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Rutgers Today

Rutgers Today provides a daily stream of news from across Rutgers University, serving both internal and external audiences.

Undergraduate enrollment rises 3% despite drop in first-year students, early data shows

HIGHER ED DIVE

October 23, 2024   Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends

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.

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Stress Testing the FAFSA

Inside Higher Ed

October 14, 2024   Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends

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.

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How colleges can navigate a shifting test-optional landscape

HIGHER ED DIVE

October 02, 2024   Pre-College Outreach, Admissions

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.

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College enrollment rate improved among high school class of 2022, report finds

HIGHER ED DIVE

September 12, 2024   Pre-College Outreach, Admissions

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.

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Cuts to Race-Based Scholarships Block Path to College, Students Say

The Washington Post

August 28, 2024   Admissions, Student Success

Higher education institutions are eliminating scholarships specifically catered to underrepresented racial groups after the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision that restricted affirmative action. Race-conscious scholarships helped remove the financial burden from students and allowed them to focus on their academic experience. Higher education professionals believe that removing race-conscious scholarships will hurt Black and Latino students being that merit-based scholarships favorably assist White and Asian students. Higher education institutions are avoiding possible lawsuits regarding commitment to racial inclusion, rather than justifying the need of race-conscious scholarships.

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Next FAFSA will be released in phases, Education Department says

The Washington Post

August 07, 2024   Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends

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.

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Declining Enrollment, FAFSA Issues Led to More Cuts in July

Inside Higher Ed

August 05, 2024   Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends

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.

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Education Department reverses course on batch FAFSA corrections

HIGHER ED DIVE

July 31, 2024   Admissions

The U.S Department of Education has recently decided to not allow colleges to make corrections to the 2024-2025 FAFSA form. This unexpected change will burden college administrators and delay financial aid for college students. There has been a shift in focus regarding allocating resources for the redevelopment of the 2025-2026 FASFA, which is intended to be released on October 1. The House of Representatives Education Committee has subpoenaed the Education department to further assist with monitoring their dissemination of documents and communications.

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Sticker shock: A look at the complicated world of tuition pricing

HIGHER ED DIVE

July 22, 2024   Pre-College Outreach, Admissions

The competitive nature of student recruitment at higher education institutions is a contributing factor to the debate on increased tuition sticker prices. Sticker prices signify to college students (prospective and current) the quality of education rather than the cost of tuition and fees after deducting grants and scholarships. With institutions trying to reach a specific diverse threshold and academic student demographic, finding a balance between being marketable without devaluing the institution’s prestige is a necessity. Conducting an academic reset to properly signify a more accurate net price of tuition is a solution that some institutions are adopting.

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5 higher education lawsuits to keep an eye on in 2024

Higher Ed. Dive

January 18, 2024   Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends

The higher education landscape was changed dramatically due to a series of court decisions last year, and the coming year will see rulings on additional lawsuits that could further alter college and university practices. The article outlines five current lawsuits and their potential impact.

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