A new pilot program is encouraging adult learners in Minnesota to restart their college careers.
MN Reconnect aims to help those with prior credits re-engage with higher education at four community colleges located throughout the state.
The goal? To increase the number of Minnesotans holding degrees by making college more accessible for adults.
Continue reading Minnesota Launches Effort to Reconnect with Adult Learners
What policies and practices are most effective when it comes to race-conscious admission? And how do recent lawsuits — including the ongoing Harvard case — affect the ability of colleges to promote diversity?
An Oct. 24 webinar hosted by the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA) will address those questions and more. The two-hour program is aimed at university counsel who advise institutions, but is also open to admission professionals and others who are involved in student enrollment and retention. The webinar is presented in cooperation with NACAC.
Continue reading Upcoming Webinar Addresses Race-Conscious Admission Policies
Did you participate in our #NACACreads chat with Julissa Arce earlier this year?
The author and activist has released a new book about her experiences as an undocumented immigrant.
Someone Like Me — aimed at students ages 11 to 14 — was released last month. Arce told The New York Times that she hopes her story inspires undocumented students to dream big when it comes to higher education and their future.
Continue reading #NACACreads Author Hopes New Book Inspires Undocumented Students
School profiles are an important tool in the college admission process.
They allow secondary schools to highlight the things that make them unique while helping college admission professionals better understand each school’s student body and academic offerings.
And thanks to NACAC, counselors now have a new resource to reference when creating or updating their institution’s profile. The online database — made available last month — includes links to more than 1,200 profiles from member schools.
Most high school students and their parents are unaware of the actual cost of college, according to a new report from the National Center for Education Statistics. And when they do hazard a guess as to how much it will take to enroll, they often overestimate the price of higher education.
“There may be serious consequences to being uninformed and unsure about college costs and financial aid,” according to the report. “For example, uncertainty about college costs and the availability of financial aid has been associated with underenrollment among low-income and minority students.”
The study looked at students’ perceptions of tuition and fees at a public, four-year college in their state. The findings suggest teens need earlier and better information related to college costs.
Continue reading Report: Students Confused About College Costs
All students have questions about the college admission process.
But those who identify as LGBTQ often grapple with a unique set of considerations when researching schools and submitting their applications. In addition to finding a college that supports their academic goals, they are searching for a campus community that will embrace their identity.
Looking for resources to help students with their search? In an article published this week by Teen Vogue, college admission professionals answered some of the most pressing questions asked by LGBTQ students.
Students now have another avenue to file for federal aid. Thanks to a new mobile app, they can use their smartphones to fill out the FAFSA.
Department of Education officials and college access workers hope the new platform — called myStudentAid — will make it easier for more students to access money for college.
A recent column published in The New York Times offered some timely advice for parents who just can’t help tinkering with their child’s college essay.
In a word? Don’t.
“The paradox of the overzealous editing of the college essay by many helicopter parents is that they don’t know what a college essay is really about,” wrote JM Farkas, a college essay consultant. “Unlike the other parts of an application, where high grade point averages and SAT scores reign supreme, the essay is less about being impressive than it is about being authentic.”
Did you land a new job? Receive an award? Publish a book? Let NACAC know what you’ve been up to by filling out our survey.
Continue reading Let Us Know About Your Awards and Accomplishments
Nearly 70 percent of college students work while enrolled in school, but the types of jobs they hold and the hours they work vary based on their socioeconomic status, according to a recent report from Georgetown University’s Center for Education and the Workforce (CEW).
“When they choose to work…higher-income students have access to the best jobs and work experience, such as internships and assistantships,” according to a CEW press release. “Low-income students are more likely than higher-income students to work in food service, sales, and administrative support jobs while enrolled. Work experience in these jobs provides basic life skills like conscientiousness and teamwork, but does not provide the deeper technical and general skills that foreshadow good career entry-level jobs.”
And in many cases, the demands of these positions exacerbate the challenges students face in the classroom.
Continue reading Report: Balancing Work and Learning is a Struggle for Low-Income Students
