Maryland Maryland Higher Education Commission

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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 repo​rts published by the Office of Research and Policy Analysis (mandated reports are at the bottom of the main page).


If you are interested in working with the Office of Research and Policy Analysis at the Maryland Higher Education Commission or have a data request you believe the Office can fulfill, please send an email to [email protected] with the following information:

  • Your name, email, phone number and affiliation 
  • A short summary of the request including the reason for the data request or collaboration
  • The timeline for request
A member of our team will get back to you within 10 business days.​





​​Topic: Student Success​
​Title
​​Description
​Date Published
Pathways to a Credential for College St...jpg
​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 

MHECPolicyBriefVol1.jpg 
​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​
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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 br​ief examines first-year GPA and credit accumulation among students assessed as needing remediation. 
December 2021​
Remediation Series, Part 4: Credit-Bearing Course Completion Wit​hin the First Year of Enrollment​​
​This analys​is examines early credit-bearing course completion among first-time students assessed as needing remediation.
October 2020​​
​​This brief​ focuses on early enrollment behavior and academic success of students who are assessed to need remediation.​
May 2020
​​This br​ief 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
​Desc​ription
​Date Published
​Is There an Enrollment Cliff?​​
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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)
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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 20​23