“The (students) are certainly not who you see in movies,” said Julie Peller, executive director of Higher Learning Advocates, a nonprofit aiming to improve student outcomes, during a panel. “They’re not, by and large, playing Frisbee on the quad, going to frat parties on Friday nights and leaving in four years.” Many...

“Julie Peller, executive director of Higher Learning Advocates, a bipartisan group that advocates for policies to improve student success, said that reconciliation is a possibility for some policy and spending changes, but the rules around that legislation also have strict limits. No new programs can be created, so that would probably rule ou...

A recent study focused on three Minnesota community colleges by Higher Learning Advocates found that 29 percent of students in 2019 did not maintain SAP requirements. Similarly, approximately 40 percent of first-year Pell Grant recipients are at risk of losing aid due to their inability to meet SAP criteria’s course credit component. Read the ...

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 accessibi...

Higher Learning Advocates and 128 members and partners have asked Congressional leadership to include the bipartisan, bicameral College Transparency Act (S.800/H.R. 1766) in any year-end agreement, including appropriations legislation. Read the full piece here.

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…

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.

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....

COVID-19 has upended the global economy with astonishing speed and severity. Millions have had their work environments drastically changed, or even worse, now find themselves without work and with few options. In contrast to past recessions, certain industries are bearing the brunt of the damage. Sadly, they happen to be ones that offer employment ...

For the 2021-2022 school year, the FAFSA application cycle that opened on Oct. 1 ends on June 30. Submitting a FAFSA early has its benefits, while waiting to submit can have long-lasting consequences. “State aid – and many states rely on FAFSA completion – is a lot of times first come, first served, even for…

Back to school shopping should be an exciting time for many children and parents. Yet, for families that have to decide between a pack of binders or a pack of diapers for the week, it can be an extremely stressful time. COVID-19 has changed the landscape of what back to school shopping looks like. Forget…

Emily Bouck West and Wesley Whistle discuss the issues students face when they do not have access to reliable and affordable WiFi and laptops. Students often suffer setbacks in learning because they can’t access or complete coursework at home. Read the full piece here.