Sunday World Newspaper - Fundudzi Media’s Post

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 […]

Planning your child’s education means that you should start saving as soon as possible to be able to offer the best options possible. Just like everything else, the cost of education for your child follows the rise in the cost of living.

With the cost of living increasing, and institutions putting more of the burden to keep their doors open on the backs of the students and their families it is hard to see how students can find value in education. In our institutions today housing and food insecurities for students are at an all-time high and yet we haven't seen the correlation between tuition and this. It is time for education to make a change. https://lnkd.in/gQVJzP5Y

One of the topics that I find most people have the most misunderstandings about is education savings for their children. RESP's can be a great tool but are complex - meaning they also have lots of flexibility if used right! Here we posted an article sharing some of the considerations and benefits you can get from an RESP account. https://lnkd.in/gtCp5wE7

This is indeed good news on one hand and troubling on the other. ESSA funds are due to expire in September, with expectation that states will step in and fill the funding gap. Since states have different fund allocation formulas and couple their financial support with local dollars based on the tax base of thei school districts, the loss of these federal funds have the potential to cause regression of these academic gains. We are so good at saying our children are our future and saying they deserve our support from one side of our mouth, while taking money away with the hand from the other side. We financially support other countries fighting wars and then we cry that there aren't sufficient funds to support education of our children. From one side of our mouth, we say we want an education system that prepares EVERY student for the future and with our hands we siphon funding to places that have nothing to do with supporting our children. Public schooling is under clear attack and removing funding that has clearly been shown to benefit OUR CHILDREN is irresponsible and begs a question about what we truly value. There's a common sentiment that says, show me your checkbook and I'll tell you your values. We've seen our education values time and time again. This September will once again show what we, as a COUNTRY, value. https://lnkd.in/exY66XwU

Adult learners without a high school diploma or equivalent can qualify for federal student aid through one of three #AbilityToBenefit (ATB) options. The majority of public institutions utilize the credit hour option, where learners must complete at least 6 credit hours (or 225 clock hours) applicable toward a Title IV-eligible degree or certificate in order to qualify for ATB. Over the years, states and institutions have developed innovative ways to cover the costs of these first six credits for learners, including state financial aid programs and set-asides from tuition increases. The A2B4Equity pilot project, led by Corporation for a Skilled Workforce (CSW), examined how institutions might use college promise funding to cover the cost of the six credits and increase learner eligibility for federal student aid. Participating colleges included the City Colleges of Chicago’s Daley and Truman Colleges and Mott Community College and Wayne County Community College District in Michigan. World Education’s National College Transition Network provided technical assistance on ATB implementation. Did you miss the webinar on A2B4Equity on July 10th? Catch up with the resources below: ◾ Watch the recording: https://lnkd.in/g6GkSrcD ◾ Read the A2B4Equity evaluation report: https://lnkd.in/g8aYRr3A ◾ Use A2B4Equity’s ATB how-to guide to implement the credit hour option at your college: https://lnkd.in/gn8PggWe

ASPA Reviews Key Education Initiatives in the 2024-25 Budget ASPA is pleased to see some strategic education investment reflected in the 2024-25 Budget. We acknowledge that school funding is currently subject to negotiations to establish the Better Fairer Funding Agreement, but we are keen to see a big investment in schools and school infrastructure in next year's budget. We are especially encouraged by the significant investment in First Nations education, aimed at closing the gap in outcomes, and the much-needed support for the early childhood education and care sector. We note the $12.7 million allocated over three years for ACARA. Greater collaboration with teachers and school leaders is essential to ensuring the usefulness of the NAP and mitigating workload. This investment should improve transparency and quality assurance of school information across all education sectors, providing a fairer and more accurate picture of Australian education. We welcome the landmark investment in the Australian Universities Accord reforms. The allocation of $1.1 billion over five years, with an additional $2.7 billion from 2028-29 to 2034-35, promises a transformative impact. We strongly support initiatives such as the introduction of a Commonwealth Prac Payment for teaching students, and measures to limit student loan debt indexation. These measures might help alleviate teacher shortages. #education #auspol #budget24#schoolfunding #highereducation #teaching https://lnkd.in/dg2Pdd-d

Thoughtful education planning lays the foundation for a child's future success. Explore the key factors that make education planning an indispensable aspect of parenting in an ever-evolving and competitive world. #education #universityfees

As federal agencies grapple with the delicate task of improving educational affordability without stifling the industry, the outlook for the education sector is volatile and uncertain. Capstone's 2024 Education Preview by Keegan Ferguson helps companies and investors identify where the axe will fall so they can best position themselves to mitigate risks and harness opportunities: https://lnkd.in/g8pQysnJ #Education #EducationPolicy #StudentDebt #StudentLoans #HigherEd #K12 #OPMs #2024Outlook

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