After announcing that colleges may not receive students’ Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) data until early March, Education Department officials said they are providing additional resources to help under-resourced schools and students manage the compressed financial aid process.
Students Archive
How to connect more students with crucial public benefits
A new policy brief calls on colleges to use readily available financial aid data to inform students of their potential eligibility for government assistance, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and subsidized health insurance.
Dual reports show just one in six community college students earn a bachelor’s degree
The transfer system is failing to work for community college students interested in earning a bachelor’s degree, according to two new reports, which call on higher education institutions to improve transfer pathways.
Meet Georgetown’s new director of the Military and Veterans’ Resource Center
Stephan Murphy, U.S. Army veteran and higher education leader, has joined Georgetown as its new director of the Military and Veterans’ Resource Center (MAVRC), which provides resources to help military-connected students thrive at Georgetown and beyond.
Top universities intensify rural student recruitment
U.S. colleges and universities are working to boost the socioeconomic diversity of their incoming classes by strengthening pathways to college success for small-town and rural students.
Incarcerated students see a brighter future with expanded programming from Georgetown initiative
Georgetown University’s Prisons and Justice Initiative has added a digital literacy program at the DC Jail in partnership with Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is providing a path to a bachelor’s degree for incarcerated students at Maryland’s Patuxent Institution.
‘Just because you’ve been incarcerated doesn’t mean that you can’t be successful’
A graduate of the MORCA-Georgetown Paralegal Program shares how the program helps formerly incarcerated students prepare for the legal profession.
Making higher education dreams a reality for Black rural students
Black students in rural communities face complex hurdles to postsecondary education, including higher-than-average poverty. One group is partnering with colleges and universities across the country to bridge those gaps.
Military-connected students at Georgetown reflect on holistic support
Veterans share how Georgetown’s expanded tuition benefits and comprehensive resources are enabling military-connected students to attend college and thrive on campus.
Four-year institutions create two-year colleges to reduce barriers for low-income students
With support from a network, four-year colleges and universities are launching two-year colleges that create an alternative, affordable pathway for low-income students to earn an associate degree and transfer to a four-year program with little to no debt.
Who is considered a ‘first-generation’ college student?
Colleges and policymakers often differ on how to define a “first-generation” college student. A new brief explores the assumptions at play—and how they affect programmatic support.
Academic requirements for financial aid are locking out students who need the most support
Experts say that making students’ federal financial aid conditional on “satisfactory academic progress” punishes students who have the fewest resources to help them complete their degree. State and federal lawmakers are working to create more student-friendly policies.