Higher Ed. Dive
February 19, 2021 Student Success, Value and Affordability
The government spending package passed at the end of 2020 included several provisions intended to extend federal financial support to more college students. Financial aid changes include simplifying the FAFSA, expanding eligibility for Pell grants, rebranding the EFC (expected family contribution), and bringing more predictability overall to financial aid awards.
Inside Higher Ed.
January 26, 2021 Enrollment Management Trends, Student Success, Value and Affordability
The Common Application is the most widely used college application, with more than 900 institutions participating. Newly released data shows that larger and more competitive colleges are receiving many applications, but smaller and less competitive colleges are not. Additionally, first-generation and fee waiver students are not applying at the same rates as they used to, with application numbers declining by three and two percentage points, respectively.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
January 13, 2021 Enrollment Management Trends, Student Success
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges were already dreading a “great enrollment crash”. The pandemic then induced a 13% decline in first-time undergraduate enrollment, lying outside any projection model. Institutions of higher education must use lessons learned from 2020 and develop innovative enrollment strategies to survive the approaching demographic reversal of 2026.
Education Dive
January 03, 2021 Enrollment Management Trends
Many of the higher education trends that dominated storylines in 2020 will likely continue to be highlighted this year. Areas of focus include decreased enrollment, instructional delivery (in person or remote), and test-optional admissions. A new presidential administration will also impact higher education policy.
Inside Higher Ed.
December 16, 2020 Student Success
A poll released by Gallup and the Lumina Foundation, a nonprofit advocate organization for equity in postsecondary education, found that about three-quarters of students rated the quality of their education to be “excellent” or “very good” despite disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
December 15, 2020 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
Competition in higher education admissions continues to be driven by demographic declines and increasing price sensitivity, among other factors. The ongoing crisis created by the outbreak of COVID-19 has further revealed the fragility of the current admissions model, which relies heavily on campus visits and travel for recruitment. This article examines the possibility of replacing the current admissions process with a match process, similar to medical school model.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
December 10, 2020 Student Success, Value and Affordability
This year, 21.7% fewer high school graduates enrolled directly into college compared to 2019 as reported by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. The reflects a huge year-to-year change, and when comparing students from different socioeconomic backgrounds, it becomes clear that the pandemic has hit low-income students, especially those from urban high schools, the hardest.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
December 03, 2020 Student Success, Value and Affordability
The College Scorecard is a website designed to give prospective students and their families information about how much debt students at individual institutions incur, and how much they would earn in certain fields after graduation. At nearly 130 four-year institutions awarding bachelor’s degrees, the median amount parents borrowed was $50,000 or higher. The data reflect the loans parents received through the PLUS program on behalf of undergraduate students who earned their degrees in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 academic years.
Education Dive
December 03, 2020 Enrollment Management Trends
The national six-year completion rate rose 0.3 percentage points this year, compared to a 1.4 point gain recorded last year. A slight decrease in completion among traditional age and community college students was recorded, while older students saw completion rates improve across every institution type except community colleges.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
December 02, 2020 Student Success, Value and Affordability
In previous years, the federal government verified around 30% of all FAFSA applicants for each enrollment cycle; however this year the U.S. Education Department announced it reduced the percentage to 18%. The verification process is widely seen as a barrier for low income students to gain access to government grants, scholarships, and loans that would offset the financial burden of attending college.