Media Organization
Selected media pieces are categorized into one of three topics: student financial aid & finance, admissions policies, and campus climate. This page includes policy briefs Dr. Baker has written, press about her research, commentaries, and interviews.
Student Financial Aid & Finance
“[In research on the effects of debt cancellation, we] see that people are more easily able to move around the country, they are earning more money, they are able to reduce the share of defaults that they have on things like credit cards and other types of loans...It feels like one of the best ways to govern is to try to do things to improve peoples’ lives, and then make sure people know that you did things to improve their lives.”
“From the standpoint of racial justice, I believe this additional relief for Black borrowers is necessary because of centuries of systemic inequities. Such inequities include accumulating education debt through ‘predatory inclusion,’ a practice in which Black people are offered access to things like college or buying a house but on exploitative financial terms that have long-term negative effects.”
“Starting up an online education program is incredibly expensive...You have to have training, people with expertise, licensing for a lot of different kinds of software. All those pieces cost money, and then if you want the best quality, you have to have smaller classes.”
“More people need to be thinking about the way that we’ve created structures and we’ve created a set of choices that are not great when it comes to financing higher education for black students...We have to think carefully about the options that we provide to students and the ways that some think that those options are race-neutral...Due to the history of our country and the way structures have been set up they very much are not race-neutral options.”
“It is a very kind thing that Mr. Smith did, but if we’re going to try to solve student loan problems, we can’t rely on the benevolence of billionaires to provide stopgaps that public policy should be fixing.”
Alabama State University receives wall street firm’s historic endowment assistance. A. Jones II, ABC News, May 2024.
If history is any indication, the economic impact of campus protests could be felt at colleges across the U.S. J. Berman, Marketwatch, May 2024.
Tools that would make STEM degrees more affordable remain unexamined. D. J. Baker, Issues in Science and Technology, April 2024.
Long-term solutions for college affordability require congressional and state action. D. J. Baker, Brookings Institution, April 9, 2024.
Funding models don’t drive performance, study finds. J. Blake, Inside Higher Ed, March 15, 2024.
Student loans are culture. A. H. Petersen, Culture Study Podcast, March 13, 2024.
Is the New York Times’ newsroom just a bunch of Ivy Leaguers? (Kinda, sorta.) J. Benton, Neiman Journalism Lab, February 28, 2024.
College and university endowments had a good 2023 thanks to the stock market. S. Hughes, Marketplace, February 15, 2024.
Who actually talks about student loans – And how. A. H. Petersen, Culture Study, January 3, 2024.
Breaking down the spending at one of America’s priciest public colleges. A. Fuller, T. D. Hobbs, S. Stamm, & A. Mollica, Wall Street Journal, December 28, 2023.
Colleges and universities may find borrowing harder to do and more expensive. S. Hughes, Marketplace, December 7, 2023.
‘Pay up or leave,’ a university tells students. S. Weissman, Inside Higher Ed, September 8, 2023.
Education department kicks off an income-based student loan repayment plan. NPR, August 23, 2023.
You could still be eligible for student loan forgiveness under this plan. C. Turner & E. Olson, NPR, July 14, 2023.
In affirmative action and student loan cases, some see backlash to racial progress in education. A. Ma & A. Morrison, AP, June 14, 2023. (Listed in all applicable sections.)
Supreme Court student debt cancellation cases: 4 expert takeaways. E. Haverstock, Yahoo!, March 3, 2023.
Student loans: 5 biggest winners of Biden’s new IDR plan. E. Haverstock, Yahoo!/Nerdwallet, January 30, 2023.
Omnibus bill offers financial boosts, compromises. J. Edelman, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, December 28, 2022.
Millions of student loan borrowers' debt unnecessarily spent years in forbearance. A. Martinez & C. Turner, NPR, December 19, 2022.
Roll out of student debt relief portal receive high marks. J. Edelman, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, October 18, 2022.
After GOP challenges, many borrowers say their loans don’t qualify for relief. C. Turner, NPR, October 17, 2022.
Why many in the HBCU community celebrated Biden’s student loan forgiveness. A. Jones II, ABC News, September 26, 2022.
Who benefits most from student loan forgiveness? Economists, investment banks and education experts weigh in. G. Iacurci, CNBC, September 11, 2022.
Biden’s student-debt plan could chip away at the racial wealth gap. S. Kolhatkar, The New Yorker, August 31, 2022.
Student loan forgiveness is politically popular. But not all Democrats are on board. D. Shivaram, NPR, August 26, 2022.
3 things you need to know about Biden’s student loan announcement. S. Carrillo, NPR, August 25, 2022.
Alabama students struggling to repay debt, finish school. R. Griesbach, AL.com, August 25, 2022.
Student loan forgiveness – experts on banking, public spending and education policy look at the impact of Biden’s plan. T. Friedline, D. Baker, & J. W. Diamond, The Conversation, August 24, 2022.
Biden’s debt-cancellation plan draws praise and skepticism. A. Lu, The Chronicle of Higher Education, August 24, 2022.
Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan could lower debt for more than half of Texas college graduates. K. McGee & A. P. Erickson, Texas Tribune, August 24, 2022.
Here’s why Black students are defaulting. D. Woods & W. Wong, NPR, July 18, 2022.
One Tampa Bay resident says the fate of his student loans could change his retirement plans. B. LeFever, WUSF Public Media, June 27, 2022.
Women hold two-third of student debt. These activists say they’ll strike if Biden doesn’t cancel it. A. Higgins, The Lily, January 7, 2022.
More colleges rethink student loans as debate over debt cancellation rages on. D. Douglas-Gabriel, Washington Post, December 11, 2021.
“I can’t imagine the day when I’m not paying.” Black women are being crushed by the student debt crisis – and demanding action. J. Berman, Marketwatch, November 3, 2021.
Black borrowers have been excluded from the student-debt conversation, report says. O. Adedoyin, Chronicle of Higher Education, October 20, 2021.
The end of student loan forbearance will be tougher on women. A. Helhoski, AP, October 13, 2021.
Schools look to give students clean slate by using HEERF money to clear unpaid account balances. O. Daugherty, NASFAA, August 18, 2021.
How much of a relief? S. Weissman, Inside Higher Ed, August 10, 2021.
Schools look to give students clean slate by using HEERF money to clear unpaid account balances. O. Daugherty, NASFAA, August 18, 2021.
How much of a relief? S. Weissman, Inside Higher Ed, August 10, 2021.
This company will pay your private student loans for 6 months if you can’t find a job. K. Mulhere, Money, June 10, 2021.
Value of college can be hard to measure but having the right data can help, experts say. O. Daugherty, NASFAA, May 6, 2021.
There are no easy answers on canceling student debt. E. Stewart, Vox, March 25, 2021.
Biden’s $170 billion stimulus plan for schools leaves sone key question unanswered. J. Berman, Marketwatch, January 15, 2021.
‘Losing a generation’: Fall college enrollment plummets for first-year students. E. Nadworny, NPR, December 17, 2020.
Budget cuts aren’t sparing flagship universities. But they have an edge. J. Bauer-Wolf, Higher Ed Dive, December 11, 2020.
Biden is under pressure to forgive student debt. Here’s why it’s a racial issue. R. Richardson, NBC News, November 20, 2020.
After Biden is sworn in, does student-debt relief come next? M. Vasquez, Chronicle of Higher Education, November 19, 2020.
Enrollment at community colleges usually rises during recessions. This fall, it plummeted. C. West, Money, October 15, 2020.
‘We haven’t begun to feel the real economic damage’. E. Kelderman, Chronicle of Higher Education, October 14, 2020.
College promise programs wrestle with pandemic realities. M. St. Amour, Inside Higher Ed, October 8, 2020.
At many schools, college will cost more than last year, despite COVID disruptions. J. Berman, MarketWatch, August 24, 2020.
As colleges move classes online, families rebel against the cost. S. Hubler, The New York Times, August 15, 2020.
Black New Yorkers with a college degree earn $21,900 a year less than their white counterparts. J. Berman, MarketWatch, August 5, 2020.
Panel: Addressing Black student debt requires unique focus. O. Daugherty, NASFAA, July 31, 2020.
Tuition reductions take off as coronavirus shapes colleges’ fall plans. J. Bauer-Wolf, Education Dive, July 29, 2020.
Report: Pandemic exacerbates inequities present in financial aid, with particular impact on low-income students. O. Daugherty, NASFAA, July 20, 2020.
Policymaking to aid Black borrowers shouldn’t happen without Black experts in the room. W. Taliaferro, Lumina Foundation, July 14, 2020.
Policy proposal to tackle COVID-19 inequities in student debt and financial aid. W. Whistle, Forbes, July 13, 2020.
The man who paid off the student debt of 400 Morehouse College graduates has a new initiative to help borrowers. J. Berman, MarketWatch, July 4, 2020.
Education department limits emergency aid causing college access advocates to worry. S. Weissman, Diverse Issues, June 22, 2020.
‘You have a degree, but who do you know?’ Why student debt is a racial-justice issue. J. Berman, MarketWatch, June 19, 2020.
Colleges are handing out billions in coronavirus stimulus funding to students. Can they do it fairly? F. Diep and D. McLean, Chronicle of Higher Education, April 16, 2020
Student loan debt in Texas. J. Benton, Fiscal Notes, March, 2020.
More students from higher-income families taking out student loans. S. Fields, Marketplace, December 4, 2019.
The strategic alignment of state appropriations, tuition, and financial aid policies. J. Dean Ward, Ithaka S+R, October 2, 2019.
The racial gap in student debt for graduates of state universities in Texas. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, August 5, 2019.
Are Texas college students taking on too much debt? A new study suggests maybe. E.-M. Ayala, Dallas Morning News, July 24, 2019.
SMU study found Black and Latinx college graduates had some of the highest debt-to-income ratios. North Dallas Gazette, July 22, 2019.
Robert F. Smith lifted a debt burden from 396 Morehouse graduates. It remains for thousands of other African Americans. D. Douglas-Gabriel, The Washington Post, May 31, 2019.
Warren zeroes in on race. A. Kreighbaum, Inside Higher Ed, May 7, 2019.
Admissions Policies
“[The Court’s decision] creates an idea of the world where structural racism doesn’t exist and we’re only focusing on interpersonal racism,” said Dominique Baker, a higher education policy expert at Southern Methodist University. “Even if a student has never been called a racial slur to their face, we still have a country that’s been organized in order to disadvantage that student through our housing, throughout our health care, through our education systems. So it’s inappropriate because it is sort of doing the work of trying to make a lot of the ways racism works in our country [invisible].”
“One of the things that’s really challenging about the current state of race-conscious admissions policies is that, over time, the Supreme Court has narrowed and narrowed what the focus of what was supposed to be this broad idea of affirmative action from LBJ. Several different Supreme Court cases have changed the focus to the point that race-conscious admissions policies can only focus really on finding ways to diversify the institution, which is really different than trying to find ways to redress past harms that have been inflicted upon people by purposeful policy decisions. So the ideal way to think about college admissions that would focus on actual racial justice would be to expand the scope of colleges and universities and our country to think about the ways to redress past harms.”
“Within the current system of selective admissions, there is only so much that an individual admissions professional can do for students who have been dramatically affected by structural racism, who have survived unbelievable traumas and hurdles...It’s not just their test scores and GPAs, it’s the whole system. We as a society systematically fail students.”
Some top schools are brining back ACT and SAT requirements - but most colleges are still test-optional. Here’s what you need to know. A. Sheffey, Business Insider, April 2024.
The SAT is coming back at some colleges. It’s stressing everyone out. H. Natanson & S. Svrluga, The Washington Post, March 18, 2024.
Bringing back the SAT. J. Hill, Vox: Today, Explained, March 8, 2024.
Higher ed ponders diversity strategies following court ruling. J. Edelman, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, August 23, 2023.
After the fall of affirmative action, summit plots the way forward. J. Edelman, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, July 26, 2023.
“Affirmative action for the rich.” L. Knox, Inside Higher Ed, July 26, 2023.
Affirmative action is about more than acceptance letters. K. Wright, Notes from America with Kai Wright, July 13, 2023.
The Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision is the latest effort to erase racism from cultural consciousness. D. J. Baker, Scientific American, July 7, 2023.
As race-neutral college admissions begin, Texas counselors work to convince students of color they still belong. A. Ura & K. McGee, Texas Tribune, July 3, 2023.
The Supreme Court’s ruling on admissions exempts military academies. What’s up with that? N. Gluckman, Chronicle of Higher Education, June 30, 2023.
Biden administration says it will help colleges promote diversity after Supreme Court’s affirmative-action decision. J. Berman, MarketWatch, June 29, 2023.
How college admissions will change in America afer the Supreme Court knocked down affirmative action. J. Berman, MarketWatch, June 29, 2023.
Supreme Court’s college-admissions decisions could undermine race-based scholarships and financial aid. J. Berman, MarketWatch, June 29, 2023.
Supreme Court strikes down race-conscious admissions. J. Edelman, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, June 29, 2023.
The Supreme Court’s decision reveals a gulf between two views of race and merit. E. Hoover, Chronicle of Higher Education, June 29, 2023.
With race-based admissions no longer an option, states may imitate Texas top 10% plan. K. McGee, Texas Tribune, June 29, 2023.
Why the Supreme Court decision on affirmative action matters. E. Nadworny, NPR, June 29, 2023.
In affirmative action and student loan cases, some see backlash to racial progress in education. A. Ma & A. Morrison, AP, June 14, 2023. (Listed in all applicable sections.)
Report suggests reforms if Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action. J. Edelman, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, June 13, 2023.
What some race-based admissions trends show, as SCOTUS hears affirmative action case. M. Levitt, A. Brown, & A. Chang, NPR, October 31, 2022.
Race in college admissions is back in front of the Supreme Court. Here’s what to know. E. Nadworny, NPR, October 29, 2022.
New study casts doubt on lotteries’ power to improve diversity. J. Edelman, Diverse Issues in Higher Education, November 9, 2021.
Admissions as a game of chance? New research says lotteries could decrease diversity. E. Hoover, Chronicle of Higher Education, November 3, 2021.
Admissions lotteries wouldn’t yield diversity. S. Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed, November 3, 2021.
What if college admissions relied on random lotteries? Fewer Black, low-income, and male students would be accepted, new study finds. K. Mahnken, The 74 Million, November 3, 2021.
The SAT and ACT have issues. Here are three ideas to replace the college admissions tests. M. Korn, The Wall Street Journal, August 7, 2021.
As admissions season descends, wealthier applicants once again have the advantage. J. Marcus, The Hechinger Report, February 19, 2021.
What should college-admissions reform look like? Researchers share new ideas. E. Hoover, The Chronicle of Higher Education, August 4, 2020.
Our relationship with tests is unraveling. Why is everyone so conflicted about it? E. Hoover, The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 29, 2020.
Test optional offers benefits but it’s not enough. D. J. Baker & K. Rosinger, Education Next, Summer 2020.
Can `White resentment’ help explain higher-education cuts? E. Kelderman, Chronicle of Higher Education, January 27, 2020.
Why might states ban affirmative action? D. J. Baker, Brown Center Chalkboard (the Brookings Institution), April 12, 2019.
Campus Climate
“I was going to say I don’t know how the stakes would be higher, but 2020 would take that as a challenge,” she continued. “This is about people’s lives. This is about their health and their lives. And that matters, a lot. And that ties in the fact that if you don’t think your institution values you as a person, if you don’t think your institution sees your humanity, why would you believe that they’re looking out for your best interests when it comes to a pandemic?”
House investigations of Harvard, others mark a ‘watershed moment.’ K. Knott, Inside Higher Ed, January 11, 2024.
State schools like Michigan and Washington dominate more than the football field. J. Berman, Marketwatch, January 8, 2024.
More rankings follies. H. Thorp, Science, September 28, 2023.
What the backlash to the new U.S. News college ranking methodology is really about. J. Berman, Marketwatch, September 20, 2023.
Vanderbilt U. says “U.S. News” emphasis on social mobility is “deeply misleading.” F. Diep, Chronicle of Higher Education, September 19, 2023.
My industry is failing: Academia edition. A. H. Peterson, Work Appropriate, February 8, 2023.
What a possible U. of Phoenix sale says about the state of higher ed. T. Swaak, The Chronicle of Higher Education, January 26, 2023.
Defense Department awards Howard University first-of-its-kind research contract. S. Hughes, Marketplace, January 24, 2023.
Helping students and staff as inflation soars. S. Weissman, Inside Higher Ed, August 4, 2022.
Lawsuit charges for-profit university preyed on Black and female students. E. L. Green, New York Times, April 8, 2022.
Morgan State stop using contract staff, striking at employee inequity. J. Bauer-Wolf, Higher Ed Dive, August 6, 2021.
The steep cost of decades of discrimination. A. Harris, The Atlantic, May 10, 2021.
Driven (away) by hate? G. Anderson, Inside Higher Ed, February 3, 2021.
More than a nudge; To get more students to and through college, intensive advising may be key. M. Barnum, Chalkbeat, January 26, 2021.
Research shows Black students increasingly choose HBCUs when reported state-level hate crimes rise. S. Weissman, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, January 25, 2021.
More Black students enroll in HBCUs following hate crime reports: study. J. Bauer-Wolf, Higher Ed Dive, January 13, 2021.
Burnout is coming to campus. Are college leaders ready? K. R. McClure, EdSurge, August 14, 2020.
Pandemic could potentially delay graduation for students of color. J. Ruf, Diverse Issues, August 4, 2020.
Fall 2020 Reopening Plans: Guest Lecture with Dominique Baker. AcaDames Podcast, July 30, 2020.
For colleges, protests over racism may put everything on the line. L. Ellis, The Chronicle of Higher Education, June 12, 2020.
Certainly uncertain. L. Burke, InsideHigherEd, April 30, 2020.
Can colleges survive coronavirus? ‘The math is not pretty.’ E. Nadworny, NPR, April 20, 2020.
Is protesting a privilege? L. Adams, The Chronicle of Higher Education, December 5, 2017.