Education

EDU News Curated by Kiosk: Rural colleges and other higher ed news

After its college closes, a rural community fights to keep a path to education open

From The Hechinger Report: “The number of students in Ohio’s public high schools slid by 7 percent from 2012 to 2022. … Nearly 13 million Americans now live in places, mostly in the Midwest and Great Plains, where the nearest college or university is beyond a reasonable commute away… Helping overcome those kinds of obstacles is now the purpose of the nonprofit set up with the remaining Chatfield College endowment… Called the Chatfield Edge, it has provided volunteer mentors, career counseling, assistance with admission and financial aid applications and other help to 21 students, and scholarships of about $1,500 per semester to 19 of them, said David Hesson, director of programs, who was an associate dean at the college.
View the full article from The Hechinger Report.

 

The Economic Returns of a Rural Education

From Inside Higher Education: “Rural colleges and universities tend to be more affordable and accessible and have shorter times to degree than their urban and suburban counterparts, according to a recent report by researchers at Boston College. And while rural colleges’ student completion rates and earnings outcomes slightly lag behind those of nonrural institutions, the gaps are minimal, researchers conclude.”
View the full article from Inside Higher Education.

 

Some rural states are cutting higher ed. One state is doing the opposite

From The Hechinger Report: “Like many rural Americans, the people here are place-bound, their educational choices constrained by geography as much as by cost. With family and jobs tying them to the region, and no local four-year option, many settle for a two-year degree, or skip college altogether. … Now, spurred by concerns that low levels of college attainment are holding back the southeastern swath of the state, the Kentucky legislature is exploring ways to bring baccalaureate degrees to the region. The leading option calls for turning Hazard’s community and technical college into a standalone institution offering a handful of degrees in high-demand fields, like teaching and nursing.”
View the full article from Hechinger Report.

 

Rural counties far from universities struggle to recruit teachers

From EdSource: “Nine rural California counties, most struggling with student achievement and teacher recruitment, are in teacher education deserts. … As a result, six of the nine counties have a higher percentage of underprepared teachers than the state average … One answer may be creating teacher credentialing programs at community colleges in these counties, according to the study. Although all nine teaching education deserts are not located near a university teacher preparation program, five are within 60 miles of a community college. … ‘Expanding local college programs to include K-12 certification, particularly at community colleges, can be a positive solution to address the challenges faced by rural school districts,’ Small School Districts’ Association director Calderon said.”
View the full article from EdSource.

 

Report: A convening of rural higher education institutions aims to provide economic mobility for rural learners

From Working Nation: “Building on its BRIDGES Rural initiative, the Education Design Lab is looking to its new cohort of 13 rural higher ed institutions across 11 states to expand on opportunity pathway insights in their communities – including rural earn-and-learn models, micro-communities, community ecosystem alignment, grow-your-own pathways, and data culture and capacity. … Each cohort member has been awarded implementation grants of up to $50,000, funded by Ascendium Education Group.”
View the full article from Working Nation.

 

Scathing GAO reports blame Education Department leaders for FAFSA mess

From Higher Ed Dive: “The U.S. Department of Education failed to oversee vendors, follow its own procedures, and properly communicate with students and colleges when launching the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid form. That’s according to a pair of scathing reports issued Tuesday by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. The GAO found, for example, that 4 million calls to the Education Department’s call centers — 74% of the total received — went unanswered from January to May, the first five months of the FAFSA application cycle.”
View the full article from Higher Ed Dive.

 

Graduate Degrees: Risky and Unequal Paths to the Top

From CEW Georgetown: “While Grad PLUS loans make up a smaller portion (32 percent) of annual federal graduate student loan disbursements, they are limited only by an institution’s cost of attendance, an amount that universities set with few incentives to rein in costs. … Grad PLUS student loan borrowers are more likely to be enrolled in high-cost programs and more likely to come from marginalized backgrounds. To address these concerns, CEW researchers developed a policy framework, modeled on the Education Department’s Gainful Employment (GE) and Financial Value Transparency (FVT) regulations, that aims specifically to mediate access to the Grad PLUS Loan Program through two tests.”
View the full article from CEW Georgetown.

 

Impact of Student Debt on Older Adults Grows

From Inside Higher Education: “Over the last 20 years, the number of adults aged 60 or older with student loan debt has grown sixfold, and the amount of debt they carry has multiplied nearly 20 times, according to a new fact sheet from the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) and the New America Foundation. It adds to a growing body of research that shows that while most of the attention paid to the student loan debt crisis is centered on Generation Z and millennials, a substantial number of older adults are also struggling to pay back student loans and establish financial security.”
View the full article from Inside Higher Education.

 

Expanding internships

From Business Higher Education Forum: “Despite the importance of internships, the current supply is insufficient, creating deep inequities in access. In 2023, while an estimated 8.2 million learners wanted to intern, only 3.6 million had the opportunity, and just 2.5 million had a quality internship marked by clarity, oversight, and skill-development. Individuals of color, first-generation students, community college students, and those who are financially vulnerable face some of the worst odds of securing an internship. This disparity in both internship supply and quality is increasingly problematic to employers, too, who need individuals with relevant skills and real-world experience to fill early-career roles.”
View the full article from Business Higher Education.

 

The Hot Labor Market Has Melted Away. Just Ask New College Grads.

From The New York Times: “A spring survey of employers by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that hiring projections for this year’s college graduating class were below last year’s. And it showed that finance, insurance and real estate organizations were planning a 14.5 percent decrease in hiring this year, a sharp U-turn from its 16.7 percent increase last year. Separately, the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the overall pace of hiring in professional and business services — a go-to for many young graduates — is down to levels not seen since 2009.”
View the full article from The New York Times.

 

How Are Pandemic-Era Students Faring Now?

From Inside Higher Education: “About 73 percent of students who started college for the first time during the 2019–20 school year experienced pandemic-related stress and anxiety the following school year, according to data the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Nearly 90 percent of students who identified as genderqueer or gender nonconforming reported pandemic-induced stress, compared to 80 percent of female students and 64 percent of men. And the source of that anxiety differed by demographic group as well; female, genderqueer, Black, Native and older students were among those who reported higher rates of job loss and difficulty paying for housing or food than their peers who did not share those identities.”

View the full article from Inside Higher Education.