A variety of assessment options that incorporate high-impact educational practices (HIPS) have emerged to assist higher education faculty in meeting student learning outcomes. HIPS are teaching and learning tools which have been demonstrated to increase student engagement and persistence. Practices such as first-year seminars, tech-rich learning communities, collaborative projects, undergraduate research, service learning, practicums, and internships are meaningful educational tools used to assess/measure a student's cumulative learning at various intervals. However, utilization of these practices is not often applied systematically due in part to the required investment of time, training, and money. This paper describes HIPS that support course and program-level learning outcomes in conjunction with the required investments for implementation of each. An exploration into why these types of practices are critical to student learning and success unveils which students have access to these opportunities. Findings emphasize the value of investing in these practices for all students in order to ensure student success, satisfy university accreditation standards, and meet the current mandates of our government's "completion agenda" which is geared towards preparing America's future workforce.