October, 2024

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Raising the Bar on College Excellence and Equity: Update on the Postsecondary Success Recognition Program

Ed.gov Homeroom

By: James Kvaal, U.S. Under Secretary of Education Too often, the conversation on higher education focuses on a handful of colleges and universities that were founded centuries ago, have huge endowments and sparkling facilities, and admit very few students. While our country is lucky to have these institutions, we also need colleges and universities that Continue Reading The post Raising the Bar on College Excellence and Equity: Update on the Postsecondary Success Recognition Program appeared fi

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Focusing on Mental Health Challenges Facing Community College Students

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

A new report from the Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE) details mental health challenges that students face and how they can be better supported. The report, funded by The Kresge Foundation, "Supporting Minds, Supporting Learners: Addressing Student Mental Health to Advance Academic Success" explores the data of the 2023 Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) for returning students and the 2023 Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE) for entering stude

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Ten Things Juniors Need to Know About College

Counselors' Corner

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D. Along with the New England foliage, college fever is at its peak this week. As seniors scurry about, trying to remember their middle name while making application deadlines, now might be a good time to get juniors focused on what really matters, hoping they can avoid this frenzy next year. Ready? This is about you. A few of the seniors in your school are just discovering this, as they try to figure out how to tell their parents they’d rather go to the local college no

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Empowering Student Success: Fostering Holistic Growth in Higher Education

Symplicity

Higher education faces a critical challenge in fostering not just academic success but also supporting students' personal development, resilience, and readiness for life beyond the classroom. According to EAB’s recent report on the “ Student Readiness Crisis ,” a majority of today’s students are arriving on campus with lower levels of resilience, time management skills, and self-efficacy than previous generations.

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Can Brain Science Actually Help Make Your Training & Teaching Stick?

Speaker: Andrew Cohen, Founder & CEO of Brainscape

The instructor’s PPT slides are brilliant. You’ve splurged on the expensive interactive courseware. Student engagement is stellar. So… why are half of your students still forgetting everything they learned in just a matter of weeks? It's likely a matter of cognitive science! With so much material to "teach" these days, we often forget to incorporate key proven principles into our curricula — namely active recall, metacognition, spaced repetition, and interleaving practice.

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University Challenge: Finding Your Crowd

Student Minds

Sadiyah writes about building a sense of belonging with people from similar ethnic backgrounds and finding your crowd at uni. - Sadiyah Starting university was always a scary jump from studying A-levels because the culture, environment, and people were completely different. It is that huge step that everyone talks about. I was excited but anxious about ‘where I would belong’ as university cultures are predominantly different from my beliefs, especially with the social scene revolving around drin

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New FAFSA Webinar Offers Updates on 2024-25 Processing, Availability of 2025-26 Application

College Aid Services

Federal Student Aid will host a live internet webinar on November 8th to provide administrators with an update on processing for the 2024–25 FAFSA , beta testing for the 2025–26 FAFSA, and when the upcoming application will be available. Participation will be available on a first come, first-served basis since registration is not required; there… More » New FAFSA Webinar Offers Updates on 2024-25 Processing, Availability of 2025-26 Application The post New FAFSA Webinar Offers Updates on 2

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Report Details How Titles III and V of the Higher Education Act Could Better Serve Students of Color and Low-Income Students

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

There are seven MSI designations: Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (ANNHSIs), Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs), and Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions (NASNTIs).

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There’s a Big Difference Between Pointing Out Your Strengths and Bragging

Steve Keating

Years ago, I was looking for someone to develop and present a workshop on remaining humble when you’ve achieved great success. I did not succeed in finding that person because I realized pretty quickly that anyone willing to say they were qualified likely wasn’t. I mean, “I can do it because I’m the most humble person you’ll ever meet” is not exactly a qualifying statement.

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Researchers Share Data-Driven Insights Using IHEP’s Equitable Value Explorer

IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

How do geography, institutional practices, and student characteristics influence earnings after college? IHEP’s Equitable Value Explorer , an interactive data visualization tool that compares post-college earnings across more than 4,000 colleges and universities, is helping researchers answer that question. Using a series of economic thresholds developed by the Postsecondary Value Commission, the tool measures the financial return institutions provide to students.

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Breaking the Stigma

Student Minds

Members of the U-Belong Student Campaign team write about the link between low mood and loneliness … and how you can break the cycle. - Anonymous We hear of low social battery, low energy, and how common mental health challenges are, but sometimes it is too normalised … to the point where we ‘normalise’ it in unhealthy ways. At times, this can lead us to avoid engaging with information that help us understand how we are feeling and things we can do to feel better.

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Common Record XML Schema Version 5.0c Launches as CPS and FAA Access Are Decommissioned

College Aid Services

This year has ushered in a range of updates that will enhance how system managers can process federal aid, with some changes already implemented and other set to take effect in Spring 2025. Below is a summary of the most important changes that financial aid offices can expect in COD and the FAFSA Partner Portal… More » Common Record XML Schema Version 5.0c Launches as CPS and FAA Access Are Decommissioned The post Common Record XML Schema Version 5.0c Launches as CPS and FAA Access Are Dec

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Why Colleges and Universities Must Embrace Wraparound Support and Student Choice to Drive Real Change

Knack

Colleges and universities have a vital role in supporting students beyond academics, offering resources that address their full range of needs. Students come from diverse backgrounds, each with unique challenges and needs. To foster a truly equitable environment, schools must look beyond traditional methods and consider building wraparound support systems, designed to help students thrive academically, emotionally, and socially.

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Rethinking the Idea of Legacy in Higher Education: How Colleges Can Raise Up Student-Parents

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

Legacy college admissions — the practice of selective institutions giving preference to children and relatives of alumni — is under intense scrutiny today. Originally established to exclude certain populations of students, legacy admissions provides a significant boost to children of ultrawealthy families who apply to elite institutions. Legacy admissions has an even more corrosive influence: It widens equity gaps in higher education.

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Prioritizing Mental Health After Tragedy with a School-Wide Mental Health Field Day: From the Advisors

Active Minds

From the advisors (school counselors): Kaitlyn Robichaud and Courtney Selig This blog was written by Whitman-Hanson Regional High School’s Active Minds advisors about their experience supporting student-led efforts to advance mental health in their community. This is the second of two pieces sharing the story of these students’ advocacy. To read about this journey/story from the perspective of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School students, click here.

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College Affordability Remains Out of Reach for Immigrants of Color Throughout Generations

IHEP Institute for Higher Education Policy

Last year, we reported that students of color were more likely than White students to face a gap between their total college costs and the financial assistance available to them from grants and family resources, also known as unmet need. Our new analysis of unmet need finds a compelling pattern — college affordability is stratified not just at the intersection of race and ethnicity, but also by immigration background, with immigrants of color, particularly Black immigrants, facing high unmet ne

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A Journey

Student Minds

Hina and Syirah write a fictional story about two international students’ journeys through university and finding their way to friendship and belonging. - Hina and Syirah “Good evening. This announcement is for all passengers traveling to Dubai via Emirates flight EK1234. Please note that in a few minutes, we will start the process of boarding. You are requested to have your passport and boarding pass ready for verification.

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Now Available: 2025-26 FAFSA Form Preview Presentation

College Aid Services

Financial aid offices now have access to the 2025–26 FAFSA Preview Presentation, which provides stakeholders with tools for financial aid nights and staff trainings. This resource has over 300 slides, reviews 12 different aspects of the FAFSA, and is available as a PowerPoint presentation as well as a PDF file. Below is a breakdown of… More » Now Available: 2025-26 FAFSA Form Preview Presentation The post Now Available: 2025-26 FAFSA Form Preview Presentation first appeared on College Aid

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Is Your Cell Phone Controlling You?

Steve Keating

I am old enough to vaguely remember a time before cell phones. I cannot for the life of me remember how I used all the time I now spend on my phone. I do, however, absolutely remember not being annoyed by people holding up a checkout line while talking to someone about some mind-numbing nonsense. Research shows that the average person in the United States today checks their phone every 12 minutes, that’s approximately 80 times a day.

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Why We Need a Fairer and More Equitable Approach to K-12 Grading to Boost College Completion

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

How much do grades really tell us about students? According to a new study released last month : not as much as we may think. The analysis, conducted by The Equitable Grading Project, found that six out of 10 middle and high school grades do not accurately reflect student performance. Of the 33,000 grades examined, more than 40 percent were higher than they should have been.

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Prioritizing Mental Health After Tragedy with a School-Wide Mental Health Field Day

Active Minds

From the students (officers): Aliyah Chapman, Liz Kowlski, Rylee McTernan, Morin Yacoub, and Maren Bowmen After losing our friend Ava to suicide, we didn’t know what to do. We lost her at the end of the 2023 school year and it was a hard summer trying to make sense of everything. We thought about the “new normal” we would face as we navigated the next school year without her.

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Is College Worth It? An Update

Counselors' Corner

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D. A few years ago, there was a discussion about the value of college— two- year, four-year, even certificates. I wrote a column in response to that discussion, and most of it is below… And in reading it, it seems like it might need updating, in light of new data. It’s clear parents, and even students, are seeing college as a vocational training experience, and not a life-shaping one.

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No Mind Left Behind

Student Minds

This World Mental Health Day, the Editorial Team have come together to discuss the theme 'No Mind Left Behind' and how it has related to their university experience. - Student Minds Blog Editorial Team ⭐ How can you bring mental health into your conversations? ⭐ Talking about mental health doesn't have to be awkward. Start by normalizing it in everyday conversations.

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Schools to Revise Updated FVT/GE Completers List; Submission Deadline Set for Jan. 15, 2025

College Aid Services

Federal Student Aid notified schools that they will transmit a revised draft of the Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment (FVT/GE) Completers List by October 27 through their SAIG-TG mailboxes. Financial aid offices will receive the file as a GEFVCMOP message class and have until Jan. 15, 2025, to make any necessary corrections and submit… More » Schools to Revise Updated FVT/GE Completers List; Submission Deadline Set for Jan. 15, 2025 The post Schools to Revise Updated FVT/

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How to Break Free of Bad Habits

Steve Keating

First off, I want to make sure you read the title of this post correctly. It says breaking free of BAD habits. I think sometimes we are programmed to believe that all habits are bad. That is absolutely not the case. Sometimes we can’t agree on what’s a good habit or a bad habit. For instance, many people would tell me that my Diet Coke habit is bad.

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Federal Fumbles and Candidate Silence. How the Next Administration Can Support Education Equity

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

As we enter the final countdown to the election, I find myself grappling with a nagging sense of abandonment by our nation’s leaders and policymakers. I feel like a child whose parents forgot to pick them up at school, and the last teacher on site is asking, “Do you need me to call someone?” The issues closest to my heart—those that affect our students and education equity—are being largely ignored by the presidential candidates.

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Advancing the #RealCollege Movement

Believe in Students

I arrived at Believe in Students in April 2020, just as the pandemic was rocking the world and changing college campuses, in some ways permanently. My job when I arrived was to figure out how to utilize incredibly generous philanthropic support to provide emergency grants to students. There were two ways we were doing this: one was a highly scalable and efficient tech-based solution, a partnership with Beam.

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When Disaster Strikes: Supporting Students’ Mental Health in Extreme Weather Events

Timely MD

Natural disasters are realities that can disrupt the communities they affect, including college campuses. Take the recent hurricanes, Milton and Helene, for example. Many colleges across Florida closed in preparation for and in response to Hurricane Milton, and colleges in Western North Carolina – an area devastated by Hurricane Helene – were still closed weeks after the storm caused historic flooding.

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Pressures to drink as a student

Student Minds

Flute Spindloe shares the pressures to drink at university and how alcohol isn’t needed to have a great university experience. - Flute Spindloe Before I started university, I was informed by people around me (many who hadn’t attended university for many decades) that alcohol was one of the most important aspects of university life and if I chose not to drink, I would be missing out on the ‘student experience’.

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FSA Sets Dec. 10 Deadline for Institutions to Validate TG/FT Numbers and Electronic Services User Accounts

College Aid Services

Schools have until December 10th to validate their assigned Electronic Services user accounts and TG/FT numbers associated with the NSLDS Professional Access website, COD website, FAFSA Partner Portal, and EDconnect program. The memo below outlines the steps that each Primary Destination Point Administrator Schools must take to recertify their institution and failure to meet the… More » FSA Sets Dec. 10 Deadline for Institutions to Validate TG/FT Numbers and Electronic Services User Accoun

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How to Be More Generous

Steve Keating

It is better to give than to receive. If you’re tempted to disagree with that, then let me remind you that’s straight out of the Bible, Acts 20:35. What the Bible doesn’t mention is this interesting phenomenon; the more you give, the more you tend to receive. But just to be clear, true “givers” don’t give to get something in return. They give because they have a generous spirit.

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Report Highlights Key Challenges and Support Needs for Early Career Faculty at MSIs

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSIs) has released a new report that highlights the unique challenges and needs of early-career faculty at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). “Supporting Early Career Faculty at Minority Serving Institutions,” examines CMSI’s ELEVATE program launched in 2015, which supports professional development, mentorship, and retention for MSI faculty.

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What Drives Early Talent in Today’s Job Market? 5 Key Insights from the 2024 Symplicity Early Talent Recruiting Report

Symplicity

In today’s competitive job market, understanding what motivates early talent is crucial for organizations looking to attract and retain the next generation of professionals. Our 2024 Symplicity Early Talent Recruiting Report sheds light on the evolving preferences of Gen Z students as they navigate their job and internship searches.

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PSLF Buyback Program: Eligibility, Costs & How to Apply for Loan Forgiveness Faster

Student Loan Planner

Key Takeaways: Federal student loans have become highly political in recent years, leaving borrowers to ride the emotional rollercoaster of navigating big changes with confusing guidance — alongside a slew of promises and legal challenges. Most recently, borrowers on the new SAVE plan were put into administrative forbearance while the courts decide its fate.

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Expectations vs Reality: Preparing for University

Student Minds

Ayo writes about the common expectations new students might have about university and compares them with the realities they may encounter. - Ayo Embarking on your university journey is a time filled with excitement, dreams, and HUGE expectations. It marks a significant transition from sixth form/college or gap years to a new chapter brimming with academic challenges, social opportunities, and personal growth.

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2025–26 FAFSA Specifications Guide (October 2024 Update)

College Aid Services

Federal Student Aid has added Volume 7 – Comment Codes to the 2025-26 FAFSA Specifications Guide. The following volumes remain unchanged: Introduction Volume 4A – Record Layouts Volume 4B – Processing Codes Volume 5 – Edits and Rejects Volume 9 – Testing and Web Demo The following volumes have yet to be published: Volume 1… More » 2025–26 FAFSA Specifications Guide (October 2024 Update) The post 2025–26 FAFSA Specifications Guide (October 2024 Update) first appeared on Co

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How to Be Productively Confident

Steve Keating

When playing golf, I have all kinds of confidence when my ball lands in a sand trap. First off, I’m confident that I’m basically screwed. I’m also confident that I’m in immediate danger of blowing up the hole and thus my entire round of golf. None of that is what I would call “productive confidence.” It is absolutely “negative confidence,” and I can assure you the results of “negative confidence” are not what you’re hoping for.

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