag Behind Enrollment Growth
While more students enroll in college than in previous generations, degree completion has not kept pace.
Data from the National Student Clearinghouse show that, among students who started college in the United States in fall 2016, about 62 percent completed a degree or certificate within six years, with significantly lower completion rates at open-access institutions and among students from low-income and underrepresented backgrounds.
Non-Economic Benefits of Higher Education
Higher education is associated with benefits that extend beyond earnings. Research compiled by the OECD and the College Board indicates that adults with postsecondary degrees are more likely to vote, volunteer, report better health, and have longer life expectancy than those with only a high school education.
These correlations suggest that expanding access to higher education can have broad social and civic impacts, not just private financial returns.
