The Heart of Illinois Community Foundation的动态

Interesting article about higher ed roles and solutions featuring my compatriots at CWI.

The Tennessean shared this article about the tenth anniversary of Tennessee Promise today. The article states that 66K students have applied for TN Promise in 2024, their largest number of applicants yet. I will be curious to see how many end up being eligible. In addition to required community service hours, students must also submit a #FAFSA by May 15 (deadline extended due to FAFSA delayed rollout and issues). THEC and TSAC have really tried to be available to help families complete the FAFSA. Sadly, Tennessee currently ranks 50th (as of April 26) for FAFSA completion according to Human Capital Corporation - FAFSA completion has decreased 31% from last year for Tennessee. (link to data source as comment) This decrease is especially significant in underrepresented communities and I personally think will be more detrimental to college going than even COVID-19. I would love to be wrong about this and am watching this space closely. Belmont University - Fast Forward is working with both Volunteer State Community College and Nashville State Community College for summer programs for HS class of 2024 grads - to give them a fast forward start - as we try to move the needle. https://lnkd.in/e35zDbSU

Did you know that PASSHE schools like Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania remain an affordable option for students even in times of INCREDIBLE inflation? PASSHE has managed to freeze tuition for the last 6 years leaving undergrad tuition at only $7,716 per year. The state is now seeking to keep tuition at this cost for a 7th year. ?? That deserves a round of applause. ?? ?? From today's Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education update - "Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education has kept tuition the same for six consecutive years, despite historic inflation, in an effort to help attract more students to teaching and other in-demand jobs. The efforts incentivize Pennsylvania residents to pursue?careers in classrooms?and other jobs with worker shortages or careers in high demand. PASSHE has kept in-state undergraduate tuition at $7,716 a year for six years. If tuition had kept pace with inflation, students would pay 21% more today. In April, PASSHE’s Board of Governors reaffirmed its request for a state appropriation of at least $623.7 million—an increase of $38.1 million (or 6.5%)—for the 2024-25 fiscal year to enable the State System to keep tuition frozen for a remarkable seventh consecutive year. PASSHE universities deliver the lowest-cost four-year degrees in Pennsylvania. The price State System students pay for tuition, fees, room, board and common expenses has been nearly flat over the last five years. As a result, enrollment of new first-time students is up a combined 10% over two years." You can read more ?? https://lnkd.in/g-VW5RAD

Mitchell College was recently re-accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), marking 68 years since the college was first accredited in 1956. The college was last reviewed in 2013. Read more below. #MitchellCollege #radicallypossible #powerfullymitchell #powerfullyyou

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Middlesex County College. Are you considering Middlesex County College for your higher education? This article will provide an in-depth look at everything you need to know about the college, from its history and academic programs to campus life and student resources...

Florida leads the way! US News ranks Florida as the No. 1 state for education, highlighting its commitment to academic excellence. ???? US News Positions Florida on No 1 Rank for Education Read More: https://rb.gy/ibz2e8 #FloridaEducation #NumberOne #USNews #AcademicExcellence #EducationLeader #TopRank #EducationSuccess #LeadingEducation #StateRankings

This is for real! A college education for someone you know. If you are reading this that means we are connected, and you may be able to provide someone you know with the opportunity of a lifetime. At HJC we are launching a new Associate of Classical Liberal Arts program that has been developed to be more than just an education. It is a transformative journey. Imagine a college program that is about exploring the greatest ideas of civilization to develop your own independent thought. There are also some other significant differences in this program. The first is delivery- students work online and then come together at the end of each quarter for a few days at a live engagement event. Second, rather than reading textbooks, students engage with the original material. In other words, instead of reading what someone else says about Plato and Aristotle, students read the original work and form their own ideas and opinions. We are launching the new program this Fall with the inaugural group beginning Sept.23, 2024. 20 scholarships covering 100% of tuition. 20 scholarships covering 75% of tuition 20 scholarships covering 50% of tuition The scholarships do not cover travel or lodging while attending the live engagement events at the end of each quarter. If you know of someone who might be interested in this, contact me here on Linkedin or shoot me an e-mail at [email protected]. This might be the exact kind of program for your son, daughter, niece or nephew, or the bright neighbor that just needs a little nudge, etc.- this program is also ideal for students with a homeschool background or anyone looking for a different kind of college experience. There is more info on the program at the link: Classical Liberal Arts Program - 2-Year Associate Degree at HJC (gohjc.org)

I've spent some time dwelling on this and wanted to think before sharing any half-formed opinions on the subject, but the national dialogue around a college education "not being worth it" is absolutely nuts. Let's clarify some things: 1. Is college for everyone? No. 2. Do trade schools play a terrific role in providing market-ready skills? Yes. 3. Are there plenty of jobs you can do without a college degree? Yes. 4. Are community colleges a great place to target your ambitions without making the investment of a baccalaureate degree? Yes. 5. Is every college major likely worthy of pursuit? It depends. And this is where the dialogue goes wildly off course. In recent years, colleges have been accused of being "indoctrination factories" designed to instill "liberal ideologies". Which couldn't be further from the truth. Particularly at public colleges, because let's be frank, public higher education has been gutted in this nation over the last fifty years and it's showing no signs of turning around. I'm grateful that in Massachusetts we have a Governor whose administration sees the value in adequate funding for higher education, but we are still a long way from where we used to be. Public colleges don't have the money or resources to be the "too woke" places we've been accused of. We bring students in, teach them, train them, graduate them. Sure, education is not a business, but we're in the business of education. Our schools have a responsibility to provide an education that, as best as possible, prepares students for the real world. Along the way, if they get some opportunities to learn about other cultures and ideas, why is that a bad thing? Salem State graduates some of the best nurses, educators, social workers, accountants, criminal justice professionals, scientists, athletic trainers, mental health professionals, and many other fields of profession, all that require a degree. What's not talked about is that it's ok to change directions, too. Much of what you learn through a liberal arts education is applicable to fields outside of your major area of study. And what you go to college for originally, may not always be what you end up going into the workforce for. And that's ok. At the public college level, let's use Salem State as an example, 70% of our graduates stay in the workforce of the Commonwealth and that has a direct impact on the economy and the quality of life here. Let's stop this ridiculous onslaught of whether or not a higher education is a worthwhile investment. It is.

Higher education is a public good. The benefits to society far outweigh those that accrue to the individual college graduate. Yet today colleges and universities are a "constituency without a champion" as both left and right are beating up on the institutions that used to be universally seen as benefiting all. As an industry, we must do better in explaining our value and benefits to college graduates and to the wider society.