Here are some new resources and news for the field of higher education.
Illinois Risks Brain Drain as University Students Look Elsewhere. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 15). As a May 1 deadline looms for high school seniors deciding where to attend college, students are thinking twice about universities in Illinois, where the worst budget crisis in state history has halted funding for higher education.
The value of an associate degree: Associate-degree holders lag slightly behind those with bachelor’s degrees in well-being and in having “good jobs,” but they are just as likely to strongly agree that their education was worth the cost, according to a Gallup-USA Funds survey. (Community College Daily, April 11)
“Guiding a First Generation to College”: first of two articles with insights about what first generation students need for college.
2016 College Affordability Diagnosis: State comparisons and links to individual state reports.
White House steps up effort to reform student loan servicing to stave off rising defaults. The White House has unveiled a series of initiatives to improve the way the government collects payments on education loans, at a time when defaults are rising.
Financial obstacles to education go beyond tuition. A report from California found that financial obstacles to low-income students’ success in college go beyond tuition and include needs such as housing and food, as well as transportation, textbooks and other supplies. (U.S. News & World Report, April 14)
The Illinois Education Research Council announces the call for proposals for its 14th annual Focus on Illinois Education Research Symposium September 29 and 30 in Bloomington. We provide a unique forum for the discussion of educational issues of interest to the Illinois community for education policy makers, researchers, and practitioners from the state and beyond. The call for proposals is attached and closes on June 17, 2016. Submit a proposal and come be a part of the conversation!
Rebate for community college completion: Massachusetts launched a new program to encourage community college students to enroll full time, finish their programs and move on to four-year institutions. Students receive a 10 percent rebate on tuition and fees at the end of each completed semester. (Inside Higher Ed, April 22)
Meandering Toward Graduation: Transcript Outcomes of High School Graduates. Ed Trust produced a report which shows that too many students leave high school with a diploma in hand but no clear path forward. Specifically, the report finds that 47 percent of American high school graduates complete neither a college- nor career-ready course of study. It also shows that only 8 percent of high school graduates in 2013 completed a full college- and career-prep curriculum.
“Community Colleges Trying to Increase Pathways for Students.” (Inside Higher Ed – April 11). Community college leaders across the country are looking through the hundreds of courses in their catalogs and trying to find a way to streamline their offerings in order to get students to completion.
Financial obstacles to education go beyond tuition. A report from California found that financial obstacles to low-income students’ success in college go beyond tuition and include needs such as housing and food, as well as transportation, textbooks and other supplies. (U.S. News & World Report, April 14)
