Outdoor Wi-Fi Expands Access for College Students

Social distancing guidelines highlight a new role for outdoor connectivity on higher education campuses. “Students without internet or with poor connections may be unable to complete assignments or join synchronous discussions,” says Emily Bouck West, deputy executive director at the nonprofit Higher Learning Advocates. Enhanced Wi-Fi accessibility on campus “would ensure that these students were…

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Low-Income Community College Students Most Likely to Cancel Plans

Julie Peller, executive director of Higher Learning Advocates, said, “It just puts data behind what we all know: lower-income, working adults and student parents are being hit hardest and are needing to make difficult choices to stop or drop out of college during this pandemic in ways that some of their peers are not.” Read…

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What to expect in the lame duck

Higher Learning Advocates, a bipartisan policy organization, and other groups, are urging Biden to pick an Education secretary “who holds both classroom experience and higher education experience” — a role that’s often been held by someone with more K-12 education focus. Read the full piece here.

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Columbia may look whiter and wealthier next year. Here’s why.

Julie Peller, executive director of Higher Learning Advocates, told the Hechinger Report that the FAFSA application is often the first step students take when applying to college. FAFSA applications are strong predictors of student enrollment, particularly for low-income students who depend on the FAFSA to pay for college. Read the full piece here. 

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Executive Director Julie Peller and Higher Learning Advocates’ Board Members Urge Congress to Support Students’ Immediate Needs

WASHINGTON — Executive Director Julie Peller and Higher Learning Advocates’ Board of Directors wrote to Congress to highlight the immediate needs of today’s students and to share HLA’s Playbook for Today’s Students. The Playbook, published yesterday, highlights already introduced legislation that would help widen the path to and through higher learning for all students. Read…

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