Stephen Burd’s Post

A growing body of research shows that whether a student’s basic needs are met is a strong indicator of persistence and college completion. In our own research on the impact of Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) on student incomes, we found that financial aid — which was largely used for basic needs, including food, utilities, and housing — resulted in an 11% increase in graduation rates (https://lnkd.in/eETNr33d). A new policy brief by Higher Learning Advocates and the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) contends that college administrators should use existing data from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is completed by millions of students every year, to determine their eligibility for various support benefits and help them apply. “For example, data from the U.S. Government Accountability Office shows roughly two million of the approximately 3.3 million students who are eligible for SNAP benefits aren’t participating, which translates to $3 billion in unused benefits.” Read more via Inside Higher Ed https://lnkd.in/g9KRRAYa #fafsa #financialaid #highereducation

According to a recent Jobs for the Future (JFF) report, Black and Latine students were more likely to need food, housing, utility, and medical assistance, plus reported having more difficulty covering a $500 emergency compared to their white peers. That’s concerning in and of itself, but more so because financial insecurity is one of the primary reasons students unenroll from postsecondary education. In our research on the impact of Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) on student outcomes, we found that unrestricted emergency aid can have measurable benefits in terms of students’ sense of belonging, financial burdens, and, possibly, graduation rates (https://lnkd.in/eETNr33d). Taken together, these findings suggest an urgent need for more basic needs assistance, wraparound support, and college affordability. Read more via Inside Higher Ed: https://lnkd.in/ggUQMRNE #financialaid #HEERF #collegeaffordability

The US Department of Education has just issued a request for information on how to best extend public loan forgiveness to Early Childhood Educators, especially in the for-profit space. If you are a person with knowledge and experience in the early childhood education field, it's critical to provide your official comments by July 22, 2024. This is a much needed development: early childhood educators are incredible teachers and caregivers for our youngest children. They are nearly always women, disproportionately women of color, and are among the lowest-paid occupations nationwide. Loan forgiveness could be a step in the right direction. “Early childhood educators help young children learn, grow, and thrive. But they are often poorly compensated, and student debt is a problem. If these educators can access Public Service Loan Forgiveness, we can help our youngest children, their families, and their communities,” said U.S. Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal. The Department is soliciting comments from researchers, academics, policy experts, administrators, and other individuals familiar with early childhood education (ECE) employer data and the administration of ECE programs about how the Department would determine employer eligibility and related considerations if for-profit ECE employers who provide services listed in the statute were to be considered eligible employers. Submit your comments here: https://lnkd.in/gdSaQMgQ

Looking for a strategic way to ensure your child's education doesn't weigh them down with debt? If you're employed at a college, you might have a golden opportunity! Many institutions offer tuition assistance for the children of their employees. This can be a systematic approach to securing a #DebtFreeDegree. Dive deep into the policies of your employer, and let's discuss how this benefit can be maximized. Remember, every decision is a building block towards financial freedom for your family. #GRIT #financialliteracy

Early planning crucial as education costs soar The financial difficulties that come with each step of the educational process are becoming more apparent as parents set out on the important path of leading their children through it. Parents today face growing costs and uncertainty from the early years of preschool to the top of post-secondary education. This fact emphasises how crucial early […]

There are small, tuition-dependent colleges that will badly miss enrollment targets this fall because of the FAFSA problems. The fact is, some schools will almost surely close partly because of this and even where they don't, drastic cutbacks mean people are going to lose jobs too. Yes, fewer students will likely go to college this year and yes, state aid programs will get thrown into disarray by all of this as well, but the waterfall of bad economic outcomes doesn't stop at less people filling out aid applications. #college #FAFSA #education #highered #FAFSAfiasco #admissions #financialaid #school

📉 Enrollment Declines Are Straining Education Budgets: A new report from Bellwether highlights how declining student enrollment is tightening school budgets, impacting staffing, programs, and equity in education. Explore how this trend affects our schools and why it calls for urgent action to rethink funding models. https://lnkd.in/gmfpPP9N #Education #EdPolicy #Funding #Equity #K12

Each spring, hundreds of thousands of California high school seniors have to figure out if they can afford to go to college in the fall - and two new reports from the Campaign for College Opportunity look at how to make higher ed more affordable. The feds recently launched a simpler financial aid application, but the rollout has been rocky. DeJa Brown , a student at College of the Desert in the Coachella Valley, said programs that help with tuition, books, housing, food and transportation make all the difference. "If we want to achieve statewide goals like 70% college attainment or closing equity gaps, we need to prioritize affordability and revolutionize financial aid," Brown said. The first study calls on #Congress to better fund Pell Grants, which serve students whose families make under $40,000 a year. It found 32% of white students receive a Pell Grant, but that number is 60% for Black students, 50% for Latino students, 45% percent for Native American students, and 39% for Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders. Emmanuel Reyes, director of policy advocacy for the Institute for College Access and Success, noted that Pell Grants cover less than one-third of the cost of college, and calls on lawmakers to take action. "They can double the award, they can restore automatic inflation adjustments, they can fund those Pell Grants entirely through mandatory spending. They can expand eligibility to undocumented students, and they can eliminate taxation of the Pell Grant when used to cover any non-tuition costs," he said. Christopher J. Nellum, executive director of The Education Trust–West coauthored the second brief. It praises California's new law requiring all high school students to fill out applications for federal or state student aid. "That means there needs to be enough counselors engaging with young folks. We need schools and districts that have meaningful partnerships - with the community college, with the universities in their area," he said. Studies show that students who fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or #FAFSA, enroll in college at a significantly higher rate than those who do not.

This is a very difficult year for so many families with children headed to college. The botched federal financial aid process this year has caused many students’ plans to go sideways, and has generated a lot of uncertainty where there otherwise might have been certainty about a student’s college destination. Colleges and universities all over the country have seen the effects. My university rolled out an initiative today, Operation 11th Hour, targeted at students who might be still holding out hope to start college this fall or students who had one plan for college and had a late financial aid difficulty derail it. I firmly believe we can stand in the gap for students who have difficulty with their college plans and provide them with a place where they can meet their goals. If you’re reading this and you’re not in East Tennessee or nearby, there is likely a small college or regional university near you with the same kind of focus on providing opportunities where those opportunities might have been derailed. Seek out options. If a student wants to be in college this fall, there is a way for them to seek out a home for them. But if you are in East Tennessee or nearby, and you are a student or family of a student still considering their university options, read about Operation 11th Hour below.

🚨 Attention, future scholars and families! 🚨 Did you know that top universities, including Harvard, are under fire for allegedly inflating tuition fees for students from divorced families? This controversial practice could drastically affect affordability and increase stress for many young families navigating college costs. Stay informed and empowered! 💪✨ Check out our latest article to uncover the truth about financial aid profiles and how they impact your educational journey. Don’t forget to download our app for more insights! #Education #TuitionHike #FinancialAid #CollegeAffordability #StudentLoans #HigherEd #CollegeLife #CollegeBound #UniversityCrisis #Transparency #LatinX #Familia #Vamos #Education #TuitionHike #FinancialAid #CollegeAffordability #HigherEd #UniversityCrisis