Posts by Robyn Bland
Higher Learning Advocates Transitions to Today’s Students Coalition, Names Board
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Higher Learning Advocates (HLA) has long promoted the needs of today’s students throughout the country in higher education, and now a redefined future is on the horizon. In May, HLA announced a transition is underway, uniting its federal policy and coalition wings to operate exclusively under a known name,…
Read MoreGAO Report on Students’ Food Insecurity Highlights SNAP Gap
Two-thirds of the 3.3 million college students eligible for federal food assistance in 2020 didn’t access it, the Government Accountability Office found in a report released Wednesday. Requested by Democratic lawmakers in 2021, the report comes as Congress is in the midst of updating the Farm Bill, a sprawling piece of legislation that sets policy for agriculture and…
Read MoreThe Edge: What “today’s students” still need
If you’ve heard the phrase “today’s students” used to describe the many adults and other so-called nontraditional students who make up a huge share of the population now attending college, you’ve got Julie Peller to thank for the nomenclature. She helped to make the term popular while at the Lumina Foundation and then at Higher…
Read MoreHLA and More Than 70 Organizations, Individuals Urge Congress to Extend the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) in the Next Appropriations Legislation
Higher Learning Advocates and more than 70 partner organizations and individuals submitted a letter asking Congress to extend the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) with continued funding in the next appropriations legislation. Like most Americans, college students rely on internet services every day to connect with colleagues and faculty, conduct research, and complete coursework. And, many…
Read MoreTSC’s Comment Letter to ED in Response to Request for Best Practices to Support Mental Health for Today’s Students
Today’s Students Coalition and 20 partner and member organizations submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Education (ED) in response to the Department’s solicitation for best practices to support the mental health of today’s students in higher education. The letter addresses institutional and policy reforms to address the mental health crisis on college campuses nationwide.…
Read MoreBrenda Brooks dropped out of college 40 years ago. Federal rules mean she can’t afford to go back.
Lately, Englewood native Brenda Brooks has had a tough time finding work. The 60-year-old has decades of experience at CVS and the historic Regal Theater in Avalon Park. But recently, prospective employers have told her, “ ‘You have the qualifications, but this requires you to have a degree,’ ” she said. “And I don’t have…
Read MoreUsing Financial Aid Data to Help Students Meet Basic Needs
A growing body of research has shown that student persistence and college completion are strongly connected to and determined by whether students’ basic needs are being met. But college administrators are hamstrung by insufficient funding to fully address basic needs insecurity on their campuses and help students in a comprehensive way. A new policy brief by Higher Learning Advocates (HLA),…
Read MoreIdaho Scholarship Program a Boon for Students and State
A new workforce development scholarship program in Idaho is generating more interest than originally projected, and state officials say the response reflects the demand for education and training needed to fill jobs in the region and an opportunity to get and keep young people employed in the state. The LAUNCH program offers Idaho high school graduates, or those…
Read MoreBipartisan Progress on Pell Grant Expansion, but Hurdles Remain
As Congress gears up to head home for the holiday season, proponents who have hoped to see a breakthrough on the long-running issue of expanding Pell Grants to career-training programs lasting fewer than 15 weeks have received an early gift—a bipartisan deal in the House. Key lawmakers in both parties have wrangled for years over the expansion,…
Read MoreDeclare Yourself Independent for Financial Aid
Before filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, applicants must first determine their dependency status – which dictates whose information needs to be submitted on the form. An undergraduate student can’t simply choose to file as an independent on the FAFSA, the application that most schools use to determine financial aid awards. They…
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