Higher education experts speaking at a recent conference urged U.S. colleges and universities to improve their outreach to small-town and rural students and strengthen pathways to a college degree.

In The Chronicle of Higher Education, Huriya Jabbar and Lauren Schudde, authors of a new book on repairing the college transfer process, discuss the role four-year public institutions play in the nation’s broken transfer system—and how those universities might improve it.

Georgetown University College of Arts & Sciences recently featured Assistant Teaching Professor Michelle Bertke for her community outreach work focused on bringing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) experiences to kids and teens in the Washington, DC, area.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid began its first phase of testing on Oct. 1 with around 1,000 high school seniors. Experts hope the approach will lead to a better experience for students and families than last year’s FAFSA rollout.