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
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 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.
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.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
November 19, 2020 Value and Affordability
The recent economy has lifted the political prospects of loan forgiveness, although some economists question the effectiveness of loan relief as a stimulus tool. The exact details of how loan forgiveness might work are also yet to be determined: How would it be passed? Would it apply only to federal loans, or only to federal undergraduate loans? Is there an income cap?
Education Dive
November 07, 2020 Enrollment Management Trends, Student Success, Value and Affordability
Joe Biden’s anticipated win for presidential office will not be official until the Electoral College vote in December, but his promises for higher education are included and explained in this article. Some of those promises include expanding free college, undoing Trump-era initiatives such as changing immigration policies and oversight of Title IX, and investing more into minority-serving institutions.
Harvard Business Review
September 29, 2020 Enrollment Management Trends, Value and Affordability
Fall 2020 marks an inflection point as students, educators, and government leaders scrutinize the price and value proposition of higher education through the new lens of traditional classroom vs. multiple modes of digital delivery. Higher education has significantly lagged behind other industries in moving to a more digitally-driven model, and less than 5% of college budgets are dedicated to IT spending. The current climate, paired with technological developments make it imperative for college leaders and policymakers to make digital transformation and technology a much more central strategic priority.
Education Dive
July 09, 2020 Value and Affordability
Just under half of the total $14 billion allotted to the CARES Act is reserved for students who are disadvantaged by the pandemic. The Institute for College Access & Success noted the funds were distributed to colleges with little guidance attached, and schools that received funding were to inform the Department of Education on how they are distributing funds to students.
Inside Higher Ed.
July 09, 2020 Enrollment Management Trends, Value and Affordability
A report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York rfinds that people from majority Black or Hispanic neighborhoods are less likely to attend college. Those that do attend college are more likely to borrow more in student loans and default on these loans later in life. While these critical social issues long predate COVID-19, it’s clear that the implications have been made starker by the coronavirus.