In the context of a long history of racial exclusion, policies designed to address racial inequalities continue to face strong opposition. This is especially true in the higher education sector, where there is strong resistance to efforts specifically designed to rectify racial discrimination (e.g., race-based affirmative action). This report maintains that only race-conscious policies can achieve racial equity in higher education. These are the policies that explicitly address race in their design and provide higher education access, opportunity, or support to students of color and the colleges and universities serving them. Data on Black students make a strong case for why policies that try to mask race by focusing on other factors, such as income, are not sufficient to close gaps for students of color. Black and White students, even with the same income, have vastly different experiences and circumstances that affect access to higher education and outcomes. Black students, compared with White students from the same socioeconomic backgrounds, enroll at less selective colleges, earn bachelor's degrees at lower rates, and default on loans much more frequently. This summary presents three arguments that explain why race-conscious policies in higher education are necessary. It concludes with a list of 10 strategies to help leaders and policymakers utilize, design and implement race-conscious policies in higher education. [For the main report, see ED603265.]