Inside Higher Ed.
January 03, 2023 Student Success, Value and Affordability
Congress is sending more than $1.5 billion to colleges and universities thanks to earmarks and pouring millions more into student success grant programs as part of the $1.7 trillion spending package for fiscal year 2023 that lawmakers approved late last month. The bill increases the maximum annual Pell Grant award to $7,395. It’s the second increase in as many fiscal years and the largest in a decade.
Inside Higher Ed
October 13, 2022 Admissions, Student Success
The national average composite ACT score for the high school class of 2022 was the lowest in over three decades. The trend of declining average scores, however, began long before the pandemic. While more students took the exams this year, the numbers were still fewer than in 2020. There are also vast differences in the scores of students by race and ethnicity.
Higher Ed. Dive
September 08, 2022 Enrollment Management Trends, Student Success
Researchers found that 5.6% of undergraduate and graduate students surveyed identified as caregivers. 3.2% cared for someone who was chronically ill or aging, and 2.9% cared for a minor. These students were disproportionately women, graduate students, financial aid recipients, and enrolled part time. Such students had lower average GPAs and a higher likelihood to report depression and anxiety symptoms. It is recommended institutions proactively identify such students and design policies to minimize emotional and academic risk factors.
Inside Higher Ed
September 06, 2022 Enrollment Management Trends, Student Success
As institutions navigate employees’ desires for flexibility in work location and hours, there is agreement that student needs should be central to decision-making. College and university officials may not realize, however, that most students don’t expect or feel they need in-person, non-faculty staff on campus. Students indicated via a recent survey, however, that certain departments should always have at least some staff physically working on campus, such as financial aid and counseling centers.
Inside Higher Ed
August 30, 2022 Research, Student Success
A recent study found that male-female research teams produce more innovative, impactful research than all-male or all-female teams. Male-female teams publish up to 7 percent more novel papers, and are also 15 percent more likely to be highly cited than all-male or all-female teams.
Higher Ed. Dive
August 19, 2022 Student Success, Value and Affordability
A student who is a parent and works 10 hours per week at a minimum wage job cannot afford tuition and child care at a public institution in any state. On average, these students need to work 50 hours per week to meet their expenses. Increasing the federal minimum wage, doubling the Pell Grant for low-income students, expanding on-campus child care, and collecting additional data about student parents are potential strategies to help mitigate this disparity.
Higher Ed. Dive
August 04, 2022 Enrollment Management Trends, Student Success
Colleges with vaccination requirements reduced the number of positive cases and deaths in surrounding areas. The mandates reduced the number of deaths by 5% at four-year residential colleges, and also reduced new COVID-19 cases by 339 per 100,000 county residents.
Higher Ed. Dive
August 02, 2022 Enrollment Management Trends, Student Success
According to recent research from the National Student Clearinghouse, only 51% of students earned 24 or more credits in their first year of college, and only 28% of first-year students earning 30 or more credit hours. While the rate of credits earned varied based on institution type, degree sought, college readiness, enrollment intensity, and race and ethnicity, most students are not on track to graduate in four or five years.
Inside Higher Ed
July 12, 2022 Enrollment Management Trends, Student Success
According a new report, differences in advising at higher education institutions affected racial and ethnic disparities in graduation rates. Those with narrower disparities had lower advising caseloads, greater use of advising technologies, and more access to student data. These differences carry valuable lessons for institutions trying to close equity gaps.
Higher Ed. Dive
June 28, 2022 Enrollment Management Trends, Student Success
There is an increase in student persistence and retention rates for the fall 2020 cohort of first-time students. Seventy-five percent of students returned to higher education by fall 2021, compared to 73.9% the previous year. Enrollment declines are responsible for the uptick in persistence and retention rates.