Supporting Students in Turbulent Times

Strategies to meet today's challenges

For vulnerable students, it is harder than ever to navigate the path to and through college. State laws and presidential proclamations have stripped away protections from students of color and LGBTQ students. An immigration crackdown has scared undocumented and international students. Widespread reductions in federal research spending and in student-loan programs threaten students’ financial stability. 

These developments risk undoing decades of progress in closing racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps, and could have consequences for enrollment, as colleges face a demographic cliff and depend on the tuition dollars of international students.

To attract and graduate diverse cohorts of students, colleges will need to find new ways to show their commitment to student success. And as the legal challenges evolve, college leaders must have the tools to deal with them. This Chronicle report features interviews with higher education leaders, legal experts, and students who are now shouldering the responsibility for their own uplift. It provides a pathway through a changing landscape and offers concrete steps colleges can take to support vulnerable students emotionally, financially, and logistically.

Readers of this report will:

• Understand the legal reach of executive orders and “Dear Colleague” letters.
• Hear from experts who caution against fear-driven overcorrection and overcompliance.
• Explore how to reinforce a commitment to inclusion among attacks on DEI.
• Recognize the mental-health services needed for students and staff from vulnerable populations.
• Understand how to communicate with students about their fears without offering false assurances of safety. 

Date: September 2025
Pages: 38
Digital file size:  25.9 MB

Individual Print and Individual Digital purchases are intended for one individual’s use only. Institutional Print is intended strictly for library collections. To share a digital copy with up to 25 people, please select Team Digital Access. 

To share the digital version with more than 25 people, learn more about our digital licensing options and request a quote. For multi-copy purchases, please refer to our bulk pricing schedule.