Cost of College, Paying for College

Study: Majority of Families Neglect to Plan for College Costs

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The majority of US parents expect their children to attend college, but most neglect to budget for the costs associated with higher education, national survey data shows.

“Despite the wide array of approaches families might take to build a plan to pay for college, most don’t have a plan,” according to this year’s How America Pays for College study. “Although nearly nine in 10 families have anticipated their child’s college attendance since preschool, fewer than half that many agree they had a plan to pay for all years of college before the student enrolled.”

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Access, Advocacy, NACAC News

‘My (Underground) American Dream’ Selected for #NACACreads

An estimated 65,000 undocumented immigrants graduate from US high schools each year.

In 2001, Julissa Arce was one of those students.

“I graduated in the top 5 percent of my class,” she wrote in her memoir, My (Underground) American Dream. “I was all smiles. My whole family was proud of me. And all of us were worried.”

Join us Jan. 9 for a #NACACreads discussion of Arce’s book and the challenges undocumented students face as they make their way to and through higher education. Arce will participate in the hour-long Twitter chat, which kicks off at 9 p.m. ET.

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College Admission, NACAC News

Webinar: Explore NACAC’s State of College Admission Report

Want to learn more about the findings included in NACAC’s latest State of College Admission?

Melissa Clinedinst, NACAC’s associate director of research, will present report highlights Thursday during a free webinar.

The presentation kicks off at 2 p.m. ET. Tune in to learn about factors in the admission decision, the college acceptance rate, and student-to-counselor ratios.

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College Admission

November 1st Eve is the new Halloween

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Dear Halloween,

I miss you.

On Halloween in Denver, there is an air of anticipation as the sun settles behind the foothills. The skeletons of aspens and cottonwoods stand sentinel along neighborhood sidewalks, their scattered golden leaves soon to be decimated by the trampling of feet, wagons, and strollers. At dusk, adorable children with painted faces and pumpkin-shaped buckets begin to troll the streets.

At least, this is what I imagine happens.

It’s been years since I witnessed this tradition. I merely handle candy acquisition. My husband: distribution. While he responds to the doorbell with Pavlovian efficiency, I write recommendations and reply to my seniors’ frantic emails as they spend the last Halloween of their youth finalizing applications. Because for seniors, Oct. 31 isn’t Halloween.

It’s November 1st Eve.

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College Admission, NACAC News, Uncategorized

NACAC Survey: Colleges Report Transfer Students are Crucial to Enrollment Goals

More than two-thirds of US colleges view transfer students as considerably important in meeting enrollment goals, according to new survey results released today by NACAC.

The finding — included in the 14th annual edition of NACAC’s State of College Admission report — confirms that more colleges and universities are relying on transfer students to help fill their classes. National data show that more than one-third of all students switch schools sometime during their college career.

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College Admission, College Readiness, NACAC News

#NACACreads: College Prep and the Price of Perfection

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College-bound kids from across the globe are increasingly internalizing the same harmful message: Only excellence will do when it comes to grades, test scores, extracurricular activities, and college admission.

But expecting across-the-board greatness is a “set-up,” clinical psychologist David Gleason told counselors and admission professionals on Tuesday.

“Trying to conform to these expectations, kids become depleted, feeling scared about their futures, and disillusioned by their inability to do it all,” Gleason tweeted during a #NACACreads discussion of his book, At What Cost? Defending Adolescent Development in Fiercely Competitive Schools.

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NACAC News

Web Resource: See How Colleges Are Supporting Students Affected by Natural Disasters

Have your students been impacted by recent natural disasters?

NACAC has created a digital resource to help US and international students affected by hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, and floods make plans for higher education.

Since NACAC began surveying colleges and universities in October, more than 140 institutions have provided campus contacts and a direct link to information on their websites for students affected by the devastation.

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Cost of College

California to Make First Year of Community College Free

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California residents can now go to community college for free.

Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill in early October that gives students one year of free tuition at any of state’s 114 community colleges, as long as they are California residents and new students enrolling full-time, CNN reported.

This new legislation expands on what California already offered. Community colleges in the state currently charge residents $46 per credit — amounting to a cost of roughly $1,100 a year for students who enroll full-time.

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College Readiness, NACAC News

#NACACreads: Discuss Student Mental Health on Tuesday

How much pressure is too much for college-bound students?

Join us Tuesday for a #NACACreads discussion of At What Cost? Defending Adolescent Development in Fiercely Competitive Schools.

The hour-long Twitter chat, featuring author David L. Gleason, will kick off at 9 p.m. ET.

“Pressure to succeed, in and of itself, is not necessarily unhealthy,” Gleason notes in his book. “However, too much pressure — for anyone — but especially for still-developing children and adolescents — can be dangerous.”

Continue reading #NACACreads: Discuss Student Mental Health on Tuesday →

Regular updates on NACAC and the world of college admission counseling. For more information about NACAC, visit nacacnet.org.