Detroit City Wire

Data from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) play a crucial role in guiding state-level higher education policy and research. This federal data, including systems like the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS), provide insights that states often cannot produce independently. The data assist in benchmarking student progress, supporting state budgeting, ensuring data consistency, and extending state capacity.

Meghan Schmidbauer, Senior Director of Detroit Drives Degrees, emphasized the importance of these federal resources: “Without IES to set the bar for common data definitions or methodologies, consistency across institutions in Michigan would further erode, and the ability to inform policy with evidence would diminish.”

Deputy Secretary of Higher Education Elena Quiroz-Livanis from Maryland highlighted how her state uses NCES data tables to compare its progress with national trends: “Maryland relies on NCES data tables to compare its progress with national trends and to inform state policy development, recognizing that states often do not have the resources to create comparable data systems themselves.”

In Virginia, Lee Andes from the State Council of Higher Education explained how federal data influenced budget decisions: “With this information, we were able to request that our legislature permit state aid disbursements on some students be based on financial need from the prior year.”

Barbara Schmertz from the Maryland Higher Education Commission noted how federal datasets enhance their internal collections: “Federal data significantly enhance our internal data collections by providing valuable context that elevates the quality of our research and advocacy.”

However, recent mass layoffs at IES threaten these critical resources. Without them, states may struggle to make informed decisions about higher education policy. The potential loss underscores an urgent need for continued support and funding for IES's postsecondary data infrastructure.