Wisconsin HOPE Lab

College enrollment is growing, but students from low-income households, students of color, and those who would be the first in their families to attend college are still being left behind. Our purpose with the Wisconsin HOPE Lab is finding the best ways to level the playing field for such students, and Harvesting Opportunities for Postsecondary Education (HOPE) for the common good.

Great Lakes is providing $2.5 million over five years to develop the new research lab, the first of its kind, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Its charge is to find new and effective ways to minimize barriers to college completion, so more students reach their full potential.

The Wisconsin HOPE Lab intends to make research findings useful for practical application in college access and success services. Lab staff will observe such services in real-world settings and actively engage with leaders in the field, so their research agendas are aligned with the most pressing challenges to college completion.