American higher education is struggling. Even before the coronavirus struck, schools all over the country were dealing with declining enrollment. In an effort to replace lost revenue they sought out international students, developed online degrees, and courted non-traditional students. That helped for a while. But now many schools are back in trouble. Even before COVID-19, … Continue reading “Shedding Light on Lumina and Its College Agenda”
Many students come to regret their choice of college. They expect that getting a degree will mean a significant boost in their labor market prospects, but often their college “investment” fails to pay off. That might be due to a lack of effort on the student’s part. Quite a few enroll in college mainly for … Continue reading “Some Useful Information to Help Students Choose a College”
Amid COVID-19, nearly every college—whether a community college or a four-year institution—is facing an unusually tight budget this year. As the economy takes a hard hit, key sources of higher education funding, such as donor grants and government aid, are likely to be affected. But for many institutions, the most crucial sources of funding are … Continue reading “Financial Warning Signs at NC Colleges Expose Existing Problems”
Credential inflation refers to an increase in the education credentials required for a job—for example, a job that used to be done by high school graduates but now requires new hires to have a college degree. Credential inflation has been going on for decades. One of the earliest mentions of it is in professor Randall … Continue reading “Credential Inflation: What’s Causing It and What Can We Do About It?”
Since COVID-19 hit, students have taken notice and altered their college plans. Some high school seniors are delaying enrollment until the pandemic has subsided, leaving universities with more openings. This year, according to data collected by Sean Mulholland, an economics professor at Western Carolina University, from the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), 10 … Continue reading “Did You Know? More Open Seats at NC Colleges This Fall”
College admissions is a different field than it was 20 or even 10 years ago. High school guidance counselors still help hundreds of students make a plan for after graduation. Students still try to get into the best college they can. But they are now more cost-conscious, their families hire private college counselors, and they … Continue reading “Across Colleges of All Types, Student Anxiety Is a Growing Issue”
On July 6, the Trump administration announced new guidelines that would revoke the F-1 visas of international college students if their schools did not hold in-person classes in the fall. After much public outrage and criticism of the guidelines, the White House rescinded its plan a week later. The Chronicle of Higher Education notes that … Continue reading “Did You Know? Without Foreign Students, NC Schools Would Take a Big Hit”
Universities’ frantic struggles to create fall semester plans that bring students back to campus often hinge on social distancing. While students are excited about the promise of an on-campus fall, many detailed university plans have made it clear that freshman year will hardly resemble the bustling experience it was before. Instead, strict social distancing standards … Continue reading “Fall 2020: The Semester of Isolation”
Rumors of the humanities’ decline have been greatly exaggerated, a new report by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences says. While the popularity of specific majors has changed, overall, the humanities as a whole are still attracting a strong number of students. Most importantly, the study didn’t find any evidence for a decline in … Continue reading “The Future of the Humanities Is Not an Adjunct-Fueled Decline”
Two UNC system schools, Western Carolina University and UNC-Greensboro, have announced that they will not offer students housing refunds if the university closes due to another COVID-19 outbreak. Both schools added an addendum to their housing contracts relieving them of liability should campus shut down again. The addendum states that “in the event of such … Continue reading “No Housing Refunds Put UNC System Students in Tough Spot”