Washington County Public Schools Maryland’s Post

The challenges faced by families relying on the federal financial-aid system for college admissions this year are undeniably frustrating and stressful. With delays in FAFSA processing, uncertainties over affirmative action rulings, and confusion regarding test-optional policies, families are left in a state of limbo, unable to plan effectively for their children's education. The inability to provide timely financial aid offers not only affects students' ability to make informed decisions but also threatens to exacerbate the already declining college enrollment rates. It's imperative for both the U.S. government and educational institutions to address these issues promptly to prevent further disruptions and ensure that deserving students can pursue higher education without unnecessary obstacles.

💡This…! A straightforward summary of the challenges rural community college students face in the attainment of their workforce education and college degree. The only addition I’d contribute is balancing “work-life-college,” which also impacts adult learners in rural community colleges.

A survey from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) finds that less than half of all public schools rates themselves as doing a “very good” or “excellent” job preparing students for college. #GreatCollegeAdvice #PublicSchools #CollegePreparation #Statistics

Most people think of college admissions as being based on merit, but who applies to and who gets into colleges has more to do with schools’ priorities than students’ qualifications. A new book, edited by Stephen Burd, explores how an entire industry has shaped these priorities. The book, called Lifting the Veil on Enrollment Management, argues that the enrollment management sector has steered schools towards targeting revenue and rankings. What has that meant for applicants and families, according to the book? Universities inviting students to apply to schools even if it’s unlikely they’ll get in so they can boast of lower admissions rates; Applicants’ activities on college websites are tracked closely to see if they’re likely to enroll; And financial aid is often used as a tool to lure wealthy students instead of to help poorer ones.  Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e9MN8SKZ

The education of today's students will shape the future of our society. We can't afford to keep allowing standards to deteriorate: Among eighth-graders, only 31% are proficient in reading, and only 26% are proficient in math. Only 13% of eighth-graders met U.S. history proficiency standards. 7,000 students drop out of high school every day. 55% of educators are considering leaving the profession. 40% report “always” or “very often” being burned out. 44% of public schools self-report being short-staffed. At least 1/3 of Gen Alpha is growing up in single-parent households. Gen Alpha kids spend nearly 5 hours on screens each day for entertainment purposes.

We have the heed Robert Massa’s insight here. Aspiring college going students had next to nothing better to do for 3.5 months but submit applications for admission to institutions. Yield. It comes down to yield, it has always come down to yield. Apps are great, but the mean less and less every year. As of last week FAFSA apps are down -28.8% nationally. Most states are seeing 2.2% more students submit a FAFSA. Do the math - to get to where they were last year, at that pace, it’s going to take 10.5 more weeks. Thats June 15th-ish. And that’s if all the data from the U.S. Department of Education is accurate, which it hasn’t been. National College Attainment Network (NCAN) National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) National Association for College Admission Counseling

A new Lumina Foundation-Gallup State of Higher Education study shows that the cost of higher education is a major barrier to students' enrollment and attainment of a bachelor's degree. The study finds that 56 percent of never-enrolled and previously-enrolled adults say cost prevents them from getting a bachelor's degree. The community college baccalaureate is a much more affordable option and a proven solution for alleviating the fear of high tuition costs and student debt. Typically, community college bachelor's degrees are 30-50% less than tuition at traditional colleges. Furthermore, community colleges in states such as Texas, California, and Florida offer $10,000 degrees.

Let CurtisE Learning College Counselors and Test Prep Tutors help cut through the madness! "Selective college admissions have been a vortex of anxiety and stress for what seems like forever, inducing panic in more top high school seniors each year. But the 2023-24 admissions season was not just an incremental increase in the frantic posturing and high-pressure guesswork that make this annual ritual seem like academic Hunger Games." #collegecounseling #collegeadmissions #collegeapplications #collegeadvice https://lnkd.in/gkP74nxq

"High School seniors think this is checkers, but the schools know it's chess. This has all become frankly terrifying for students, who are first-time players in a game their opponents invented." This article by Dan Currell is an infuriating but worthwhile read. I wish this wasn't the case, believe me, but you cannot trust the higher education system to take care of you. They have their own agenda and priorities. You need to be your own advocate and go into the college admissions and financial aid process fully armed. https://lnkd.in/ej-JCMhR National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA)National College Attainment Network (NCAN)National Association for College Admission Counseling #financialaid #studentdebt College Aid Pro U.S. Department of Education #highered

College acceptance rates across the US underwent unprecedented changes in the 2023-24 admissions cycle. Read my article below to learn how this has impacted Lincoln High School seniors! https://lnkd.in/gYmczMhC