Some Good News Masking Bad News—And No Mention of the Presidential Debate
No one is blaming higher ed for Biden’s debate performance, but his Title IX and student debt policies are taking hits, enrollment is falling, and OMG clashes at a faith-based rally
State Support for Public Higher Ed Increased in 2023
State support for public colleges rose last year, surpassing pre–Great Recession levels for only the second year since 2008, according to an annual report from the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association. For every full-time student, states paid $11,040 on average nationwide in fiscal year 2023, a 3.7 percent increase after accounting for inflation. The growth in state support is partly due to dwindling federal stimulus dollars and the decline in students attending public colleges. Enrollment at community colleges has gone down by nearly 12 percent since 2019, and at four-year public colleges by more than 3 percent; it’s now roughly flat with pre-recession levels. But for some public colleges, modest increases to their state support may not be enough to offset the negative consequences of falling enrollment, anemic net-tuition revenue, and the end of federal stimulus money. As the report states: “The continued decline in net tuition revenue puts greater pressure on states to not cut funding to public higher education in the coming years.” –Elizabeth Janice
Source
State Support for Colleges Continues to Rise as Federal Aid and Tuition Revenue Fall, Report Shows (Chronicle of Higher Education)
Further Reading
Bowling Green State University Reports Record $121 Million Scholarship Gift (Forbes)
BOARD OF TRUSTEES OKS TUITION INCREASES FOR ALABAMA SYSTEM (WVUA 23)
‘An affordable education’: Daytona State College averts tuition increase once again (Daytona Beach News Journal)
Fiery Clashes and Faith-Based Unity: A Stanford Rally and ACE’s New Initiative
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, a Stanford interfaith rally against terror turned contentious when hundreds of rally participants bearing Israeli flags clashed with pro-Palestinian campers. Organizer Aaron Schimmel emphasized the march’s focus on “defending core freedoms” at the university. Amid these tensions, the American Council on Education (ACE) launched its Commission on Faith-Based Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C., bringing together 35 campus presidents from 50 religiously affiliated institutions like Catholic University of America and Brigham Young University. Ted Mitchell, president of ACE, pointed out that religiously affiliated institutions excel at nurturing a “sense of belonging,” a key factor in keeping students engaged and enrolled in higher education. Shirley V. Hoogstra, co-chair of the ACE commission, praised faith-based institutions for their role in cultivating character, purpose, and a service-oriented ethos that are crucial for students’ mental well-being and sense of fulfillment. She advocated for universities to embrace students’ spiritual dimensions, aligning with ACE’s mission to share these transformative values widely. –Amy Genito
Sources
Verbal clashes mark ‘interfaith’ march to encampment at Stanford (San Francisco Chronicle)
New Commission on Faith-Based Institutions Launched (Inside Higher Ed)
Further Reading
US faith-based campuses feel a political moment (Times Higher Education)
Faith-based universities: Stability in a fragmented nation? (University World News)
Shortstack: An AI Guide, the End of Title IX, the Endangered Small College, and More
Harvard Task Forces Find Climate of Bias for Both Jewish and Muslim Groups: Groups investigating antisemitism and anti-Muslim bias cited instances of discrimination against pro-Israel students and “a pervasive climate of intolerance” against pro-Palestinian students. (New York Times)
Judge halts further student loan forgiveness under part of Biden’s new repayment plan: A federal judge on Monday temporarily barred the Education Department from allowing additional loan forgiveness under a key component of President Joe Biden’s student debt relief plan. (NBC News)
A New Guide for Responsible AI Use in Higher Ed: Generative artificial intelligence holds “tremendous promise” in nearly every facet of higher education, but there need to be guardrails, policies and strong governance for the technology, according to a new report. (Inside Higher Ed)
The End of Title IX: The wave of boys in girls’ sports is growing, and if President Biden gets his way, that wave will crash across the country, sweeping away titles, honors, and scholarships for girls in the process. (RealClearEducation)
The Endangered Small College: Many are on the brink, but they’ve never been more vital. (Chronicle of Higher Education)
Columbia suspends top officials over antisemitism event texting: After enduring harsh national spotlight for pro-Palestinian student protests, Ivy League campus investigates case that hands its conservative critics powerful new ammunition. (Times Higher Education)
Colorado to Make College Free for the First Two Years
Colorado governor Jared Polis has signed a bill that establishes a state-level promise program to cover 100 percent of tuition and fees for up to two years at trade schools and community colleges, as well as four-year institutions (a rare provision in such plans). The bill, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, creates a refundable income tax credit that will cover the cost of two years of in-state college for students from families making less than $90,000 a year. The goal is to increase access to higher education and also to encourage students to stay in the Rocky Mountain state—nearly a third of Colorado high school graduates go out of state for college. Eligible students can begin claiming the credit on their 2025 taxes. Higher education leaders say the new legislation is a win for middle-income families who often make too much to qualify for significant financial aid. However, the fact that it’s based on a refundable state income tax credit means they must pay tuition and fees upfront and then wait to receive a refund the following tax season. For families that are struggling, this could be tricky. –Elizabeth Janice
Sources
Colorado to Cover Two Years’ Tuition at Any Public College (Inside Higher Ed)
Colorado will ease path to college by paying back 2 years of tuition for lower-income students (Denver Post)
Further Reading
Congress Extends In-State Tuition for Pacific Islanders (Inside Higher Ed)
Scholarship Money Available Just for Having the Right Name
Higher education is increasingly out of reach for many. But for resourceful students who are willing to do the work to track them down, quirky scholarship opportunities abound. There are scholarships for golf caddies, tall children, and even people who can trace their lineage directly to specific individuals or who just happen to have the same last name as the benefactor—without necessarily being related. Loyola University Chicago offers scholarships to Catholic students with the last name Zolp. North Carolina State University provides them for students who were born with the surname of Gatlin or Gatling. A University of California scholarship gives preference to graduate students from Colombia and direct descendants from the family of the benefactor, Miguel Velez. And Harvard University has more than a half-dozen “ancestry-based scholarships” (as Harvard labels them), including one for descendants of Thomas Dudley, who served as governor of the Massachusetts Bay colony in the 1600s. –Elizabeth Janice
Source
The College Scholarship Secret Hiding in Plain Sight: Your Last Name (Wall Street Journal)
Further Reading