ATTAINMENT FOR ALL: POSTSECONDARY PATHWAYS - INTRODUCTION - Centering Equity in Wraparound Student Services

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Damian

A policy brief from The Hunt Institute explains how equity-oriented wraparound student services strengthen postsecondary attainment by addressing the diverse needs of today’s higher education students. It describes why systemic barriers reduce access and credential completion for low-income, first-generation, non-traditional, and students of color, and how persistence and retention gaps connect to unequal outcomes. The brief defines wraparound services using a holistic care framework and presents the CUNY ASAP model as a researched, cost-effective example with multi-layer supports including advising, funding, transportation, and career counseling.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Today’s Higher Education Students

Why Do We Need Wraparound Services?

What Are Wraparound Services?

ATTAINMENT FOR ALL: POSTSECONDARY PATHWAYS Centering Equity in Wraparound Student Services 􀀟 TAB L E O F C O N T E N T S 􀀟 01 INTRODUCTION 01 TODAY’S HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS 01 WHY DO WE NEED WRAPAROUND SERVICES? 02 WHAT ARE WRAPAROUND SERVICES? 03 THE IMPORTANCE OF WRAPAROUND SERVICES 07 ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR EMBEDDING EQUITY 08 GUIDING QUESTIONS FOR POLICYMAKERS 08 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ATTAINMENT FOR ALL: POSTSECONDARY PATHWAYS Centering Equity in Wraparound Student Services 􀀟 INTRODUCTION From Fall 2019 through Spring 2020, The Hunt Institute released a series of policy briefs, Attainment for All: Postsecondary Pathways, that highlighted scalable state-level strategies to boost postsecondary attainment rates among specific student subpopulations including high school graduates, first-generation students, and adult learners. Building upon the momentum of this series, the higher education team at The Hunt Institute has created a follow-up series of briefs that further explore the intersection between equity and efforts to raise postsecondary attainment rates. This brief is the second of the three-part Attainment for All: Equity in Postsecondary Pathways series. The first brief explored the idea of embedding equity in postsecondary attainment, identified barriers to achieving equity, and included examples of states’ work to ensure equity in all aspects of postsecondary attainment. This second brief will examine the importance of wraparound services that provide equitable support to students. The series will conclude with a third brief examining the use of disaggregated data to narrow equity gaps in postsecondary education. Note: throughout this issue brief, various terms are used to refer to different racial and ethnic groups. The use of different terms is intended to accurately reflect the framing used in the methodologies of the various underlying studies cited. 􀀟 TODAY’S HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS As higher education leaders think about more effective strategies to raise postsecondary attainment rates, it is vital that efforts and policies to support student completion address the unique needs of today’s students. While postsecondary students have historically been recent high school graduates from middle-to-upper class families, student demographics have become more diverse over time (Figure 1) . Additionally, racial demographics have shifted over the past two decades, with nearly 45 percent of undergraduate students and nearly a third of graduate student being people of color. FIGURE 1: CHARACTERISTICS OF TODAY ’ S HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENT POPULATION Data Source 􀀟 WHY DO WE NEED WRAPAROUND SERVICES? As the first Attainment for All: Equity in Postsecondary Pathways brief discusses, low-income, first-generation, non-traditional, and students of color are often less likely to access higher education and attain postsecondary credentials due to systemic barriers across the education landscape. In fact, over 80 percent of high-income students enroll in comparison to 68 percent of low-income students. Across all students enrolled, nearly one-third of undergraduates across the nation do not remain enrolled after their first year, and many require six years to complete their degrees. 1 ATTAINMENT FOR ALL: POSTSECONDARY PATHWAYS Centering Equity in Wraparound Student Services Students who do not complete their degrees on-time are more likely to accumulate student loan debt and are not able to realize the earnings benefits that come with a postsecondary degree. Further, persistence and retention rates are linked to racial and ethnic gaps across the nation, with Black and Latinx students persisting and retaining at lower levels than their white counterparts. Wraparound services are critical to increasing the retention and persistence rates of students. 􀀟 WHAT ARE WRAPAROUND SERVICES? Wraparound services were founded on the medical practice of systems of care, in wh

FAQs

Why does the brief argue that wraparound services are needed for postsecondary attainment?

It explains that systemic barriers reduce access and completion for low-income, first-generation, non-traditional, and students of color. It also links degree noncompletion to higher loan debt and highlights persistence and retention gaps across racial and ethnic groups.

What are wraparound services in higher education, according to the brief?

Wraparound services provide holistic support so a student’s full range of needs is addressed. The brief lists academic, health, socioemotional, familial, financial, and logistical support.

What does the brief describe as the CUNY ASAP model?

It presents ASAP as a comprehensive wraparound student services initiative started in 2007 at CUNY. The model includes financial, academic, and personal supports such as a dedicated advisor, scholarship funding, textbooks, transportation assistance, flexible registration, networking, and career development counseling.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Damian