FAFSA top of mind as ‘decision day’ comes and goes After months of delays and technical difficulties, the Department of Education and advocacy groups are working to help students complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid so they can receive financial aid packages and decide where to enroll. Read > The ‘mega gifts’ transforming financial aid The Chronicle of Philanthropy explores how nine- and 10-figure donations to highly selective colleges reduce barriers to higher education for underserved students. Read > HBCU med school to be ‘a beacon’ for communities underrepresented in medicine Xavier University of Louisiana, a historically Black university, has solidified plans to open a new college of medicine, which will be the fifth HBCU medical school in the nation and the only one in the Gulf South. Read > New report finds diversity gains during race-conscious admissions ‘were incremental at best’ Research exploring demographic changes at U.S. colleges shows limited gains in diversity at selective institutions from 2009-19. The report urges stakeholders to “zoom out” and ensure that they are not only widening access to selective schools but also investing in open access institutions. Read > How Arizona students are getting accepted to universities without applying > Success program launch: Eliminating the digital divide > Century-old institutions paving the way for DEI in sports with strategic plan > Opinion: Immigrant students need trained advisers to navigate the problematic college admissions process > Scholar hopes to diversify the narrative around undocumented students > ‘Transformative’: More college programs are slowly coming into prisons > Little-known program offers steep college tuition discounts for some colleges in Western states > Maryland becomes the third state to completely ban legacy preference in admissions > 'It felt like Georgetown was built for us': First-gen student reflects on his GSP experience Alumnus Andy Marquez describes how he experienced the university’s commitment to cura personalis—a profound care for the whole person and their unique circumstances, gifts, and possibilities—through the Georgetown Scholars Program. Read > ‘More communication and less suspicion’: How faculty can better support neurodivergent students Writing in The Chronicle of Higher Education, an expert on mental health and disability calls on faculty to establish clear lines of communication with students and seek institutional support. Read > $10M gift to Georgetown bolsters undergraduate scholarships, Office of Mission and Ministry The gift from long-time Georgetown benefactors Nancy and Arthur Calcagnini aligns with the university’s top strategic priority—access and affordability—while also supporting its Jesuit and Catholic mission. Read >