“Free college” programs eliminate one of the biggest barriers to a college degree, but for adults returning to school, tuition isn’t the only stressor.
About 13,000 adults enrolled last fall in Tennessee Reconnect, a state program that gives free community college tuition to people over age 25 who haven’t yet earned a college degree.
Mike Krause, head of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission that oversees Tennessee Reconnect, told NPR they need to do more to prevent students from dropping out because their reasons for leaving school aren’t always financial.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z have become two of the world’s best ambassadors for historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
In 2018, Beyoncé became the first black woman to headline Coachella and she used the opportunity to take concertgoers – and those watching at home – to school, celebrating HBCUs on the main stage.
Waiting in the Lexington, KY airport terminal for my flight home from the Rural College Access and Success Summit, I can’t help but reflect on the past few days meeting educators dedicated to rural issues.
I was heartened by the work of GEAR UP advisors from multiple states encouraging college aspirations among rural middle schoolers, but I was also reminded of the challenges our most remote counselors and students face, be it transportation issues, lack of curricular options, fewer students going on to college, or retention of teachers. For sure, unique barriers in rural spaces persist, and we must tackle them head-on.
“Resources in most states tend to be allocated non-progressively or even regressively, that is, higher-poverty districts do not receive more funds — and in some cases receive substantially less — than do lower-poverty districts, even controlling for factors that affect costs, such as regional wage variation, district size, and population density,” the report finds.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published on Admitted in May 2018. It’s being republished as part of NACAC’s Best of the Blog series and in celebration of National Teacher Appreciation Week. Teacher Appreciation Day is May 7 and Appreciation Week runs through Friday, May 10.
We hear about all the great teachers in the counseling office. The one who set the times tables to the tune of Pharrell Williams’ “Happy,” ensuring kids will remember them forever, even if it will take a while to get to eight times nine. Mr. Jones, the history teacher who dressed up like Benjamin Franklin for an entire week and never once broke character. The 10th grade English teacher who finally explained “i after e” in a way that made sense. When you put that much thought into a lesson, it makes for memorable teaching.
More than 400 colleges and universities still have openings, financial aid, and housing available to qualified freshman and/or transfer students for the Fall 2019 semester, according to NACAC’s 32nd Annual College Openings Update.
Both public and private colleges and universities are included on the list.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama celebrated student success at Reach Higher’s fifth annual College Signing Day event Wednesday.
“I want you all to know, personally, you are about to make the best investment that you can possibly make. And that’s true whether you are going to a trade school or to the military or to a community college or to a four-year university,” Obama said to loud cheers.
