Insights & Outlooks
Students Need New Models for Higher Education—and Aid Policies to Match
Three out of four college students today have at least one “non-traditional” characteristic. They didn’t enroll in college immediately after high school. They’re working adults and aren’t living with mom and dad. In fact, a quarter are parents themselves. Yet our higher education systems are built for an 18-year-old attending full-time. T...
Student Voice: Today’s Students Rethinking Financial Aid
Editor’s Note: Mysia Perry is a LEDA Career Fellow and an Oldham Scholar in her junior year at the University of Richmond majoring in American Studies and minoring in Sociology and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Insights & Outlooks (IO): Tell us about your pathway to college. Have you encountered any financial challenges along the&h...
Starting From Scratch: A New Approach to Higher Ed Finance
In 2009, at the beginning of what would turn out to be a short-lived undergraduate career, I arrived at one of America’s most selective universities with an idealistic vision of what college could be. But I was dismayed to find that in class after class, theory trumped practice, and lectures superseded experiences. Frustrated, I returned…
The Biggest Barrier to Making Financial Aid Simpler? The IRS.
It seems the time is right for bold solutions on student debt – presidential candidates are proposing to forgive some or all of America’s education loans, states are attempting to regulate loan servicers, and even Secretary DeVos has called the current situation a crisis. But there are many steps on the path to big change,…
Partner with States to Close Equity Gaps
Over the past generation, there has been a sea of change in how we pay for college. Over the years, states have cut funding for colleges and universities while enrollment grew. The trend was turbocharged by the Great Recession, driving up tuition and student debt. State funding is not only declining but also distributed inequitably.…
What Confuses Students & Parents About Award Letters Will Surprise You—And That’s the Problem.
Last week, CampusLogic released “Clear Disparity: New Data Adds Consumer Voices to Award Letter Confusion Debate,” a research report around student and parent confusion with financial aid award notifications. This research provides the first large-scale survey data documenting what, precisely, students and parents find unclear about a form that...
From the 101st Airborne to Tennessee’s State Higher Education Leader: A Fighter for Today’s Students
Like many of “today’s students” who are working adults and come from diverse backgrounds, Mike Krause had to fight for a degree. An eighth generation Tennessean, Mike joined the U.S. Army at age 18 after spending six months attending a local community college. He served a total of eight years in the U.S. Army and…
The Higher Education Act Reauthorization Needs to Focus on #RealCollege Students
When Congress reauthorizes the Higher Education Act, it must invest in a higher education system that leverages talent in order to propel innovation, create healthier communities, and fuel a more just economy that works for all. Doing so requires a clear focus on supporting today’s #RealCollege students. #RealCollege students know that it is ea...