SSTAR Lab Blog

Welcome to the SSTAR Lab Blog; we’re so glad you’re here!

We use this platform to share current research and practical insights to reduce barriers, improve equity, and support student success in higher education.

Whether you’re a researcher, practitioner, policymaker, or just someone interested in higher education research, we hope you find this site informative and useful!

  • What is a Research-Practice Partnership in Higher Education?

    By Nicholas Hillman When people ask me what the SSTAR Lab does, I often start by explaining we are a “research-practice partnership.” That phrase seems to click with folks, at least most of the time. People nod along, connecting the dots on how those three words might fit together. Research, practice, and partnership. They go…

  • Introducing the SSTAR Lab Blog

    Hello! Welcome to the SSTAR Lab Blog; we’re so glad you’re here. Whether you’re a researcher, practitioner, policymaker, or just someone interested in higher education research, we hope you find this site informative and useful. SSTAR Lab is a research center situated within the Division of Enrollment Management at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Our team…

  • Financial Aid Terminology: A Guide for Researchers

    By Kathryn Boonstra Paying for college involves navigating a complex landscape of federal, state, institutional, and private financial aid (“aid”). These types of aid differ in their eligibility criteria, funding sources, awarding procedures, and benefit types, and new policies and programs are regularly introduced or retired. Not only do these varied requirements and stipulations present…

  • Looking for Financial Aid Opportunities for Indigenous Students? – Introducing SSTAR Lab’s Upcoming Tool

    By Gresham Collom & Misti Jeffers Did you know Indigenous college students accounted for only 0.7% of enrolled college students in 2020 (Keo et al., 2021)? Indigenous Peoples in the United States have long experienced a history of colonization, genocide, and racial oppression, and Indigenous students continue to experience barriers to access and success in…

  • Equity Funding Analysis in Higher Ed: Insights from K–12

    By Leslie Orrantia With similar disparities in student outcomes across secondary and postsecondary sectors, states are increasingly turning to K–12 to ask what lessons may inform higher education finance for more equitable distribution of resources. This question is central to a new SSTAR Lab literature review titled “Adequacy and Equity in Education Finance: How Can…