PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 16, 2025— The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression reports a record number of campus incidents involving attempts to investigate, censor, or otherwise punish students for protected expression in 2025.
FIRE has documented 273 efforts — so far — this year in which students and student groups were targeted for their constitutionally protected expression. This breaks the previous record of 252 set back in 2020, the first year of the Students Under Fire database, during the unrest prompted by Covid-19 lockdowns and the murder of George Floyd.
“These findings paint a campus culture in which student expression is increasingly policed and controversial ideas are not tolerated,” said FIRE Senior Researcher Logan Dougherty. “College is supposed to be a place where ideas are freely shared, not where students should be concerned about whether their comments will be subject to university scrutiny.”
Some especially grievous incidents include the arrest of Columbia University pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil; Indiana University’s censorship of its student newspaper (and firing of the director of student media) over an editorial dispute; the University of Alabama’s decision to shutter two student outlets because they supposedly ran afoul of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s guidance about D.E.I. programs; and, for good measure, a student at Weber State University in Utah who was directed to censor a presentation — about censorship.
FIRE’s Students Under Fire tracking relies on publicly available information to document various details about these controversies, including but not limited to the source calling for punishment, the speech topic of controversy, and the political direction of the attempt in relation to the targeted speech. Consistent with other FIRE research, the Students Under Fire database observed an uptick in attempts by the political right to silence speech in 2025.
The database is unprecedented both in type and scale, offering the most detailed collection of campus controversies involving students’ protected speech to date.
FIRE also noticed another troubling trend in 2025: A surge in attempts by government officials to influence how universities respond to student speech — especially following the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Some recent examples include:
In all these cases, students were targeted or punished not because their speech was unlawful — but because it caused controversy.
“Aside from the harm on the individual students involved in these incidents, such actions could have the effect of chilling speech across an entire campus — and across an entire generation,” Dougherty said. “What kind of lesson is that? That the safest move in college is to keep your head down and your mouth shut?”
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought — the most essential qualities of liberty. FIRE educates Americans about the importance of these inalienable rights, promotes a culture of respect for these rights, and provides the means to preserve them.
Karl de Vries, Director of Media Relations, FIRE: 215-717-3473; [email protected]
Across the UK, the sector is focused on scaling up wellbeing provision for students.
But as the mental health needs of learners increase, so too does the invisible pressure placed on academic and professional staff.
It’s a quiet crisis: wellbeing support for students is climbing the strategic agenda, while support for those delivering that care remains comparatively under-resourced. This is thrown into sharp relief given the turbulent times across the higher education institutions with staff facing uncertainty about stability of jobs, expectations and workload.
Staff as emotional first responders
Within the current HE model, academic staff are expected to be responsive to student disclosures, emotionally available during distress, and flexible with academic adjustments, all while fulfilling the core responsibilities of curriculum design, delivery, and assessment. As a result, the boundaries between rising workload, pedagogy, pastoral care, and crisis navigation are becoming increasingly blurred. A 2022 report by Education Support found that 78 per cent of academic staff felt their psychological wellbeing was less valued than productivity, and over half showed signs of depression.
While professional staff often serve as key facilitators of institutional wellbeing initiatives, they too experience compassion fatigue and rising burnout especially in roles that bridge student-facing services and policy implementation. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on academic and professional services staff was far reaching, with an increased demand for staff to re-design teaching resources, master new technologies and approaches to engage students and support their wellbeing whilst also managing their own mental health and resilience.
Reorganising workload and investing in their wellbeing is a necessity for retention, effectiveness, and staff morale.
Coaching as a holistic practice of care
Coaching in higher education is a personalised approach for investing in an individual by supporting them to reach their full potential. The way coaching approaches support for an individual is through reflection, clarify goals, developing a growth mindset and build self-awareness. Therefore, coaching has been increasingly introduced across the higher education institutions for supporting students’ resilience. As those initiatives progressed, a parallel narrative emerged “Look after the staff and staff will look after students” in the 2022 Journal of Further and Higher Education by Brewster. Academic and professional colleagues also needed a space to pause, reflect, and rebuild their own sense of clarity and confidence.
Just as students have had to navigate the difficulties and emotional toll of the Covid-19 pandemic, so have staff had to navigate profound disruption in their lives whilst still providing support for students’ mental health. With the disruption caused by the pandemic only a few years in the past, staff now face more challenges resulting from job uncertainty, institutional restructuring, and sector-wide instability. The cumulative impact of these pressures has left many staff navigating blurred boundaries, depleted confidence, and a loss of clarity about their professional identity. In this context, coaching for staff focused on wellbeing, self-reflection, and self-compassion is a strategic necessity for supporting staff resilience.
Coaching sessions embedded into staff work plans would provide spaces for staff to decompress and have meaningful conversations to clarify career goals. While it may be desirable to reduce workload, coaching can have indirect effect in equipping staff to manage workload more efficiently through reprioritisation. Consequently colleagues would not only feel better equipped to support students but would also be able to recognise and respond to their own emotional needs, re-align work plans with their personal and professional values enhancing their overall mental wellbeing.
Coaching isn’t just a tool for student development, it’s a strategic investment in staff wellbeing. It’s also a reminder that institutional care must be available to all staff. As it stands right now coaching is reserved only for those in leadership management. All staff academic, professional, and operational deserve access to coaching as a tool for personal and professional wellbeing. When coaching is inclusive, it becomes a strategic lever for culture change, not just individual development.
Reframing the culture
In a sector often reliant on institutional employee assistance programmes or crisis-oriented interventions, staff coaching offers preventative, community-driven professional development that builds collective capacity for resilience. It reframes wellbeing not as “self-care,” but as cultural care embedded in day-to-day practice, mentoring, and reflection especially given the challenges of current circumstances.
In an age increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and automated systems, the need to preserve human connection, emotional intelligence, and identity within education has never been greater. Coaching provides space to foster not just personal and professional growth, but a grounded sense of self, anchoring staff in their purpose and values in a period of rapid technological change. We cannot afford to treat staff wellbeing as secondary to student success as they are interdependent. When staff are supported, resourced, and cared for, they are better positioned to create the conditions in which students can thrive.
If the higher education institutions wants to retain engaged, resilient and emotionally intelligent educators, then coaching shouldn’t just be something we only offer to students and leadership staff. Leadership plays a critical role in setting the tone for this culture, ensuring that wellbeing is not just encouraged but embedded in everyday practice for all staff. It requires visible leadership commitment to wellbeing, through coaching, open dialogue, and consistent reinforcement of values of empathy, inclusion, and respect. One powerful way to enact this commitment is through institutionally supported coaching not just for leaders, but for all staff.
Many institutions already have a valuable but underutilised resource; trained internal coaches. These individuals bring deep contextual understanding of the higher education institution itself. Encouraging and enabling internal coaches to work with staff across all roles not just those in leadership can embed a culture of care and reflection at scale. When coaching is normalised as part of everyday professional development and wellbeing, it signals that the institution values its people not just for what they produce, but for who they are.
Between kindergarten and second grade, much of the school day is dedicated to helping our youngest students master phonics, syllabication, and letter-sound correspondence–the essential building blocks to lifelong learning.
Unfortunately, this foundational reading instruction has been stamped with an arbitrary expiration date. Students who miss that critical learning window, including our English Language Learners (ELL), children with learning disabilities, and those who find reading comprehension challenging, are pushed forward through middle and high school without the tools they need. In the race to catch up to classmates, they struggle academically, emotionally, and in extreme cases, eventually disengage or drop out.
Thirteen-year-old Alma, for instance, was still learning the English language during those first three years of school. She grappled with literacy for years, watching her peers breeze through assignments while she stumbled over basic decoding. However, by participating in a phonetics-first foundational literacy program in sixth grade, she is now reading at grade level.
“I am more comfortable when I read,” she shared. “And can I speak more fluently.”
Alma’s words represent a transformation that American education typically says is impossible after second grade–that every child can become a successful reader if given a second chance.
Lifting up the learners left behind
At Southwestern Jefferson County Consolidated School in Hanover, Ind., I teach middle-school students like Alma who are learning English as their second language. Many spent their formative school years building oral language proficiency and, as a result, lost out on systematic instruction grounded in English phonics patterns.
These bright and ambitious students lack basic foundational skills, but are expected to keep up with their classmates. To help ELL students access the same rigorous content as their peers while simultaneously building the decoding skills they missed, we had to give them a do-over without dragging them a step back.
Last year, we introduced our students to Readable English, a research-backed phonetic system that makes English decoding visible and teachable at any age. The platform embeds foundational language instruction into grade-level content, including the textbooks, novels, and worksheets all students are using, but with phonetic scaffolding that makes decoding explicit and systematic.
To help my students unlock the code behind complicated English language rules, we centered our classroom intervention on three core components:
Rhyming: The ability to rhyme, typically mastered by age five, is a key early literacy indicator. However, almost every ELL student in my class was missing this vital skill. Changing even one letter can alter the sound of a word, and homographic words like “tear” have completely different sounds and meanings. By embedding a pronunciation guide into classroom content, glyphs–or visual diacritical marks–indicate irregular sounds in common words and provide key information about the sound a particular letter makes.
Syllabication patterns: Because our ELL students were busy learning conversational English during the critical K-2 years, systematic syllable division, an essential decoding strategy, was never practiced. Through the platform, visual syllable breaks organize words into simple, readable chunks that make patterns explicit and teachable.
Silent letter patterns: With our new phonics platform, students can quickly “hear” different sounds. Unmarked letters make their usual sound while grayed-out letters indicate those with a silent sound. For students frustrated with pronunciation, pulling back the curtain on language rules provided them with that “a-ha” moment.
The impact on our students’ reading proficiency has been immediate and measurable, creating a cognitive energy shift from decoding to comprehension. Eleven-year-old Rodrigo, who has been in the U.S. for only two years, reports he’s “better at my other classes now” and is seeing boosts in his science, social studies, and math grades.
Taking a new step on a nationwide level
The middle-school reading crisis in the U.S. is devastating for our students. One-third of eighth-graders failed to hit the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) benchmark in reading, the largest percentage ever. In addition, students who fail to build literacy skills exhibit lower levels of achievement and are more likely to drop out of school.
The state of Indiana has recognized the crisis and, this fall, launched a new reading initiative for middle-school students. While this effort is a celebrated first step, every school needs the right tools to make intervention a success, especially for our ELL students.
Educators can no longer expect students to access grade-level content without giving them grade-level decoding skills. Middle-school students need foundational literacy instruction that respects their age, cognitive development, and dignity. Revisiting primary-grade phonics curriculum isn’t the right answer–educators must empower kids with phonetic scaffolding embedded in the same content their classmates are learning.
To help all students excel and embrace a love of reading, it’s time to reject the idea that literacy instruction expires in second grade. Instead, all of us can provide every child, at any age, the chance to become a successful lifelong reader who finds joy in the written word.
Kim Hicks, Southwestern Jefferson County Consolidated School
Kim Hicks is the Director ESL Program at Southwestern Jefferson County Consolidated School in Hanover, Indiana.
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Alongside the headline figures on acceptances – a record 577,725, up 2.3 per cent on last year – there’s new data on where students intend to live while studying.
For the first time, UCAS has released figures on intentions to live at home, and they make for fascinating reading.
Some 89,510 UK 18-year-olds who secured a place this autumn indicated they intended to live at home – up 7 per cent on 83,705 last year.
That means 31 per cent of UK 18-year-old accepted applicants planned to stay in the family home, a record high and a slight increase on 30 per cent in 2024. A decade ago, it was 22 per cent.
The figures differ sharply by nation and – crucially – by deprivation. Scottish 18-year-olds are most likely to live at home (46 per cent of accepted Scottish applicants), while Welsh 18-year-olds are least likely (21 per cent).
But the deprivation gradient is where the real story lies – 52 per cent of UK 18-year-olds in IMD Quintile 1 indicated they planned to live at home, compared to just 12 per cent in Quintile 5.
In England, that means the most disadvantaged young people are 3.5 times more likely to stay at home than their most advantaged peers.
The new scholarships tool
Alongside the figures, UCAS has launched a new scholarships tool designed to help students find the financial support available to them – a development that, given the data above, feels pretty timely. As UCAS chief executive Jo Saxton puts it:
Every young person should have the chance to make choices based on ambition, not affordability – which is why UCAS has launched a new scholarships tool to help students find financial support and keep their options open.
Saxton is careful to note that staying at home can “absolutely be the right choice for some”, such as those with caring or family responsibilities – but for others “it may close doors and limit access to courses or the wider university experience.”
The growing numbers, she suggests, may be driven by rising costs of living and broader financial considerations.
One of the persistent criticisms of institutional financial support has been its opacity – the postcode lottery of provision that makes it extraordinarily difficult for prospective students (and their advisers) to understand what’s available where.
Research by Brightside found widespread confusion among young people from low socioeconomic backgrounds about the differences between bursaries, scholarships, and fee waivers, with one commenting that it was almost like universities were “hiding this information away.”
A centralised tool that aggregates the information is a substantial step forward.
What are bursaries supposed to do?
The UCAS development invites another question – what, precisely, is all this student financial support supposed to achieve? As providers face their own financial squeeze – and as I noted last year, some are cutting planned support with OfS approval – it’s worth examining the policy rationale that’s supposed to underpin institutional bursaries and other forms of financial support in 2025.
In England, the Office for Students’ topic briefing on financial support sets out the regulatory expectation. Providers must, it says, take an evidence-led approach to developing financial support measures, providing a clear rationale for how financial support investment will help to reduce the gaps in access, success and progression.
Where providers have committed significant resources to financial support, OfS requires “strong evidence” in access and participation plans of how this will “help to improve outcomes for underrepresented students.”
The difficulty – and OfS acknowledges this – is that the evidence base has been historically thin. The topic briefing noted that previous sector-level analysis has found little evidence that financial support affects student outcomes.
OFFA research from 2010 found no evidence that bursaries influenced students’ choice of university – subsequent research in 2014 found no evidence that institutional bursary schemes had an observable effect on continuation rates.
A review by Nursaw Associates concluded that “financial support is not the most important factor in students’ decisions to apply to higher education” and that students receiving financial support have “comparable non-continuation rates with those who receive no financial support.”
There is, however, a footnote. That same review found that “a sizeable minority of students feel financial support does impact on their behaviour” – suggesting that bursaries may affect attitudes and relationships with institutions, even if the impact on hard outcomes proves harder to detect at sector level.
What TASO says
The Centre for Transforming Access and Student Outcomes (TASO) ought to know, and it distinguishes between pre-entry and post-entry financial support. For support offered after students enter HE, TASO’s assessment is that there’s a high-quality body of evidence that finds financial support can have a positive impact on retention/completion – but with a significant caveat:
…most of the existing research comes from the USA and more evidence is needed on the impact of financial support in the current UK context.
The key UK study TASO cites is Murphy and Wyness (2016), which found that increasing financial aid by £1,000 increased the likelihood of obtaining at least an upper second-class degree by 3.7 percentage points.
That’s meaningful – though hardly transformative.
TASO’s overall verdict is that there is a reasonable evidence base to support the use of needs-based grants to promote retention/completion, but less strong evidence that this approach can improve attainment/degree classification.
Crucially, TASO is clear about what remains unknown:
Currently we do not have enough evidence to make claims about which forms of financial support (bursaries/grants/fee-waivers/scholarships) are most effective.
It also notes that the sector is lacking causal studies about the impact of financial support offered by HE providers in the UK – and that even UK studies from the 2000s might not be relevant anymore, given that the system of student finance has considerably evolved.
What providers say they’re doing
The (fairly) newly approved Access and Participation Plans give us a window into how providers are framing their financial support – and the patterns that emerge are revealing.
Cost pressures
Across virtually every plan, financial support is positioned as addressing what OfS terms “EORR Risk 10” – cost pressures that can jeopardise a student’s ability to engage with and complete higher education. The language is consistent to the point of being formulaic – bursaries exist to “alleviate financial concerns,” “reduce the necessity for students to undertake excessive paid work,” and allow students to “focus on their studies.”
Bournemouth University’s framing is typical – its maintenance bursary aims to:
…reduce financial anxiety and enable students to focus on their studies.
This is, in policy terms, a success-stage intervention. The dominant theory of change is that financial support improves continuation and completion by reducing the competing demands on students’ time and attention – not that it drives access in the first place.
Only a handful of plans make explicit claims about bursaries influencing choice of institution, reflecting the weak evidence base on that question.
The variation in provision
The amounts on offer vary enormously. At the top end, Imperial College commits over £12.6 million annually to financial support, with its Imperial Bursary providing up to £5,000 per year for students from households with incomes under £70,000.
King’s College London forecasts over £10.1 million annually through its King’s Education Grant scheme, offering £2,000 per year for students with household incomes up to £25,000. The Courtauld Institute – small but London-based – offers up to £3,000 annually for students with household incomes of £45,000 or less, plus a competitive scholarship worth £10,000 over three years.
At the other end, provision is far more modest. Anglia Ruskin’s core bursary offers £300 for households up to £25,000, and £200 for those between £25,001 and £42,875. Leeds Arts University’s Creative Practice Support Bursary provides £400 in Level 4, £500 in Level 5, and £700 in Level 6.
Aston offers just £500 in first year only for households under £42,875. Birmingham Newman’s Support Fund averages around £429 per grant application.
The household income thresholds at which support kicks in also vary wildly – £25,000 at many providers, £30,000 at Bradford, £42,875 at others, £45,000 at the Courtauld, £63,000 at Sheffield Hallam, and £70,000 at Imperial. A student from a household earning £50,000 would be entitled to substantial support at some institutions and nothing whatsoever at others.
Care leavers and estranged students
If there’s one area of genuine consensus across the plans, it’s the treatment of care-experienced and estranged students. These groups consistently receive the most generous and comprehensive support – reflecting both their acute financial vulnerability and the sustained lobbying by organisations like Stand Alone and Become.
City University of London offers £3,500 annually through its City Cares Bursary, plus up to £2,500 in hardship funding and a £750 graduation package. Bournemouth provides £3,000 per year plus guaranteed year-round accommodation. Coventry covers 52 weeks of accommodation costs – valued at approximately £8,320 per care leaver annually – recognising that these students have nowhere to go during vacations.
King’s adds an extra £1,000 annual award on top of its standard bursary. Liverpool Hope offers a 50 per cent accommodation discount plus a catering package. Northumbria’s new Unite Foundation partnership offers free 52-week accommodation for up to six eligible students.
The rationale is that these students face not just financial disadvantage but the absence of family safety nets. The consistency of provision here – and its relative generosity compared to income-based bursaries – suggests the sector has internalised the argument that care leavers require qualitatively different support.
Hardship funds
Beyond core bursaries, hardship funds have expanded substantially across the sector. Northumbria commits £3 million annually – a figure that reflects both genuine need and, perhaps, an acknowledgment that predictable bursary amounts cannot address unpredictable financial crises.
Kingston forecasts over £2.2 million in total financial support, with its Student Support Fund providing up to £3,000 for students with dependents. Birmingham City maintains a Financial Assistance Fund of £1.375 million annually. Canterbury Christ Church’s Access to Learning Fund can award up to £3,750 for students in extreme hardship.
The growth of hardship provision raises an interesting question – is this evidence that core bursaries are insufficient, or that student financial precarity has become so acute that even “adequate” maintenance plus bursary doesn’t prevent crisis? Several plans note rising applications to hardship funds as a driver of expanded provision – Falmouth explicitly states it has “substantially increased funding for the Hardship Fund to meet demand.”
Expansion of in-kind support
A notable trend is the expansion of non-cash support – laptops, textbooks, food, accommodation subsidies – that address specific barriers rather than providing general maintenance. Birmingham City’s “BCU Advantage” scheme provides students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a “laptop for life.” Anglia Ruskin offers one free core electronic textbook per module to all Level 4 students.
Several providers now run community pantries, food banks, or subsidised meal schemes – Birmingham Newman offers discounted food after 2pm, Canterbury Christ Church has a “Helping Hand menu,” Leeds Trinity provides a “£2 hot meal deal.”
This shift reflects a recognition that cash bursaries, however welcome, may not address specific resource barriers. A student who can’t afford a laptop faces a qualitatively different problem from one who needs help with general living costs – and a textbook scheme that reaches all students may be more equitable than a bursary that requires application and means-testing. The Open University’s Study-Related Costs Fund, providing grants up to £250 for IT equipment, explicitly addresses the “digital exclusion” risk that’s particularly acute for distance learners.
Progression-related support
There’s also growing emphasis on progression-related financial support – interview travel costs, placement expenses, work experience funds, internship bursaries – reflecting recognition that financial barriers don’t end at graduation. Aston offers a £1,250 placement bursary for students from low-income households or those undertaking unpaid placements. City University’s Micro-placement Fund provides up to £500 for participation in micro-placements. Arts University Bournemouth offers up to £300 for costs associated with accessing graduate employment opportunities.
The rationale is explicitly tied to closing progression gaps. As Bournemouth’s plan notes, “internal data shows that placements are strongly associated with improved degree attainment and progression into high-skilled employment” – but low-income students face financial barriers to participation. Liverpool John Moores is developing new “ring-fenced paid internship programmes” specifically for Black students and care-experienced students, “targeting sectors where progression gaps are largest.”
Scholarships Plus
A handful of providers are explicitly integrating financial support with non-financial interventions – what York St John calls “Scholarships Plus.” The idea is that cash alone is insufficient – bursaries should be accompanied by activities designed to enhance confidence, belonging, and career readiness.
Sheffield Hallam’s Student Success Scholarship is “highly targeted at students with household incomes under £63,000 who belong to defined ‘priority groups’” – but the purpose is explicitly to increase “the student’s capacity to engage fully with their studies,” not just to provide income replacement.
It’s a more sophisticated theory of change than simple cash transfer – but it also raises questions about conditionality and whether support should require participation in additional activities. The evidence base for “scholarships plus” approaches is, if anything, even thinner than for straightforward bursaries.
Front-loading versus smoothing
The plans also show up divergent approaches to how support is structured across the student lifecycle. Some providers front-load support, offering higher amounts in first year when transition challenges are greatest. Aston’s £500 bursary is first-year only; Kingston’s £2,000 bursary is first-year only. The rationale is that this is when financial barriers to continuation are most acute.
Others have moved in the opposite direction. One provider I looked at last year shifted from higher initial support with reduced amounts in subsequent years to a flat £1,000 across all years – a “smoothing” approach. Leeds Arts University actually back-loads its support: £400 in Level 4, £500 in Level 5, £700 in Level 6 – reflecting the higher material costs of final-year creative projects. Norwich University of the Arts does something similar: up to £500 in Year 0/1, £300 in Year 2, £200 in Year 3.
The evidence on optimal timing is essentially non-existent. Does front-loading improve continuation? Does back-loading support completion? Does smoothing reduce financial anxiety across the whole course? The plans assert various rationales, but few cite robust evidence for their chosen approach.
Evaluation, evaluation, and inflation
OfS requires providers to evaluate their financial support using “robust methods” – and several plans reference the OfS Financial Support Evaluation Toolkit, quasi-experimental designs, or commitments to ongoing evaluation. Birmingham mentions it “will continue periodically” to evaluate its financial support offer “based upon the OfS financial support toolkit.” East Anglia commits to evaluating financial support “using a quasi-experimental design.”
But the reality is that there’s little evidence of systematic evaluation across the sector – and almost no evidence that planned reductions in financial support have been evaluated for negative impacts. Providers cutting bursaries don’t appear to be required to demonstrate that this won’t harm continuation or completion. The OfS toolkit exists, but its use appears patchy at best.
Also notable is what’s absent from the plans. Inflation – the factor that has most dramatically affected student living costs over the plan period – is rarely mentioned except in relation to the maximum tuition fee that providers hope to charge.
Students facing a cost-of-living crisis that has seen food prices rise by over 25 per cent since 2021 are, apparently, not worthy of quantified analysis. Bursary amounts are stated in nominal terms with no commitment to uprating – household income thresholds are fixed with no acknowledgment that £25,000 in 2028 will be worth substantially less than £25,000 today.
Kingston’s new “Back on Track grant” – up to £500 for students experiencing “short-term financial difficulty due to cost-of-living increases” – is one of the few explicit acknowledgments that inflation has changed the landscape. But this is framed as crisis intervention, not as a reason to revisit core bursary amounts.
Coherence
Overall we see a sector that has internalised a consistent rationale for financial support – addressing cost pressures to improve continuation and completion – while implementing it through inconsistent mechanisms. A student from a household earning £25,000 might receive £5,000 at Imperial, £2,000 at King’s, £1,000 at Kingston (first year only), £500 at Aston (first year only), or £300 at Anglia Ruskin. The same student with care experience might receive anywhere from £1,000 to £8,000+ depending on institution, location, and whether accommodation is included.
This is, of course, partly a function of institutional resources and student demographics – providers with higher proportions of disadvantaged students must spread resources more thinly. Murphy and Wyness (2016) found precisely this – a decentralised bursary system creates inequalities, with disadvantaged students at better-resourced institutions receiving substantially more. As they noted:
…universities with a higher proportion of disadvantaged students have to spread their resources amongst more students, limiting the amount that each student can get.
But there’s a deeper coherence problem. The regulatory framework asks providers to demonstrate how financial support will “improve outcomes for underrepresented students” – yet the evidence that institutional bursaries achieve this at scale remains weak.
Providers are, in effect, being asked to evaluate something that the sector-level evidence suggests may not work in the way the policy assumes. And when providers conclude that their bursary scheme isn’t delivering – or that resources would be better deployed elsewhere – OfS appears willing to approve reductions without requiring evidence that this won’t cause harm.
Meanwhile, the broader context is getting worse. Maintenance loan increases have failed to match inflation; the parental contribution threshold has been frozen at £25,000 since 2007; and today’s UCAS data shows disadvantaged students increasingly constrained in their choices. The total planned financial support across the sample I examined last year was set to fall from £20 million in 2020-21 to £17 million by 2028-29 – real-terms cuts, approved by OfS, at precisely the moment students need more support.
The UCAS tool matters
This is why the UCAS scholarships tool feels significant – not because it solves the underlying problem, but because it at least addresses one of the compounding factors. If bursaries are to have any effect on access (rather than just continuation), prospective students need to know what’s available before they make choices.
The current system, where information is scattered across hundreds of institutional websites with different eligibility criteria, different application processes, and different timescales, serves no one well.
A centralised tool won’t fix the postcode lottery of provision. It won’t address the fact that some providers are cutting support while others expand it, and it won’t resolve the fundamental question of whether institutional bursaries are the most effective use of access and participation spend. But it might – might – help more students discover support they’re entitled to, and make slightly more informed choices as a result.
As Saxton notes:
…we need to remain alert to these challenges and more research is needed to fully understand the impact on student choice and progression.
That research gap – what financial support actually achieves, for whom, and under what conditions – remains the elephant in the room. Until it’s addressed, we’re left with a system where providers invest hundreds of millions of pounds annually in financial support, regulators require evidence of impact, but we still don’t really know whether any of it works.
The new report Rethinking Student Voice: How higher education must design effective student governance (HEPI Report 195), written by Darcie Jones exposes a key issue within university governance: the marginalisation of student governors.
With financial pressures intensifying across the sector, thee stakes for effective governance have never been higher. Yet, despite being core stakeholders within universities, many students on governing boards feel sidelined by opaque processes and exclusive norms. The evidence within this report reveals a persistent gap between symbolic representation and meaningful participation.
However it’s not all bad news, the report also highlights what is possible when the student voice is taken seriously. Using examples of effective practice it demonstrates the transformation value of empowered student governance.
Drawing on extensive evidence and sector insights, the report sets out clear, actionable reforms – from accessible governance culture, to improved recruitment, induction and development. They provide a pathway from why student perspectives and voices can be embedded at the heart of decision-making within universities.
The Priorities Survey for Online Learners (PSOL) is the instrument in the Satisfaction-Priorities Survey family that best reflects the unique experiences of students in online two-year and four-year programs, including at the graduate level. The Priorities Survey for Online Learners provides the perspectives of online students aside external national benchmarks to inform decision-making for 150 institutions across the country.
It is critical to understand the full experience of online students who may have limited interactions with the institution, and the Priorities Survey for Online Learners allows leadership to know what matters to their online students in both their academic and non-academic interactions. Students respond on items related to instructional, enrollment, academic and enrollment services along with their general perceptions of the institution. This broad view provides direction to campus leaders to be able to best serve what may be a growing population for the institution. Online students indicate a level of importance and satisfaction with just over two dozen items.
The combination of satisfaction and importance scores identifies strengths (areas of high importance and high satisfaction) to be celebrated and challenges (areas of high importance and low satisfaction) to be improved. Along with the external national comparison data specific to online students published annually, institutions can compare their students’ perceptions internally over time with annual or every-other-year administrations. In addition, the provided reporting gives institutions the opportunity to review their data for demographic subpopulations to focus initiatives appropriately.
All students enrolled in online programs, undergraduate and graduate alike, can be invited to complete the Priorities Survey for Online Learners. Like the Student Satisfaction Inventory and the Adult Student Priorities Survey (the other survey instruments in the Satisfaction-Priorities family), the data gathered by the survey can support multiple initiatives on campus including to inform student success efforts, to provide the student voice for strategic planning, to document priorities for accreditation purposes, and to highlight positive messaging for recruitment activities. Student satisfaction has been positively linked with higher individual student retention and higher institutional graduation rates, getting right to the heart of higher education student success.
“Having an independent organization with a well-known brand provide the student perspective is hugely important to us. The data is valued by our Board of directors and by our accrediting organizations. It shows how we are performing when it comes to institutions that are similar to us,” said Ada Uche, director of assessment and institutional effectiveness at Colorado Technical University (CO) about their regular administration of the Priorities Survey for Online Learners.
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One of the most common questions we hear from parents and students at The College Planning Center is: “Will financial aid cover summer classes?”
The honest answer is: 👉 Yes, financial aid can cover summer classes—but not always.
Whether financial aid for summer classes is available depends on:
How much aid the student has already used in fall and spring
How the college structures its academic year
Whether the summer classes count toward the degree
The student’s academic standing (especially SAP)
In this guide, we’ll walk through when financial aid covers summer classes, common myths, real-life student stories, and the steps families should take before signing up.
The #1 Misconception About Summer Financial Aid
A huge source of confusion is this assumption:
“FAFSA automatically gives us new aid for summer.”
This leads to questions like:
Does financial aid cover summer classes the same way it does fall and spring?
Will my fall financial aid cover my summer classes if I already used it during the year?
Can you get financial aid for summer classes without submitting anything extra?
Most families don’t realize:
Summer aid usually comes from the same academic year’s funds, not a brand-new pool.
Summer is often attached to the prior academic year, not treated as a fresh start.
Federal loans do not “refresh” for summer—annual limits still apply.
Colleges do not all treat summer the same. Each school sets its own policies.
This is why families are often surprised when they ask, “Will my financial aid cover summer classes?” and the answer is “maybe—depending on what’s left.”
Who We See Taking Summer Classes (and Why It Matters for Aid)
At The College Planning Center, we most often advise:
Rising high school juniors and seniors taking dual-enrollment summer classes
College freshmen and sophomores who need to catch up, boost GPA, or stay on track
Students changing majors who must complete prerequisite courses quickly
Transfer students trying to finish missing credits before enrolling at a new school
Students targeting competitive programs (nursing, engineering, education, etc.)
Students trying to graduate early and reduce overall tuition and housing costs
Our recommendations always depend on:
Academic readiness
Financial aid eligibility (including summer)
Long-term college goals
When a family asks us, “Can you get financial aid for summer classes in this situation?”, we don’t just check one box—we look at the entire academic and financial picture.
What Types of Financial Aid Can Cover Summer Classes?
So, does financial aid cover summer classes at all? In many cases, yes—but with limits.
Depending on the school and student, financial aid for summer classes may come from:
1. Federal Aid (FAFSA-Based)
Pell Grants – If the student is Pell-eligible and hasn’t used their full annual amount, some may be available for summer.
Federal Direct Loans – If the student has not used their full annual loan limit in fall and spring, remaining eligibility may be applied to summer.
This is often the real answer behind “Will my financial aid cover summer classes?” It depends on what’s left in the federal aid bucket.
2. Institutional Aid
Some colleges offer:
Summer scholarships or tuition discounts for students who stay on track in their major
Limited institutional grants for summer enrollment
Policies vary widely, so you must ask each school directly.
3. State Aid & Private Scholarships
State grants or scholarships sometimes apply to summer—but not always.
Private scholarships may or may not allow funds to be used in summer; this depends on the scholarship rules.
4. Work-Study
Some schools offer summer work-study positions, but slots are often limited and may require separate applications.
Real-Life Example: When Summer Aid Was Approved
Student A – Rising Sophomore at Clemson University
Question they came in with: “Can you get financial aid for summer classes if you still have some loans left?”
Situation: Student A had worked with The College Planning Center through high school. Strong merit scholarships (thanks to improved SAT scores and a standout application) reduced how much they needed to borrow.
Summer Goal: Take two summer courses to stay ahead in their major.
Why Summer Aid Was Approved:
They did not use their full federal loan eligibility in fall and spring.
The summer classes were degree-applicable, which is required for federal aid.
They were meeting SAP (Satisfactory Academic Progress) with strong grades.
Outcome:
The college approved:
A portion of their remaining federal loans for summer
A small amount of institutional scholarship aid tied to their major progress
How CPC Helped:
Confirmed remaining loan eligibility
Verified that selected classes counted toward the degree
Compared the cost of taking those courses in summer vs. fall
In this case, the answer to “Will financial aid cover summer classes?” was a clear yes—because funds and eligibility were still available.
Real-Life Example: When Summer Aid Wasn’t Available
Student B – First-Year at University of South Carolina
Question their family asked: “Will my fall financial aid cover my summer classes if we already used everything we were offered?”
Situation: Student B had some merit aid but needed maximum federal loans during the year to cover tuition and housing.
Summer Goal: Take a required math class in summer to get back on track.
Why Summer Aid Was Denied:
They had no remaining federal loan eligibility for that academic year.
Their merit scholarship applied to fall and spring only.
Their academic record triggered a SAP review, temporarily blocking federal aid eligibility.
Outcome:
The financial aid office denied summer aid.
The student delayed the class until fall and focused on academic recovery.
How CPC Helped:
Guided the family through a SAP appeal
Created a study and support plan
Restructured the fall course load to protect future aid
Here, the honest answer to “Does financial aid cover summer classes?” was no—because the student had already used up the year’s resources and lost eligibility temporarily.
Common Pitfalls That Block Financial Aid for Summer Classes
We see the same problems over and over when families ask, “Why won’t my financial aid cover summer classes?”
1. Using 100% of Loan Funds in Fall and Spring
If a student maxes out their annual loan limit during the regular school year, there may be nothing left to apply toward summer.
2. Dropping Below Half-Time Enrollment
Many forms of aid require students to enroll at least half-time. If a student drops a class or withdraws, they can fall below half-time and lose summer aid they were counting on.
3. SAP (Satisfactory Academic Progress) Problems
Low GPA, too many withdrawals, or not completing enough credits can all cause SAP issues. If SAP isn’t met, even summer aid may be blocked.
4. Assuming Scholarships Automatically Apply in Summer
Most merit scholarships are fall/spring only, even if the letter doesn’t say “no summer” in big bold letters.
5. Taking Classes That Don’t Count Toward the Degree
Federal aid usually only covers degree-applicable courses. Random electives or “extra” classes may not qualify.
6. Missing the Summer Aid Request Deadline
Some colleges require:
A separate summer aid application, or
An earlier priority deadline
Missing this can turn a possible yes into a no.
When Are Summer Classes Financially Wise?
At The College Planning Center, we take a balanced, realistic approach. We don’t just ask, “Can you get financial aid for summer classes?” We ask:
“Does it make academic and financial sense for your student?”
Summer Classes Are Often Worth It When They:
Help a student graduate early, reducing an entire semester of tuition, housing, and fees
Protect or restore FAFSA eligibility by maintaining or improving SAP
Make a major change possible without delaying graduation
Improve GPA for selective programs
Reduce fall/spring overload, decreasing burnout and grade risk
Summer Classes May Not Be Wise When:
The student has no remaining aid and summer would mean high out-of-pocket costs
Tuition per credit is significantly higher in summer
The classes don’t count toward the degree
The student is struggling academically and needs a break more than another course
For instructors, it’s clear when student engagement strategies are needed, especially when facing blank stares, eyes focused on cell phones, and a lack of participation. These are telltale signs that students are not engaged during class. But why is student engagement so important? Student engagement is a broad concept that encompasses both the physical and psychological energy students dedicate to learning, as well as their motivation and emotional connection to academic material.
This article covers 34 student engagement strategies suitable for any college-level course, intended for instructors seeking practical tips and research-backed guidance on building classroom engagement. As a comprehensive guide to boosting student engagement, it highlights collaborative learning and digital interaction as key approaches to increase participation, understanding and enjoyment in both online and traditional educational settings.
Audience: This guide is designed for college instructors and educators who want to address disengagement and improve learning outcomes in their courses.
Why strategies matter: Student engagement is crucial for academic success and overall learning outcomes. Higher levels of student engagement are associated with improved academic performance. Engaged students are more likely to persist in their studies and achieve their educational goals. Engagement in learning activities enhances students’ motivation to learn—and students who are engaged in their learning are more likely to develop critical thinking skills.
Key benefits of student engagement:
Fosters critical thinking and deeper understanding
Improves academic performance and learning outcomes
Increases student persistence and achievement of educational goals
Enhances motivation and sense of belonging
In an era where technology permeates virtually every aspect of our lives, distractions are an ever-present concern. And this means that engagement strategies for students are becoming even more essential in modern college courses. So how do instructors build learning environments that are engaging, lively and motivated? They have to incorporate strategies to build community, connection and a love of learning.
Engaged students are typically more curious about a subject—perhaps even more passionate about it. Encountering new ideas can spark motivation and lead to deeper engagement, as students find joy in exploring innovative concepts and approaches. Increasing student engagement is crucial for enhancing students’ confidence, comprehension, and overall learning experiences. While some students may be motivated primarily by the pursuit of good grades, true engagement involves a desire to learn for its own sake and a deeper sense of intrinsic motivation. Increasing engagement can help improve student motivation and, in turn, boost student progress and achievement.
Student engagement is closely linked to student achievement. Numerous studies have found that when instructors use strategies that are explicitly designed to get students’ attention—and to actively engage them in the learning process, including quick, low-order activities to hold students attention during brief periods of inactivity—test scores and graduation rates increase, and learning objectives are more likely to be met, which makes understanding how to engage students even more important for instructors.
Here, we provide 34 strategies to bring creativity, collaboration and participation to your classroom.
How student engagement strategies can fit in your classroom
In a classroom where engagement is emphasized, students are asked to participate more rigorously in the learning process and sometimes even in course design. Lectures still exist, but they now incorporate multimedia, technology and class participation. In hybrid and online learning environments, this can mean polling, classwide discussions and competitive activities. Integrating digital tools such as laptops, tablets and videos directly into lesson content can further enhance student engagement and make lessons more dynamic and relevant to digitally literate students. These approaches are highly effective for boosting student engagement by increasing participation, understanding and enjoyment in both online and traditional educational settings. These engaging, relevant activities for students can energize your classroom and take learning to a new level, wherever it takes place.
By engaging in hands-on activities, students learn to support, trust and listen to each other, while developing important skills like collaboration and communication—skills that can’t be learned from a textbook, interactive or not. Learning to get along with peers, for example, isn’t something you can pick up through memorization.
Transition: Next, we’ll define what student engagement strategies are and explore key terms and approaches that underpin effective engagement in the college classroom.
What are student engagement strategies?
Student engagement strategies are activities, tactics and approaches that serve as a core educational practice for effective teaching. Educators can leverage these strategies during and after class to keep students invested in their learning. They can be used to increase active learning, participation and collaboration in the classroom—and can be everything from simple changes made in your next class to a complete revamp of your curriculum, course delivery and assessment methods.
Key definitions and interconnections:
Active learning techniques include group work, inquiry, hands-on experiments and role-playing.
Using group work and collaboration gives students a welcome break from solo bookwork, allows them to express their ideas and provides opportunities to encounter and explore new ideas, which can deepen engagement.
Inquiry-based learning gives students ownership by allowing them to explore their own questions.
Creating a positive climate involves building strong teacher-student relationships and fostering a safe environment.
Engaging with students’ interests builds strong relationships and rapport while enhancing their learning experience.
Using varied active-learning strategies can engage a broader population of students.
Using diverse engagement opportunities can help reach students with varying learning preferences.
The following strategies are effective methods for engaging diverse learners and can be adapted to fit various educational settings. Here are some creative strategies for engaging students in learning—ranging from small changes to more substantial pedagogical shifts.
Transition: With these definitions in mind, let’s look at how to create a positive classroom environment as the foundation for engagement.
Creating a positive classroom environment
A positive classroom environment is the foundation for promoting student engagement and building a thriving learning community. When students feel welcomed, respected and supported, they are more likely to participate actively and take ownership of their learning.
Arranging the classroom for collaboration
Teachers can foster this environment by thoughtfully arranging the classroom to encourage collaboration—such as grouping desks for small group work or creating spaces for student-led discussions. Displaying inspirational quotes and showcasing student work on classroom walls not only celebrates achievements but also helps students feel valued and connected to the learning process.
Encouraging collaborative learning
Encouraging collaborative learning is another key strategy. By providing opportunities for students to work together in small groups, teachers promote active participation and help students develop strong relationships with their peers. This sense of community makes students more comfortable sharing ideas and taking academic risks.
Modeling positive interactions
Teachers who model positive interactions and set clear expectations for respectful communication further contribute to a supportive classroom environment. Ultimately, a positive classroom climate is essential for keeping students engaged, motivated and eager to learn.
Transition: Once a positive environment is established, instructors can implement specific engagement strategies in their teaching practice.
Student engagement strategies for your teaching
1. Active learning: Create a teaching and learning environment primed for student participation, such as calling on students to answer a question, individual reflection and group problem-solving. Encourage students to take on active roles in collaborative learning environments, where they can teach or practice concepts with their peers. When students explain concepts to other students, it not only reinforces the explainer’s understanding but also benefits the rest of the class by clarifying ideas and promoting inclusive participation. Incorporate open-ended questions that may have more than one correct answer, allowing students to demonstrate comprehension beyond simple recall. Be mindful that distractions and feelings of exclusion can impact students’ working memory and learning outcomes.
Use case: Donna Smith, Instructor of Mathematics at Sierra College, used Top Hat to create a connected, engaging learning experience for students learning asynchronously. Leveraging Top Hat’s streamlined platform with features to customize course content, Smith uses more than 14 different question types to assess student learning as the course progresses. Next term, she plans to embed interactive questions between lecture videos, so students have the opportunity to practice course concepts right after learning them. Key takeaway: Flexibility and anonymity in questioning can support first-generation students and encourage participation.
2. Participatory teaching: This student-centered approach to pedagogy accounts for the different skills, backgrounds and learning styles of students. The focus of participatory teaching is on self-regulation and self-reflection; specific strategies include using different teaching methods and varying means of assessment, which adds a greater level of flexibility, a key part of any engagement strategies for online learning. When asking questions, provide wait time to allow students to think and formulate thoughtful responses, which can enhance participation and engagement.
3. Flip the classroom: Flip the traditional lecture-homework relationship. Students study the subject matter independently and outside class through tools such as pre-recorded videos. Class is then spent on student-centered learning such as working through problems, debating or group work. When engaging in group work, encourage students to collaborate on the same topic to enhance understanding and ensure everyone is included. After posing questions, allow students sufficient wait time to reflect before responding, which supports deeper engagement.
4. Technology in the classroom: Students expect to be constantly connected and want immediate feedback. Online and mobile technology can be used to provide active learning activities and to keep students engaged outside the classroom.
5. Classroom management strategies: Classroom strategies help instructors build a distraction-free environment. As an instructor, you can build in student engagement by asking learners to help shape classroom rules. As an activity in the first week of classes, decide on a set of shared values and create a set of guidelines, like active listening, what respectful disagreements look like and how to create a safe space for questions. Incorporate physical activity into the classroom to maintain engagement and alertness. Structure participation in such a way as to promote inclusivity and equitable involvement from all students. Design classroom environments to support students and their individual needs, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to succeed. Using humor throughout lessons lightens the mood and makes for a more enjoyable learning experience.
6. Writing: Exercises such as journaling and one-minute papers can help keep students engaged in class as well as improve thinking skills. These activities allow students time to reflect and engage more deeply with the material.
7. Culturally responsive teaching: This strategy ensures students see themselves reflected in course readings, activities and lesson plans. Faculty might bring in diverse guest speakers to give a lecture on a niche topic. Alternatively, educators might ensure a certain percentage of their required readings are authored by scholars from under-represented populations. Use relevant examples from students’ cultural backgrounds and real-life experiences to illustrate concepts and promote engagement.
Transition: With foundational teaching strategies in place, the next step is to align engagement activities with your curriculum for maximum impact.
Student engagement activities based on your curriculum
Instructors can start lessons with engaging hooks to capture students’ interest and set the stage for active participation throughout the session.
8. Set expectations: At the beginning of a course, ask students what they expect from you and then try to meet those expectations. Students are more engaged when they have a good relationship with the instructor. It’s also important to recognize and engage individual students, considering their unique learning experiences, characteristics and needs to promote equitable learning outcomes.
9. Integrated curriculum: Combine disciplines rather than compartmentalizing subjects. Some medical schools, for example, have moved away from teaching subjects in isolation such as physiology and anatomy and moved toward studying organ systems where students learn the physiology and anatomy associated with that system.
Use case: John Redden, Associate Professor of Physiology and Neurobiology at the University of Connecticut, is a long-time Top Hat user and has leveraged the platform to offer a consistent and equitable hybrid learning experience. Key takeaway: Giving students control over their schedules and diversifying teaching and assessment methods supports engagement and equity.
10. Think-pair-share: Think-pair-share encourages students to work together to solve problems.
Students take a few moments of individual reflection to gather their thoughts on a given topic.
Then, have them discuss their thoughts with a peer.
Next, have the pair of students form a group with another pair and encourage the group of four to inquire about one another’s opinions.
Make sure all students share their ideas during group discussions to maximize participation and engagement.
11. Make the course relevant: Students want courses to be relevant and meaningful. Use real-world examples to teach. Where the course is relevant to a specific occupation, ensure it’s aligned with the current needs of the occupation.
12. Cooperative learning: Encourage students to work together by arranging them in partners or small groups to help them achieve learning goals. Group work can include assignments, discussions, reviews and lab experiments—even having students discuss a lesson with their peers.
13. Authentic learning experiences: Encourage active engagement in the classroom by having students tackle real-world problems and attempt to come up with a solution through methods such as inquiry and experimentation. Ideally, the solution will benefit others or the community. Experiential learning—when students learn from reflecting on their real-world learning experience—is a further development of this, and is an effective teaching strategy.
14. Social media: Potential uses for social media include sharing relevant content, posting instructional videos on YouTube and facilitating ongoing discussion groups. However, strict guidelines for use must be put in place and enforced.
15. Quick writes: During each lesson, ask students to write down their questions, thoughts and points of clarification. This is an easy-to-implement way to encourage students to think critically and analytically about the course content.
Transition: To further promote higher-order thinking, the next section focuses on engagement strategies for critical thinking.
Engagement strategies for critical thinking
Promoting critical thinking in the classroom is essential for deeper learning and academic achievement. Engagement strategies that encourage students to analyze, evaluate and synthesize information help them move beyond surface-level understanding.
Techniques for fostering critical thinking
Ask open-ended questions that require students to justify their reasoning, interpret data, or solve real-world problems.
Incorporate real-world examples and case studies, prompting students to apply theoretical concepts to practical situations.
Use instructional strategies such as think-pair-share, jigsaw reading, and Socratic seminars to encourage discussion, debate and reflection on complex issues.
Require students to engage in thoughtful dialogue and collaborative problem-solving.
By requiring students to engage in thoughtful dialogue and collaborative problem-solving, teachers help them develop the critical thinking skills needed for success in the modern age. These strategies not only increase student engagement but also foster a classroom culture where deeper learning and meaningful academic achievement are the norm.
Transition: Empowering students with autonomy is another powerful way to enhance engagement, as explored in the next section.
Giving students autonomy
Empowering students with autonomy is a powerful way to enhance student engagement and motivation. When students are given choices in their learning process—such as selecting topics for projects, choosing how to present their work, or setting personal learning goals—they feel a greater sense of ownership and investment in their education. This sense of agency encourages students to take an active role in their learning environment, leading to deeper learning and understanding.
Strategies for student autonomy
Provide learning menus, choice boards, or opportunities for self-directed projects.
Allow students to work at their own pace and reflect on their progress through self-assessment.
Support student autonomy to create a classroom environment where students are motivated to learn and achieve their best.
Transition: Assessment is another key area where engagement strategies can make a significant difference, as detailed in the following section.
Student engagement strategies for assessments
16. Prepare for class before class: Students get more out of class time if they’re familiar with the material before they arrive. Exercises such as pre-class quizzes ensure they’re knowledgeable enough to contribute.
17. Assess early and often: Frequent quizzes for formative assessment (for “fun”) work well alongside traditional midterm and final exams. Frequent testing reduces the temptation for students to cram and forces them to space out their learning, which leads to better retention. Having the first test within the first few classes also helps prevent students from falling behind—boosting student achievement early. Use formative assessments to hold students accountable for their learning, encouraging consistent participation and responsibility.
18. Assess attendance: Student attendance can improve grades as well as engagement. Consider making attendance part of their overall assessment. Many learners enter university without proper study skills and first-year students can benefit from the structure of mandatory attendance.
19. Problem-based or project-based learning: Students are tasked with solving a problem or completing a project, but the focus is on the end product, allowing students to determine what resources are needed to solve the problem or complete the project.
Instructors should also regularly self assess their use of student engagement strategies, using tools like self-assessment tables, to identify which approaches they currently use and which could be adopted to improve classroom inclusion.
Transition: Presentation skills and classroom delivery also play a vital role in engaging students, as discussed next.
Classroom engagement strategies using your presentation skills
20. Use visual representations: Engage students with animations, 3D representations and concept maps, all of which can help them visualize complex subjects. Instructors should also focus on paying attention to individual students’ engagement and needs when using visual tools, ensuring that every learner benefits from these strategies.
21. Inquiry-based learning: To answer questions posed by the instructor or by the students themselves, a learner undertakes his or her own research to arrive at an answer. Inquiry-based learning can be as simple as watching video lectures, or more involvement could come from designing and performing an experiment. Encouraging participation from one student at a time during inquiry-based activities helps foster an inclusive environment where each individual feels valued and supported.
22. Use simulations: Games or role-playing place students in an imaginary setting defined by the instructor, providing for an interactive, participatory learning experience.
23. Tell stories: Wherever possible, tell stories to illustrate concepts when giving lectures. This helps students to process course concepts in their own words and move past rote memorization. For example, you might ask them to paraphrase a story or definition, explain a concept in their own words, tell a story that relates to it, or provide analogies to further illustrate a course concept. Encouraging one student at a time to share their perspective or story can promote inclusivity and ensure that every voice is heard.
Use case: Steve Joordens, Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto, has devoted much of his career to the issue of student distraction and its ephemeral counterpart, student engagement. And if he’s learned one thing about engagement, it’s that there’s more than one way to foster it. So he set about trying to name the different techniques, which led Joordens to create a taxonomy of student engagement, complete with its own handy label: RIFS, an acronym for “Relevant, Interesting, Fun, Social.”
Key takeaways:
Relevant: Answering the well-worn student grouse, “Why are we learning this?” Classroom activities such as problem-based or work-integrated learning can enhance any course material’s relevance.
Interesting: Personalized learning strategies in the classroom encourage students to take greater ownership over their own education, which develops a stronger sense of intrinsic motivation.
Fun: Making the classroom experience enjoyable helps keep students’ minds relaxed and open.
Social: Encouraging students to interact and learn from each other as well as from their instructors or their readings. Tactics such as response systems and peer assessments foster more social interaction in learning.
Transition: Technology is another powerful tool for enhancing engagement, as explored in the next section.
Using technology to enhance learning
Integrating technology into the classroom is a highly effective way to boost student engagement and promote deeper learning. Technology offers students interactive and immersive experiences, such as virtual field trips, simulations, and educational games, which make learning more dynamic and memorable.
Leveraging digital tools
Use online platforms to facilitate collaboration and communication, enabling students to participate in discussions, share resources and work together on projects regardless of location.
Provide students with real-time feedback, track progress, and identify areas where additional support is needed.
Encourage critical thinking and creativity by allowing students to explore complex ideas in innovative ways.
By leveraging digital tools, teachers can create a learning environment that supports student engagement, fosters deeper learning and prepares students for success in the modern age.
Transition: Collaboration is also essential for engagement—let’s look at strategies that encourage students to work together.
Student engagement strategies to encourage collaboration
24. Snowball discussions:
Continue combining groups until the class is back together
Randomly assign students in pairs with a discussion question.
After a few minutes, combine the pairs to form groups of four.
After another five minutes, combine groups of four to form a group of eight—and so on.
25. Philosophical chairs:
Read a statement that has two possible answers—agree or disagree—out loud to your class.
Ask students to move to one side of the room or the other, depending on whether they agree or disagree with the statement.
Once all participants have selected a side, encourage students on either side to argue in favor of their position.
This way, students can visualize where their peers’ opinions lie, compared to their own.
26. Affinity mapping:
Place students in small groups and pose a general question or problem to them that has many possible answers, such as “How would the history of the United States be different without Teddy Roosevelt” or “How would society be different if the Internet was never invented?”
Have students write their ideas on small index cards or on an online discussion thread.
After ten minutes, ask students to group their similar ideas into categories, then label the different groupings and discuss how each idea fits.
Suggest that students consider how the categories are related.
This allows students to participate in critical thinking by analyzing ideas and organizing them in relation to one another.
27. Concentric circles:
Ask students to form two circles: an inner circle and an outer circle.
Each student on the inside is paired with a student on the outside. Have them sit facing each other.
Pose a question to the broader group and ask the pairs to discuss their responses.
Have students on the outside circle move one space over after five minutes so they’re standing in front of a different peer.
Repeat the process for a few rounds, asking a new question each time and exposing students to their peers’ different perspectives.
28. Make it personal:
After a lecture unit or lesson concludes, arrange learners into discussion groups or online breakout rooms.
To encourage students to reflect on their personal connections to the material they are learning, ask them questions like “How did this change your initial understanding of the concept” or “Describe your initial reaction to this idea.”
29. Socratic seminar:
To prepare for a discussion, ask students to review a textbook chapter or a separate reading and develop higher-order thinking questions to pose to their peers.
During class, ask an open-ended question to introduce the activity.
Have students continue the conversation, encouraging their peers to use evidence-based claims, based on course concepts or texts.
Students are encouraged to share the floor with their peers, however, there doesn’t need to be a specific order for speaking.
Transition: Communication skills are also vital for student success; the next section highlights strategies to build these skills.
Student engagement strategies to build communication skills
30. Brainwriting:
To build rapport and respect in your classroom, give students time to reflect on their learnings in writing, following a challenging course concept.
Using guided prompts or leaving it open to your students’ interpretation, have them share their thoughts and questions in a conversation with peers during class time or through an online discussion thread.
Knowing how to keep students engaged throughout the duration of class ensures that they will be able to understand course concepts on a deeper level.
31. Concept mapping:
Collaborative concept mapping is a way of visually organizing concepts and ideas, in order to better understand how they are related.
In small groups, students can use this exercise to go over past work or to brainstorm ideas for future assignments and projects.
For face-to-face classes, have students place sticky notes and chart paper on the classroom walls.
For online classes, the digital whiteboard feature in Zoom allows students to map out ideas and connect concepts.
32. Debate:
Pose an issue or topic to your class.
Place students into groups according to the position they hold on the topic.
Ask each group to develop some arguments or examples to support their opinion.
Put each group’s idea on a virtual whiteboard or piece of chart paper, to be a starting point for a classwide discussion.
To conclude, encourage students to debate the strengths and weaknesses of each group’s argument, to help students improve their higher-order thinking and analysis skills.
33. Compare and contrast:
Place students into groups and ask them to focus on a specific chapter in their textbook.
Encourage them to find similarities and differences between ideas that can be found in course readings and external sources, like articles and videos they may find.
This way, students benefit from sharing resources and learning from one another’s perspectives.
34. Assess/diagnose/act: This activity helps strengthen students’ problem-solving abilities and can spur more dynamic discussions. Propose a topic or controversial statement, then follow the steps below to start a discussion:
Assessment: What is the main problem or issue?
Diagnosis: What is its root cause?
Action: How can we, as a group, solve the issue?
Transition: To ensure these strategies lead to meaningful learning, it’s important to focus on fostering deeper understanding, as described in the next section.
Fostering deeper learning and understanding
To foster deeper learning and understanding, teachers must go beyond surface-level instruction and create opportunities for students to engage in critical thinking, analysis, and reflection.
Combining direct instruction with practice
Combine direct instruction with guided and independent practice to help students build a strong foundation while encouraging them to apply new knowledge in meaningful ways.
Use scaffolding, think-alouds, and self-assessment to help students connect prior knowledge to new concepts and develop a deeper understanding.
Making learning relevant
Incorporate real-world examples and case studies to make learning relevant and show students how their knowledge applies outside the classroom.
Use project-based learning, service-learning and experiential learning activities to give students hands-on opportunities to solve problems and make connections to the real world.
These approaches not only increase student engagement but also help students develop essential skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication. By providing students with varied and authentic learning experiences, teachers support deeper learning and prepare students to thrive in the modern age.
Transition: The following sources inform these strategies for engagement and deeper learning.
Conclusion: The lasting impact of student engagement
Student engagement is a broad concept that extends far beyond simple participation—it is the driving force behind meaningful learning, academic achievement, and the development of essential skills in individual students. When teachers encourage students to take an active role in the learning process, they create a classroom environment where collaborative learning, real-world applications and technology come together to make lessons relevant and memorable.
Promoting student engagement requires a thoughtful blend of instructional strategies, such as think-pair-share, group work, and open-ended questions. These approaches not only hold students accountable for their learning but also encourage them to reflect on their understanding and connect course material to real-world situations. By providing students with relevant examples and opportunities to share their ideas, teachers help students feel valued and motivated to stay engaged.
A supportive learning environment is central to increasing student engagement. When students feel included and respected, they are more likely to participate actively, think critically, and pursue deeper understanding. Engagement strategies that foster emotional engagement, critical thinking and active participation lead to higher levels of motivation, persistence and overall academic achievement.
Teachers play a vital role in promoting student engagement by designing classroom activities that are interactive, inclusive and aligned with learning goals. By prioritizing collaborative learning and giving students the chance to take ownership of their education, educators can transform the classroom into a space where deeper learning and academic success are the norm.
Ultimately, making student engagement a central idea in educational practice benefits both students and teachers. When learning is relevant, interactive and fun, students are more likely to thrive academically and reach their full potential. By following these engagement strategies and fostering a positive classroom environment, teachers can ensure that all students feel supported, motivated, and empowered to learn and grow—creating a lasting impact on their educational journey.
References
Ojalvo, H. E., & Doyne, S. Five Ways to Flip Your Classroom With The New York Times. [Blog post] New York Times. Retrieved May 15, 2019 from https://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/08/five-ways-to-flip-your-classroom-with-the-new-york-times/
Evans, C., Muijs, D. & Tomlinson, M. (2015). Engaged student learning: high-impact strategies to enhance student achievement. [White paper] Retrieved May 15, 2019 from: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/engaged-student-learning-high-impact-strategies-enhance-student-achievement
Twelve Best Practices for Student Engagement and Retention. [White paper] Retrieved May 15, 2019 from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania: https://www.mansfield.edu/academic-affairs/upload/Twelve-Best-Practices-for-Student-Engagement-and-Retention-2012.pdf
Quevillon, K. (2017). Student Attendance Matters, Even If Lectures Are Online. Ask Harvard. [Blog post] Retrieved May 15, 2019 from Top Hat Blog: https://tophat.com/blog/student-attendance-harvard/
Inquiry-Based Learning. Retrieved May 15, 2019 from Queens’ University, Kingston: https://www.queensu.ca/ctl/teaching-support/instructional-strategies/inquiry-based-learning
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly counts as “student engagement?”
In this context, “student engagement” refers to students’ active participation and investment in their own learning. That includes not just attending class, but interacting with course content (e.g. doing readings, watching lectures), contributing in discussion, applying ideas to assignments or problem sets and reflecting on materials—whether in class, online, or during self-study.
Why is engagement important—can’t students just passively learn by reading or listening?
Research and teaching experience show that active engagement helps students better understand, retain, and apply concepts. Engaged students learn more deeply, develop critical thinking, and often perform better academically. Passive learning tends to result in poorer retention and less ability to apply knowledge outside the classroom.
Which strategies work best for large lecture courses vs small seminars?
Many engagement strategies can be adapted to both settings. For large lectures, tools like interactive polls, low-stakes quizzes, clicker questions, or online discussion boards help engage many students at once. In smaller seminars, group discussion, peer-review, collaborative assignments, or open discussion foster deeper interaction and student voice. Blended approaches—combining lecture, active learning, and ongoing formative assessments—often work well regardless of class size.
How much time does it take for instructors to implement these engagement strategies?
It depends on the strategy. Some activities like adding a quick in-class poll or discussion prompt may take only a few minutes. Others, like redesigning assignments around active learning or setting up peer review, require more planning up front. However, many instructors find the extra effort pays off: engaged students are often more motivated, more likely to participate, and may require less remedial support later on.
