Short Takes

Amid concerns surrounding volatile college enrollment trends during the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) has released a new summary of enrollment trends from 2020 to 2022.

Title: Mission Critical: The Role of Community Colleges in Meeting Students’ Basic Needs Source: Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE) Community colleges serve as an important access point to higher education; however, according to a new report, community colleges must also recognize and address students’ holistic needs to make education truly attainable. In CCCSE’s… Read more »

Many foster and homeless youth aspire to a college education but encounter numerous barriers in the process, according to a new report from SchoolHouse Connection. One of the biggest challenges they encounter while applying for college admissions and financial aid support is the inability to obtain information about parental income.

The authors of a new report explain “The Great Resignation” as “a collective desire on the part of the American workforce for more rewarding or meaningful work.” However, they argue that the record-breaking number of resignations, retirements, and overall professional transitions were slowly building over the course of 10 years rather than a sudden mass exodus.

For their analysis, NASFAA, NASPA, and HCM Strategists surveyed both students and practitioners on their experiences with the three round of funding under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. They also compared the experiences of those at minority-serving institutions and non-MSIs.

High-impact practices (HIPs) are staples in higher education teaching that can have a positive influence on learning indicators for undergraduate students. In a new report, AAC&U synthesized the literature on the use of HIPs to assess how college students develop civic and community-based skills.

Attention has focused in recent years on public underinvestment in HBCUs. A new report from the Brookings Institution now sheds light on how HBCUs can build wealth from private capital through banks, philanthropies, and community development financial institutions.

Community college students often find themselves excluded from participating in work-based learning opportunities, which can be crucial for future employability. In a new report, New America showcases how five community colleges center equity in redesigning WBL to be more accessible and work for all students.

Title: Exploring the Exodus From Higher Education Source: Edge Research, HCM Strategies, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation A collaborative study between Edge Research, HCM Strategies and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation aims to shed light on why an increasing number of people are choosing not to attend college. As enrollment has been… Read more »

Federal financial aid programs play a critical role for students as college costs continue to rise. The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) recently released its annual publication outlining student aid available at the federal level. NASFAA aims to increase awareness of these programs, helping students understand how to apply for funds and improving public knowledge broadly.

A new report from McKinsey & Company utilizes data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) highlights representation parity gaps for students and faculty and the subsequent implications these gaps have for life after college.

Title: Student Debt Is Harming the Mental Health of Black Borrowers Author: Victoria Jackson & Jalil B. Mustaffa Source: The Education Trust   The Education Trust recently released its second of four reports focused on the challenges identified through qualitative data from the National Black Student Debt Study. The first report highlighted how Black women… Read more »