Three-quarters of community college presidents report that their institutions are adding new programs or other options to make it easier for students to transfer to four-year universities, according to a new report from Inside Higher Ed and Gallup.
The additions are an attempt to recruit more students and better serve those already enrolled at two-year institutions, survey data from community college presidents shows.
Continue reading Survey: Community Colleges Seek to Increase Transfer Options
There’s a reason it’s a classic.
Parents, educators, and others have turned to Beverly Daniel Tatum’s bestselling book for over two decades to better understand the dynamics of race in America. Those conversations continue to be critically important today, so on June 11 #NACACreads will discuss the new edition of Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?
Looking for ways to increase access and success in higher ed?
Using new technologies to provide personalized support and timely information can help students get to and through college, author Benjamin Castleman noted during a Wednesday #NACACreads Twitter chat.
“We know that students face complex and consequential decisions all along the road to and through college,” Castleman tweeted during a discussion of his book, The 160-Character Solution: How Text Messaging and Other Behavioral Strategies Can Improve Education. “These choices range from HS juniors/seniors choosing which of the thousands of colleges in the country are a good fit for their (postsecondary) goals, to advanced college students (identifying) financial resources they can access to get through the last mile of college.”
Continue reading #NACACreads: Using Text Messages to Nudge College-Bound Students
Editor’s note: A version of this post was originally published on Admitted in March 2016. It’s being republished as part of NACAC’s Best of the Blog series.
Getting into college is only half the battle for teens living in poverty.
To prove eligibility for financial aid, many colleges ask low-income students to submit a mountain of paperwork — going beyond what is required of their middle- and upper-income peers, NACAC member Joshua Steckel wrote in a 2016 opinion column published by The Boston Globe.
The process is burdensome, he noted. Worst of all, it can discourage talented students from accessing the financial support they need to attend college.
Continue reading Counselor: Financial Aid Process Burdens Low-Income Students
It takes more than good grades and big dreams to get into college.
Students — especially those who are among the first in their families to pursue higher education — also need confidence as they approach the college search and selection process.
Camp College, an annual program offered each spring by the Michigan Association for College Admission Counseling (MACAC), is designed with the latter goal in mind. The day-long camp helps underserved students plan for higher education and think through the steps needed to apply to colleges and seek out financial aid.
Continue reading Imagine Grant Supports Camp College Program
Decision Day is fast approaching.
May 1 is the deadline for students to accept an offer of admission at many institutions. And for the fifth year, Reach Higher—in coordination with Better Make Room—is encouraging schools and communities to host College Signing Day events in recognition of their students’ hard work.
Continue reading College Signing Day: Watch our Facebook Live Q&A
Roughly 3.1 million Americans reside in education deserts, according to a recent report from the Urban Institute.
In other words, they live more than 25 miles from an open-access public college and lack the broadband Internet connection needed for online education. The resulting isolation acts as a barrier to higher education.
Continue reading Report: Millions of Americans Live in Education Deserts
We all know the space race gave America access to the moon, but did you know it also helped pave the way for more women to go to college?
Women now make up more than 56 percent of students on campuses nationwide, according to the US Department of Education. But back in the 1960s, colleges often used “gender quotas” or simply excluded women entirely.
2018 marks 60 years since the passage of the National Defense Education Act (NDEA). In a recent episode of the Ways & Means podcast, host Emily Hanford explored how the National Defense Education Act inadvertently gave millions of American women access to college.
Continue reading College Access: How the Space Race Opened Doors for Women
The challenges faced by first-generation college students are well-documented, and according to new data, some of those hurdles begin to crop up in high school.
A research brief from the National Center for Education Statistics found that students whose parents did not go to college were less likely to enroll in challenging high school courses than their peers.
Continue reading First-Gen Students Less Likely to Access Rigorous Coursework in High School
From identifying right-fit schools to securing financial aid and selecting classes — success in higher education is intrinsically linked to a student’s ability to make informed decisions about their future and follow through on their plans.
Discuss new ways to help students navigate this critical process during an April 18 #NACACreads chat with Benjamin Castleman, author of The 160-Character Solution: How Text Messages and Other Behavioral Strategies Can Improve Education.