Resources to Encourage and Support First Gen College Students

With a grant from the Walmart Foundation, 50 colleges participated in a program to find the best practices for retention and completion of college for first generation students. A list of the 10 Best Practices along with an accompanying website, can be used by any institution to help in working with their first gen college students.

Read the article: New Resources Encourage First-Generation Students – Students – The Chronicle of Higher Education

Read the Best Practices List: 10 ‘Best Practices’ for Serving First-Generation Students – Students – The Chronicle of Higher Education

Website : Council on Independent Colleges

More Layoffs at University of Phoenix

The Apollo Group, parent company to the University of Phoenix, announced it would layoff 500 non-faculty employees after reporting an 18% drop in annual enrollments. Due to declining numbers from August 2012 through 2013, the University’s enrollments have fallen off from 52,800 to 41,000.

Read More: Apollo Group Plans to Lay Off 500, as Does Education Management Corp. By Goldie Blumenstyk

AACC Response to ‘What’s the Value of an Associate’s Degree?’

American Association of Community Collages has posted a response to the study by Nexus/AIR report on ‘What’s the Value of an Associate’s Degree?’ This response sheds new light on the misconceptions of the Nexus/AIR study report.

Read More: AACC Statement on Nexus/AIR Report, What’s the Value of an Associate’s Degree?

What is an Associate Degree Worth?

A controversial study on the return on investment for taxpayers and students came out and puts a different spin on what an receiving only an associate degree is? The authors state this study is limited in its range of data gathering and should not be use to grade performances of schools. It does not cast a good light on the 2-year degree, but also it does not take into account the many individuals who benefit from receiving a college education. I sincerely hope this study is not taken out of context and used to justify reducing funds to the education system.

Read more: 2-Year Degree’s Value? For a Few, Less Than High School, Report Says By Katherine Mangan (The Chronicle).

Student Loan Default Rates

US Department of Education reports a slight climb in student loan default rates. With new changes coming to the calculation of these rates and Title IV eligibility on the line, this could be a problem for institutions.

Read More:  Student-Loan Default Rates Continue Steady Climb By Andy Thomason Chronicle of Higher Education

 

104 Institutions Show Consecutive High Default Rates According to a Calculation by the Chronicle of Higher Education Click here to see the list.