HIGHER ED DIVE
November 15, 2024
The House of Representatives recently passed the FAFSA Deadline Act, requiring the U.S. Department of Education to make the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form annually available by October 1. This policy would take effect for the 2026-27 FAFSA. The bill received overwhelming support after initially being rejected by a majority of house lawmakers. The bill seeks to allow users to complete the FAFSA form without experiencing complications in order to receive access to timely financial aid.
HIGHER ED DIVE
October 23, 2024
There has been a 3% increase in fall 2024 undergraduate enrollment compared to fall 2023. This increase in enrollment can be driven by students who previously started their first year of college and/or completed dual enrollment in high school. Specifically, data has shown a 1.9 % increase in bachelor’s degree programs, 4.3% increase in associate degrees, and 7.3% increase in certificate seekers. On the other hand, enrollment amongst first-year students has declined by 5%, signifying potential cracks in the K-12 pipeline. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center also discovered an increase in re-enrollment of students who previously left college without completing a degree or credential.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
October 17, 2024
Approximately 2,182 higher education institutions within the 50 states were surveyed regarding graduation outcomes for 4-year and 2-year degree seeking students. A cohort of students starting their 4-year degree in 2016 and a cohort of students starting their 2-year degree in 2019 were selected. The survey monitored the number of students within the cohort who transferred out and who were still and no longer enrolled.
Inside Higher Ed
October 14, 2024
After facing challenges with the 2023-2024 FAFSA form, 680 students have successfully submitted the 2024-2025 application and reported a positive experience while navigating the phase 1 process. The purpose of phase 1 was to help identify and resolve technical and usability issues to further restore users’ trust in the FAFSA form. Further reports indicated that families were able to complete the form in approximately 20 minutes with minimal errors and without any in-person assistance. On the other hand, some students noted challenges with not being able to get their FSA IDs. Higher education institutions are also anticipating the success of the new form to further diminish the possibility of further delays.
Inside Higher Ed
September 24, 2024
Each year college students stop out of higher education institutions due to financial, academic, and mental health challenges. Most students that stop out report not being aware of student support services available to assist them. In response, higher education institutions are actively working to increase student awareness of the support services that can assist with student persistence and completion rates. Recommendations include streamlining communication via email or text, increasing awareness of all resources available, addressing student safety, and considering the role of financial aid.
HIGHER ED DIVE
October 02, 2024
Higher education institutions are continuously evaluating the benefits and drawbacks of test optional policies. At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a drastic shift in over 2,000 institutions moving to test optional admissions practices. Proponents of test optional policies believe that SAT and ACT scores do not show the strengths of applicants but rather leads them to not apply to institutions that require these scores, ultimately impacting diversity in the applicant pool. Advocates of standardized tests believe that test scores indicate prospective students’ academic success and preparedness. Importantly, institutions that are currently test optional have reported no impact on student retention.
HIGHER ED DIVE
September 12, 2024
The class of 2022 is enrolling in college within a year of their high school graduation. According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, high and low minority high schools saw approximately a 1% increase in college enrollment compared to low-poverty high schools that experienced a 1.1% decrease. Statistics reveal that the high school class of 2021 had a higher persistence rate compared to the class of 2020. Improving persistence rates is identified as a factor that shows signs of high school student’s college enrollment.
The Washington Post
August 28, 2024
The Washington Post
August 07, 2024
The Education department recently announced starting October 1, they will launch the 2025-2026 FAFSA form in phases to assist in identifying and resolving system errors based on the feedback from a limited set of student users. This extra precaution is implemented to identify and fix the same technical glitches and bureaucratic delays experienced in the 2024-2025 form. Testing protocols will further ensure an easy navigation for users before the application is made available to all students on or before December 1. Congressional Republicans as well as the Interim President and Chief Executive of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators believe the form should not be launched in phases, but rather rolled out on the anticipated October 1 date that has been a norm since 2016.
Inside Higher Ed
August 05, 2024
Higher Education institutions are faced with immense financial pressure that is causing shifts in employment, budget allocations, academic programming, etc. Factors that contributed to this shift include rising operational costs and declining enrollment, which is connected to the issues faced with the newly implemented yet problematic FAFSA form. Specifically, eight higher education institutions were forced to adjust their regulatory operations this upcoming fiscal year.