School closures and the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus propelled a decrease in FAFSA applications nationally, according to an Associated Press analysis of federal data.
As of mid-June, 70,000 fewer students had filed for federal aid compared to the same time period in 2019. The decline represents a 3.7 percent drop overall.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published on Admitted in March 2019. It’s being republished as part of NACAC’s Best of the Blog series.
High student-to-counselor ratios are a persistent problem in the United States, but what about schools that have no counselor at all?
Using the most recent federal data, the ACLU compared the number of police in schools to the number of counselors, nurses, psychologists, and social workers on campus.
Their analysis found that 1.7 million students are in schools with a police presence but no counselors. Another 14 million students are in schools with police but no counselor, nurse, psychologist, or social worker.
Continue reading Report: 1.7 Million Students in Schools with Police, No Counselors
Community colleges in California are coming together to address racism.
The California Community College Equity Leadership Alliance will allow school leaders and faculty from member institutions to pool their resources and learn from one another as they work to improve their campus climate.
Continue reading Community Colleges Band Together to Combat Campus Racism
Is your college application essay about money, work, social class, or another related topic?
If so, The New York Times wants to hear from you.
Continue reading Students: The New York Times Wants to Publish Your College Essay
Pride parades planned across the country this month were canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak, but colleges are finding creative ways to celebrate.
LGBTQ-themed Netflix watch parties, online drag shows, and shoebox parade floats are among activities organized to keep students engaged and supported.
“There are a lot of people who are going to be coming here — either physically or online — in the fall, and they need to know there is an active community here for them, that there is support,” Frances Johnson, coordinator of the LGBTQ+ Pride Center at Texas A&M University, told Diverse. “Going to college is scary enough, but when you’re queer or from small (town) Texas or from come of these smaller areas, (college) may be your opportunity to come out…It’s about that representation and visibility.”
Continue reading Colleges Find Creative Ways to Celebrate Pride Month
With the coronavirus pandemic raising doubts about the feasibility of in-person classes next year, a growing number of high school grads are considering taking a gap year.
But what should families know about this option? Education reporter Elissa Nadworny recently shared some important insights with National Public Radio listeners.
“Research has shown that those who do a gap year—so that’s (a) specific time away with a clear enrollment plan—they do really well when they get to college. They tend to be whiter and wealthier and have highly educated parents,” Nadworny said in a segment that aired earlier this month. “At the same time, we know that for many students, when they simply delay enrollment or they put off college to work to save money, the longer they wait, the harder it is to get a degree. And that’s especially true for low-income students.”
Continue reading Thinking about a Gap Year? Consider the Research!
Colleges continued to offer online coursework this spring amid the coronavirus pandemic, but one educator says the “new normal” unfairly disadvantaged her students at MiraCosta College.
The two-year school is part of the California Community College District, and sociology instructor Kat Soto-Gomez said shifting learning online – particularly during a time of economic turmoil – hastened student attrition.
Her Ed Surge essay highlights the challenges low-income students face during the coronavirus pandemic. As one student told her after falling behind on his coursework: “I didn’t realize I would be deemed an ‘essential worker’ working at The Home Depot.”
Continue reading Essay: Community College Students Hit Hard by Pandemic
New research confirms what many school counselors have witnessed firsthand: Black and Hispanic students who live near police killings experience significant negative impacts to their educational and emotional well-being.
Those findings are included in a working paper published this week by Desmond Ang, an assistant professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School (MA).
Will incoming college freshmen opt to stay closer to home this fall due to the coronavirus pandemic?
Early enrollment data from a handful of US colleges suggests that may the case.
According to a recent article from the Associated Press (AP), commitments from in-state students have increased by 26 percent at the University of Texas at Arlington, 20 percent at The Ohio State University, and 15 percent at Michigan State University.
“Students want to be closer to home in case an outbreak again forces classes online,” the article notes. “Some are choosing nearby schools where they’re charged lower rates as state residents.”
Continue reading Students Turn to In-State Colleges Amid the Pandemic
New research shines a spotlight on the extent to which Black teens experience racism and explores how those experiences impact mental health.
A small study of 101 students from Washington, DC, found that Black teens, on average, encounter racism and discrimination five times a day. Students who faced the most severe incidents of racism were more likely to experience depression.
The study, led by Devin English of Rutgers University (NJ), was published in the January-February issue of the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology.
Science News for Students examined the findings and interviewed English for a recent article aimed at helping all teens recognize and address racism. In easy-to-understand language, the article explains why the onslaught of discrimination faced by Black students is so damaging and offers white students advice for becoming antiracist.
Continue reading Study: Black Students Face Racist Actions 5 Times a Day
