Category Archives: College Completion

NPR Podcast Promises to Help Students Navigate College

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A new podcast series from NPR is designed to help students make the most out of higher ed.

How to Succeed at College offers advice on how to pick classes, what to talk about at office hours, and the best strategies for studying. One episode even includes information about how to land a job after graduation.

“No matter where you are coming from, college can be a huge transition, and figuring out how to make it work for you is super-important,” host Elissa Nadworny says in an introduction to the series. “…”We’re going to cover a lot of ground: from making friends to nailing job interviews and how to roll with it when things don’t go as planned.”

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Survey Spotlights Student Mental Health

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Eight out of 10 college presidents report that student mental health has become more of a priority on their campuses over the past three years, according to a new survey from the American Council on Education (ACE).

The finding comes at a time when the number of students visiting campus counseling services continues to rise. As one president wrote: “Mental health has become a major issue for retention and the general well-being of our students . . . This is in my top three areas of improvement for my college.”

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Survey: Majority of Americans Believe College Is Worth It

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A majority of Americans see the value in a four-year college degree, according to a new survey.

The survey was conducted by the APM Research Lab to see what Americans believe about the value of a  college degree as it relates to its cost.

Fifty-eight percent of those surveyed agreed that a four-year college degree is worth it, despite the high cost of college.

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#NACACreads: Author Tony Jack to Discuss ‘The Privileged Poor’

Everyone wants to hear what Tony Jack has to say.

In the past three months, the Harvard sociologist has been featured on NPR, CNN, PBS, and other media outlets talking about disadvantaged students, college access, and the admission process.

And this September, he’ll be chatting with NACAC members.

Jack, author of The Privileged Poor, has agreed to join us for a #NACACreads discussion focused on his book. The conversation—which will also provide opportunities for admission professionals to share their insights about the experiences of disadvantaged students—will kick off on Twitter at 9 p.m. ET on Sept. 17.

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International, First-Generation Student Experience Inspires Online Platform

There are many issues and challenges facing international and first-generation college students in the college admission process and as they work to earn their degrees.

But one student is taking those challenges and using them as the basis for her new education tech start-up.

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Adults Returning to College Face Barriers Beyond Tuition Cost

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“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.

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Author: ‘Bias Toward Privilege’ Prevalent on College Campuses

Colleges and universities are working to recruit more diverse populations. But a new book finds that these marginalized populations often don’t have the resources and support they need as they work toward a degree.

“There’s a difference between access and inclusion,” explains Anthony Abraham Jack, author of the new book The Privileged Poor: How Elite Colleges Are Failing Disadvantaged Students.

“Universities have extended invitations to more and more diverse sets of students but have not changed their ways to adapt to who is on campus.”

Continue reading Author: ‘Bias Toward Privilege’ Prevalent on College Campuses

Effort Underway to Support Single Moms in College

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A new effort to raise graduation rates for single moms enrolled in community college is officially underway.

Single moms are among the fastest growing populations on college campuses – more than 11 percent of college students – but only 28 percent of single moms graduate within six years.

Former second lady Jill Biden announced the Community College Women Succeed initiative in late February. The initiative will start with regional roundtables, actually talking with these single mothers, and building a support system from there.

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US Fails to Reach Obama-era Targets for College Degree Holders

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In 2009, then-President Barack Obama announced a $12 billion initiative with a goal of returning the US to first in the world in the proportion of the population with degrees.

Ten year later, however, this goal seems even further out of reach.

The Hechinger Report recently looked at the goals and plans set by the American Graduation Initiative (AGI) and found that the US has fallen way behind. Continue reading US Fails to Reach Obama-era Targets for College Degree Holders