Policy Briefs

The policy briefs and reports on this page are intended as resources for state policymakers, institutions, and other stakeholders who wish to learn more about higher education topics in Maryland. Briefs are organized by topic and publish date.

For more information about higher education in Maryland, explore the interactive data dashboards and mandated reports published by the Office of Research and Policy Analysis (mandated reports are at the bottom of the main page).

Topic: Student Success
Title	Description	Date Published
Pathways to a Credential for College Students in Maryland: Colleges Offer More than Degree Programs Click to open	This policy brief provides data on students completing workforce training at Maryland community colleges and makes recommendations on how to strengthen those pathways.	March 2025
Supporting Transfer Students: Evidence-Based Lessons and Recommendations Click to Open	This policy brief explores the challenges transfer students experience and provides evidence-based policy recommendations by summarizing the findings from rigorous empirical research on the subject.	June 2022
Remediation Series Summary Click to Open	This series of policy briefs explores the impact of college-level remediation on student success in Maryland’s public colleges and universities. It offers an overview of remediation practices and related policy challenges, along with detailed analyses of key questions (see below for full descriptions).	June 2022
Remediation Series, Part 6: Second-Year Retention	This brief analyzes second-year retention of first-time undergraduate students assessed as needing remediation.	June 2022
Remediation Series, Part 5: First-Year Outcomes	This brief examines first-year GPA and credit accumulation among students assessed as needing remediation.	December 2021
Remediation Series, Part 4: Credit-Bearing Course Completion Within the First Year of Enrollment	This analysis examines early credit-bearing course completion among first-time students assessed as needing remediation.	October 2020
Remediation Series, Part 3: Remedial Course Completion Within the First Year of Enrollment	This brief focuses on early enrollment behavior and academic success of students who are assessed to need remediation.	May 2020
Remediation Series, Part 2: Remedial Assessment at Maryland Colleges and Universities	This brief examines demographic characteristics (age, race/ethnicity, and gender) of students assessed to need remediation.	January 2020
Remediation Series, Part 1: What is Remediation, and Why Does It Matter?	This brief discusses a number of policy concerns connected to remediation, as well as national, state, and institutional initiatives designed to increase student success.	January 2020

Topic: Enrollment
Title	Description	Date Published
Is There an Enrollment Cliff? Click to Open	This policy brief examines whether Maryland faces an enrollment cliff in higher education by analyzing high school graduation projections and historical college enrollment data.	March 2025

Topic: Financial Aid
Title	Description	Date Published
Baby Carrot and Big Stick: Does the Credit Requirement for Maryland Need- Based Aid Improve Student Academic Progression? (Report) Click to Open	The Joint Chairman’s report requests MHEC to report on the impact of credit completion requirements on the Delegate Howard P. Rawlings Education Excellence Awards (EEA). In 2022, MHEC conducted a causal study to evaluate short-term and long-term effects of the credit requirement policy on EEA recipients outcomes.This report summarizes the main findings of a study..	June 2023