Tag: students

  • Care experienced students are assets, not risks

    Care experienced students are assets, not risks

    We have spent decades asking what support care leavers need to “catch up” in education. But what if we focused instead on what they already bring?

    Thirty years since I left the care system, I reflect on low expectations, persistent awarding gaps, and why higher education needs to reframe the care experience.

    Low expectations

    “One GCSE is enough, you’re in care”. That’s what I was told as a teenager growing up in the care system. That message stayed with me, if one GCSE was enough for someone like me, then I was not expected to succeed, I was expected to survive.

    By the time I was studying for my A levels I was living independently and worked full time. University at 18 was not an option, it was unthinkable. Years later, I found myself on a BTEC in health and social care as part of a role as a children’s rights worker, and that was where I discovered psychology.

    Suddenly, everything in my life made sense, my upbringing, my responses, the systems around me. I applied for university in 2002 and completed my first term while pregnant. At 36 I became a lecturer in education and psychology in higher education, teaching education through a psychological lens to education students, many of whom want to become teachers themselves.

    A full circle moment

    Recently, I hosted an A level psychology student for a placement. On the final day, she revealed that one of her teachers had been one of my undergraduate students. The moment was moving, not because she was care experienced (she wasn’t), or because the teacher was (they weren’t), but because it showed how my journey, rooted in care, had rippled out into the education system in ways I never imagined.

    That moment hit me like a wave. It was not just a neat coincidence, it was a full circle moment that challenged everything I had been told about my place in education.

    It reminded me that care experienced students are not simply passing through higher education as “at risk” individuals in need of support. Instead, we are contributing to it, we are building it and sometimes we are shaping the success of others in ways that last longer than we realise.

    Ditching deficit thinking

    What if we stopped asking what care experienced students lack? Too often, care leavers are described as “at risk” of exclusion, poor attainment, and drop-out. We talk about their trauma, instability, or disadvantage.

    Those challenges are real and need addressing – but rarely do we ask what strengths they bring with them. We bring resilience, not just as a feel good buzzword, but as a lived practice. We know how to manage under pressure, navigate uncertainty, and stay focused when stability is not guaranteed.

    We bring empathy, because we have seen how systems can fail people and we have learned how to listen, observe, and understand beneath the surface. We bring adaptability because when your life has taught you that plans change, support disappears, and people move on, you learn how to adjust quickly, quietly, and effectively and we bring purpose. Many of us enter education not out of expectation, but out of intent because we want to create the kind of impact we once needed. It is that intent that makes us powerful educators, mentors, and role models even for students who do not share our background.

    Within the classroom, I sometimes hear mature students described as “assets” because they bring work experience, life experience, and often support other students. Care experienced students who are appropriately nurtured and empowered bring their own strengths to their peers. They also bring different and valuable perspectives – particularly relevant to social sciences disciplines – about social inequity, systemic injustice, and resilience that can open up important conversations about theory and its relevance to the “real world” and prepare the students they learn alongside for work in a world in which they will encounter diverse and disadvantaged others.

    My time in care taught me skills that have defined my academic and professional life – I learned independence young and I developed empathy and adaptability not just emotionally, but practically, not as nice extras but as core strengths. They have helped me understand students better and helped shape the kind of lecturer I am.

    Care experienced students do not just overcome adversity, they carry rich insight, emotional intelligence, and a deep understanding of social systems and sometimes, like in my case, they help educate the people who go on to teach the next generation.

    Having said that, it’s 30 years since I left the care system – is it still the same?

    Not enough has changed

    In many ways, the system looks different today. Every looked-after child has a Personal Education Plan (PEP), schools appoint designated teachers, virtual school heads oversee progress, and there’s a £2,345 per-child annual Pupil Premium Plus. In principle, care-experienced learners are a priority. Some universities make contextual offers to care leavers in recognition of the challenges they faced on their way through the education system.

    Yet the numbers tell a different story:

    • only 37 per cent of looked-after children reach expected levels at Key Stage 2 (vs 65 per cent of peers)
    • only 7.2 per cent achieve grade 5+ in English and maths at GCSE (vs 40 per cent)
    • at age 19, just 13 per cent of care leavers enter higher education (vs 45 per cent of others).

    These gaps are not just statistical, they reflect structural inequalities, where expectations remain low and pathways to university feel closed off before they have even begun. For a care experienced student to find their way into higher education is a testament to their determination, resilience, and motivation before they even start.

    A fight not a right

    My mantra was “education was a fight not a right”. We may no longer say, “one GCSE is enough” out loud – but it is still heard in the subtext of our systems.

    We talk about “widening participation” and “belonging,” but too often, care experienced learners are left out of those conversations, or placed into categories of concern rather than capability. Recently, my ten-year-old said something that stopped me in my tracks: “children shouldn’t be judged on academic intelligence but on creative intelligence. School is more about following the rules than finding yourself.”

    They are right – the education system has moved from creativity to conformity and in doing so, we do not just risk excluding care experienced learners, we risk losing the individuality, emotional intelligence, and imaginative power that all students bring. The ones who have had to survive the most often bring innovation and creativity. When we centre care experienced voices in policy, in pedagogy, and in professional learning, we begin to close the awarding gap, the one that limits how we (and sometimes they) see their potential.

    Higher education did not just change my life. It gave me the chance to change other people’s too – and that is an opportunity we should provide to all our children.

    Source link

  • Public Media Cuts Could Limit Students’ Career Exploration

    Public Media Cuts Could Limit Students’ Career Exploration

    Student journalists have their fingerprints on more than 282 public radio or television stations across the country, providing behind-the-scenes support, working as on-screen talent or reporting in their local communities for broadcast content. But over $1 billion in federal budget cuts could reduce their opportunities for work-based learning, mentorship and paid internships.

    About 13 percent of the 319 NPR or PBS affiliates analyzed in a report from the Center for Community News at the University of Vermont operate similarly to teaching hospitals in that a core goal of the organization is to train college students. Nearly 60 percent of the stations “provide intensive, regular and ongoing opportunities for college students” to intern or engage with the station.

    Scott Finn, news adviser and instructor at the Center for Community News and author of the report, worries that the cuts to public media and higher education more broadly could hinder experiential learning for college students, prompting a need for additional investment or new forms of partnerships between the two groups.

    In July, Congress rescinded $1.1 billion in federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds public media stations including NPR and PBS. The cuts threaten the financial stability of many stations, some of which are directly affiliated with colleges and universities.

    Working at a public media station provides a variety of benefits for students, Finn said. In his courses, Finn partners with community outlets that will publish students’ stories, depending on the quality and content, which he says motivates students to submit better work.

    “Being published, being broadcast is important. The whole focus of the exercise changes,” Finn said. “It’s not just trying to please me as the instructor or a tick box for a grade. They have real-world consequences. Their story will have an impact. It will move people, it will change policy, and that knowledge them inspires them to work harder.”

    Most students want internship opportunities; a recent study by Strada found students rate paid internships as the most valuable experience for improving their standing as a candidate for future jobs. But nationally, there’s a shortage of available, high-quality internships compared to the number of students interested in participating, according to a 2024 report from the Business–Higher Education Forum.

    A Handshake survey from earlier this year found 12 percent of students in the survey didn’t have an internship before finishing their degree, largely because they lacked the time or weren’t selected for one.

    For interns or students working directly in the studio, partnering alongside career journalists also gives them access to a professional network and a career field they may not otherwise engage in.

    But student journalists aren’t the only ones who lose out when internship programs are cut.

    Emily Reddy serves as news director at WPSU, a PBS/NPR member station in central Pennsylvania associated with Penn State University. Reddy hosts a handful of student reporting interns throughout the calendar year, training them to write, record and broadcast stories relevant to the community.

    “[Interns] bring an energy to the newsroom,” Reddy shared. “They’re enthusiastic. They are excited to go out to some board meeting that no one else wants to go to. They bring us stories that we wouldn’t know about otherwise.”

    WPSU uses a variety of funding sources to pay student interns, including endowed scholarships at the university and donated funds. But like many other stations, WPSU is facing its own cuts. Earlier this year, Penn State reduced funding to the station by $800,000, or around 9 percent of the station’s total budget. That resulted in a cut of $400,000 from CPB.

    In response, WPSU shrank its full-time head count, laying off five staff members and cutting hours for three. Roles vacated by retirements were left unfilled. In October, the station will lose around $1.3 million as a result of the federal cuts, though Reddy doesn’t know what the full impact will be on staffing.

    WPSU had planned to increase its internship offerings, and Reddy is still hopeful that will happen. However, the laid-off personnel were among those responsible for managing learners.

    “The big thing that I’m concerned about working with students is that you can’t just have the students; somebody has to train them, somebody has to edit them, somebody has to voice coach them and clean up their productions,” Reddy said.

    About 12 percent of the stations in the Center for Community News’s report don’t sponsor interns, and they pointed to budget cuts as a key reason why. For stations experiencing financial pressures, Finn hopes newsrooms find creative ways to keep students involved in creating stories, including classroom partnerships or faculty editors who trim and refine stories. Universities are uniquely positioned to assist in this work, Finn said, because they have more resources than public stations and have a strong motivation to place students in successful internship programs.

    “This is a really important time for universities to double down on their relationship with public media stations and not walk away from it,” Finn said. “A lot of [stations] are these underutilized resources, in terms of student engagement and student learning.”

    Finn also says alumni and other supporters of student learning and public media can help to fill in gaps in funding, whether that’s supporting a paid full-time faculty role to serve as a liaison between students and stations or to endow internship dollars.

    “If public media stations are important to student success, then university advancement has to embrace the public media station as a part of its mission and help raise money for it,” Finn said.

    Source link

  • More Barriers on the Horizon for International Students

    More Barriers on the Horizon for International Students

    The potential policy changes could give international students another hoop to jump through, further burdening consulates and embassies.

    Photo illustration by Justin Morrison/Inside Higher Ed | tarras79/iStock/Getty Images

    The Trump administration is planning to limit how long international students can remain in the U.S., likely mirroring a plan proposed at the end of Trump’s first term with the same name, advocacy groups and immigration attorneys say.

    The regulations are expected to replace “duration of status,” a 1991 rule that allows international students to remain in the country as long as they are enrolled at a college or university. In 2020, the administration proposed limiting that time to just four years—a period shorter than most Ph.D. programs and shorter than the average student takes to complete a bachelor’s degree—though it would have allowed students to apply for extensions. Students from certain countries, including those the administration said were state sponsors of terrorism and those with high overstay rates, would have been afforded just two years.

    That rule was withdrawn after President Joe Biden entered office. But the Trump administration is poised to propose it once again, based on a submission to the Office of Management and Budget. The Department of Homeland Security has yet to release details about the potential change, but a pending rule change with the same name as the 2020 proposal was sent to OMB in late June and approved Aug. 7. However, according to OMB’s website, the rule is now under review once again for unknown reasons. Neither OMB nor DHS responded to Inside Higher Ed’s request for comment. Until OMB signs off, DHS can’t publicly release the plan and take public comments.

    The anticipated proposal comes amid the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on international students, which included the sudden and unexplained terminations of students’ records in the Student Exchange and Visitor Information System, the database that tracks international students, in March and April. The administration has also taken steps to make it more difficult for prospective students to receive F-1 visas, including reviewing all applicants’ social media profiles.

    Incoming international students, meanwhile, are struggling with long delays for visa interviews as a result of federal layoffs and a pause in student visa appointments this spring, leading to concerns that international enrollment could drop this fall semester. Changing duration of status, advocates say, would only gum up the works even more, giving international students another hoop to jump through and further burdening consulates and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

    “This is not just one particular proposed rule or change in policy; it fits within a number of policy changes that we’ve experienced throughout the past eight months that the administration has been in control,” said Jill Allen Murray, deputy executive director for public policy at NAFSA, the association for international education professionals. “Many of those interact with each other and make it much more difficult for international students to take the steps that are necessary to come to the United States and study, and this would be yet another challenge for students.”

    A ‘Regulated Population’

    Why is the administration looking to eliminate duration of stay? If its reasoning is the same as in 2020, it is aiming to reduce fraud and visa overstays.

    International students are indeed one of very few nonimmigrant categories allowed to stay in the U.S. indefinitely, giving them special flexibility so they can finish their studies. But Samira Pardanani, associate vice president of international education and global engagement at Shoreline College, argued that doesn’t mean there’s any reason to believe duration of status leads students to be more likely to overstay.

    “This is a very, very regulated population … there’s a lot of follow-up schools do with regards to helping students maintain their status, and there are a lot of record-keeping and reporting requirements for schools,” Pardanani said. “Duration of status is something that has been, in my opinion, working well.”

    Murray also noted that the F-1 visa overstay rate reported by the government is not necessarily reliable, by DHS’s own admission.

    Another policy aimed at streamlining the visa process for nonimmigrant visitors, including international students, is also on the chopping block. On Sept. 2, the Trump administration will end interview waivers for many nonimmigrant groups, including international students. Those waivers, which started during the COVID-19 pandemic, allow certain individuals whose visas have expired but who have maintained their lawful nonimmigrant status to renew their visas without an in-person consular interview.

    The duration of a visa depends on the country and can range from a few months to several years. Thanks to interview waivers, an international Ph.D. student whose visa had expired could visit home in the summer, easily renew their visa without an in-person appointment and return the next semester without issue. But now, they would have to return to the consulate in their country even for a routine visa renewal.

    Pardanani said she did not think the elimination of interview waivers was inherently problematic, but “right now, when there’s already a lot of visa backlogs and students are not getting visa appointments … it’s going to have a deeper impact in students and on universities and colleges.”

    Source link

  • Beyond the Click: Why Students Really Reach Out to Colleges

    Beyond the Click: Why Students Really Reach Out to Colleges

    The Scroll

    Picture this: A high school sophomore is scrolling Instagram at midnight and stumbles on a college reel that feels… real. Maybe it is a marching band. Maybe it is students chatting on the quad. Maybe it is a 10-second video about living in the dorms. Whatever it is, something sparks.

    But here is the twist: what students do next is not always what colleges think they do.

    Take Anna, a 10th grader in Minnesota:

    “I followed my dream school on Instagram for a year before I filled out a form. I wanted to see if it was really for me.”

    Intentional. Curious. Not rushed.

    Blog on why students reach out to colleges: Image of a female high school student on her laptop in her living room

    Nearly 90% of teens use social media, with Instagram and TikTok especially popular among high school students as they shape their opinions about colleges (Pew Research Center, 2024; Statista, 2023). Students now use social platforms as a low-pressure way to assess fit before filling out a form (Šola & Zia, 2021). For first-generation and underrepresented students, social media often serves as a critical window into campus life, offering stories and info they might not find elsewhere (Wohn et al., 2013).

    Here is where the institutional side comes in. The 2025 Marketing and Recruitment Practices Report (RNL, 2025) shows that while colleges rank social media ads as one of their most effective tactics, they still put most of their dollars into Facebook and Instagram. The 2025 E-Expectations Report (RNL et al., 2025) shows that students spend much of their time, but campuses underuse these channels (RNL, 2025). That platform gap is a big reason students scroll without always finding authentic, peer-driven content that sparks action.

    The 2024 College Planning Report (RNL & Halda, 2024) adds another layer: many students describe the early stages of college exploration as “confusing” and “overwhelming,” especially when they do not see affordability clearly explained. Social becomes a safe space to watch, wait, and observe before risking that first outreach.

    Digital dominance: The top outreach methods

    According to the 2025 E-Expectations Report, nearly 90% of first college contact happens digitally.
    Students most often make that first move by:

    • Filling out a form on the college website (31%)
    • Sending an email (28%)
    • Following the school on social media (27%)

    That last one? Not just casual scrolling. One in three 9th graders is already following colleges online, long before they are ready to apply (RNL et al., 2025).

    Students are also more likely than ever to use digital inquiry forms and direct email, confirming that a digital-first mindset is now the norm (JohnXLibris, 2024; Pew Research Center, 2024).

    On the college side, the RNL Marketing Practices data reinforces the digital-first story: email and SMS are the most effective outreach methods (RNL, 2025). That is one place of alignment. But here is the catch: colleges often lead their early campaigns with brand identity, facilities, or rankings. Students, meanwhile, are looking for something more practical: programs, scholarships, and campus life glimpses. It is not just about being digital. It is about being relevant.

    The 2024 College Planning Report shows why: when asked about their top concerns in the process, students point first to affordability (42%) and finding the right academic fit (31%) (RNL & Halda, 2024). If early outreach misses those notes, students scroll past.

    What sparks a student to reach out?

    The top motivations for contacting a college are (RNL et al., 2025):

    • Information about a specific major or program
    • Details on how to apply
    • Financial aid questions
    • Talking to an admissions counselor

    Among first-generation students, financial aid is even more central; they are more likely to initiate contact specifically about affordability (Affordable Colleges Online, 2024).

    Barriers like complex forms and confusing language make it harder for first-generation and low-income students to confidently reach out (Inside Higher Ed, 2024). That is why clear, transparent messaging matters from day one.

    The College Planning Report reinforces this finding: students consistently name financial aid and cost as their most significant barriers, with 55% saying affordability worries may limit their options (RNL & Halda, 2024). The 2025 Marketing Practices Report makes the contrast clear: Colleges invest heavily in brand storytelling and polished digital ads. Students, however, are motivated to act when they see clear pathways, majors, application steps, and affordability details (RNL, 2025).

    Read the E-Expectations Report

    How can you increase engagement with prospective students? How you can you better align your recruitment strategies with their expectations. Find all this and more in the E-Expectations survey of college-bound high school students, with findings on:

    • What they expect from college websites
    • Which communication channels they prefer
    • How they use AI in the search process
    • How they value video when learning about campuses

    Download now

    From social scroll to serious inquiry

    Social media is a leading gateway for college exploration among younger students, particularly those in 9th and 10th grades (RNL et al., 2025). At this early stage, students are not necessarily ready to fill out inquiry forms or attend information sessions; they are observing. Following colleges on Instagram, watching TikTok videos, or seeing a YouTube dorm tour gives them low-pressure insight into student life, culture, and fit (Šola & Zia, 2021).

    Over half of high school students report using social media to explore colleges (Statista, 2023). Instagram and TikTok are now more popular among teens than Facebook or X/Twitter (Pew Research Center, 2024).

    However, here is the rub: the Marketing Practices Report shows that institutions still prioritize Instagram and Facebook for ad buys, with TikTok and YouTube trailing (RNL, 2025). Students are signaling where they scroll, but colleges are not always meeting them there. The result? Missed chances to connect when students are most curious and impressionable.

    The 2024 College Planning Report echoes this generational divide: while older students lean into email as their primary channel, younger students treat social media as their first stop, often months before they enter the formal admissions funnel (RNL & Halda, 2024).

    Do not sleep on the follow-up.

    Once a student reaches out, timing and tone are everything.

    • 68% of students prefer follow-up via email.
    • 40% favor text messages for quick updates or deadline reminders.
    • Only 32% are willing to share their home address (RNL et al., 2025).

    Teens are increasingly skeptical of institutions that over-collect data or send irrelevant messages (Pew Research Center, 2024). They expect transparency about why information is collected and how it will be used (EDUCAUSE, 2021).

    Here, too, we see both alignment and friction. Colleges know email and text work; the 2025 Marketing Practices data confirms these are the most effective channels (RNL, 2025). But colleges also continue to lean on printed materials and phone calls for first contacts, even though students rank them not as high (RNL et al., 2025).

    The 2024 College Planning Report drives home why this matters: slow response times can be fatal. Nearly half of students expect a reply within 24 hours, and interest drops sharply if schools take longer (RNL & Halda, 2024). The channel mismatch and speed gap risk undoing the goodwill colleges build digitally.

    Key takeaways for enrollment teams

    1. Email is not dead, but it must become smarter

    • Personalize by name, grade, interests, and inquiry source.
    • Use warm, student-centered language.
    • Keep emails short, mobile-friendly, and action-oriented.

    2. Text messaging is gaining ground, use it strategically

    • Implement opt-in texting early in the funnel.
    • Use for reminders, check-ins, and next steps.
    • Align tone and frequency with the student’s stage.

    3. Trust is the new conversion strategy

    • Explain why each piece of information is collected.
    • Be transparent about data use.
    • Maintain consistent, clear communication.

    4. Follow-up is a test and a turning point

    • Respond quickly and personally after a student takes action.
    • Boost engagement with timely, relevant replies.

    5. Segment by stage, not just grade

    • Use behavioral data to guide segmentation.
    • Share exploratory content early, application and aid support later.

    6. Communication is a relationship, not a task

    • Every message is an opportunity to build rapport.
    • The institutions that win make students feel known and respected.

    Final word: It is about more than a click

    Students are not just filling out forms; they are extending an invitation:

    “I am thinking about my future. Help me see if you are part of it.”

    If your institution can meet that moment with empathy, transparency, and good timing, you are not just capturing a lead, you are building a relationship.

    Talk with our marketing and recruitment experts

    RNL works with colleges and universities across the country to ensure their marketing and recruitment efforts are optimized and aligned with how student search for colleges.  Reach out today for a complimentary consultation to discuss:

    • Student search strategies
    • Omnichannel communication campaigns
    • Personalization and engagement at scale

    Request now

    References

    Affordable Colleges Online. (2024). Guide to financial aid for first-generation students. https://www.affordablecollegesonline.org

    Concept3D. (2024). The state of virtual tours in higher education. https://www.concept3d.com

    EDUCAUSE. (2021). 2021 student technology report: Supporting the whole student. https://www.educause.edu

    Hanover Research. (2024). Best practices in prospective student communications. https://www.hanoverresearch.com

    Inside Higher Ed. (2024). Barriers to first-generation student engagement. https://www.insidehighered.com

    JohnXLibris. (2024). Email communication preferences of college-bound students. https://www.johnxlibris.com

    Ocelot AI. (2024). Personalized communication in higher ed recruitment. https://www.ocelotbot.com

    Pew Research Center. (2024). Teens, social media, and technology 2024. https://www.pewresearch.org

    RNL & Halda. (2024). 2024 high school student college planning report. Ruffalo Noel Levitz.

    RNL. (2025). 2025 marketing and recruitment practices for undergraduate students. Ruffalo Noel Levitz.

    RNL, Halda, & Modern Campus. (2025). 2025 E-Expectations trend report. Ruffalo Noel Levitz.

    Šola, J., & Zia, A. (2021). Social media as an information source for prospective students: A review. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 31(2), 310–330. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2020.1866521

    Statista. (2023). Share of teenagers in the United States who use social media to research colleges. https://www.statista.com Wohn, D. Y., Ellison, N. B., Khan, M. L., Fewins-Bliss, R., & Gray, R. (2013). The role of social media in shaping first-generation high school students’ college aspirations: A social capital lens. Computers & Education, 63, 424–436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2013.01.004

    Source link

  • Students sitting on floor in ANU tutorials – Campus Review

    Students sitting on floor in ANU tutorials – Campus Review

    The Education and Employment Committee has heard Australian National University (ANU) students are forced to sit on the floor in overpacked tutorials as a result of budget cuts in its $250m restructure.

    Please login below to view content or subscribe now.

    Membership Login

    Source link

  • Most students, educators use AI–but opinions differ on ethical use

    Most students, educators use AI–but opinions differ on ethical use

    Key points:

    As generative AI continues to gain momentum in education each year, both its adoption and the attitudes toward its use have steadily grown more positive, according to a new report from Quizlet.

    The How America Learns report explores U.S. student, teacher, and parent perspectives on AI implementation, digital learning and engagement, and success beyond the classroom.

    “At Quizlet, we’ve spent nearly two decades putting students at the center of everything we do,” said Quizlet CEO Kurt Beidler. “We fielded this research to better understand the evolving study habits of today’s students and ensure we’re building tools that not only help our tens of millions of monthly learners succeed, but also reflect what they truly need from their learning experience.”

    AI becomes ubiquitous in education
    As generative AI solutions gain traction in education year over year, adoption and attitudes towards the technology have increased and improved. Quizlet’s survey found that 85 percent of respondents–including high school and college teachers, as well as students aged 14-22–said they used AI technology, a significant increase from 66 percent in 2024. Of those respondents using AI, teachers now outpace students in AI adoption (87 percent vs 84 percent), compared to 2024 findings when students slightly outpaced teachers.

    Among the 89 percent of all students who say they use AI technology for school (up from 77 percent in 2024), the top three use cases are summarizing or synthesizing information (56%), research (46 percent), and generating study guides or materials (45 percent). The top uses of AI technology among teachers remained the same but saw significant growth YoY: research (54 percent vs. 33 percent), summarizing or synthesizing information (48 percent vs. 30 percent), and generating classroom materials like tests and assignments (45 percent vs. 31 percent).

    While the emergence of AI has presented new challenges related to academic integrity, 40 percent of respondents believe that AI is used ethically and effectively in the classroom. However, students are significantly less likely to feel this way (29 percent) compared to parents (46 percent) and teachers (57 percent), signaling a continued need for education and guidelines on responsible use of AI technology for learning.

    “Like any new technology, AI brings incredible opportunities, but also a responsibility to use it thoughtfully,” said Maureen Lamb, AI Task Force Chair and Language Department Chair at Miss Porter’s School. “As adoption in education grows, we need clear guidelines that help mitigate risk and unlock the full potential of AI.  Everyone–students, educators, and parents–has a role to play in understanding not just how to use AI, but when and why it should be used.”

    Digital learning demands growth while equity gap persists
    Just as AI is becoming a staple in education, survey results also found that digital learning is growing in popularity, with 64 percent of respondents expressing that digital learning methods should be equal or greater than traditional education methods, especially teachers (71 percent).

    Respondents indicated that flexibility (56 percent), personalized learning (53 percent), and accessibility (49 percent) were the most beneficial aspects of digital learning. And with 77 percent of students making sacrifices, including loss of sleep, personal time, and missed extracurriculars due to homework, digital learning offers a promising path toward a more accommodating approach. 

    While the majority of respondents agreed on the importance and benefits of digital learning, results also pointed to a disparity in access to these tools. Despite nearly half (49 percent) of respondents agreeing that all students in their community have equal access to learning materials, technology, and support to succeed academically, that percentage drops to 43 percent for respondents with diagnosed or self-identified learning differences, neurodivergent traits, or accessibility needs.

    Maximizing success for academic and real-world learning
    While discussion around AI and education has largely focused on use cases for academic learning, the report also uncovered an opportunity for greater support to help drive success beyond the classroom and provide needed resources for real-world learning.

    Nearly 60 percent of respondents believe a four-year college degree is of high importance for achieving professional success (58 percent). However, more than one-third of students, teachers, and parents surveyed believe schools are not adequately preparing students for success beyond the classroom.

    “As we drive the next era of AI-powered learning, it’s our mission to give every student and lifelong learner the tools and confidence to succeed, no matter their motivation or what they’re striving to achieve,” said Beidler. “As we’ve seen in the data, there’s immense opportunity when it comes to career-connected learning, from life skills development to improving job readiness, that goes well beyond the classroom and addresses what we’re hearing from students and teachers alike.”

    The top five skills respondents indicated should be prioritized more in schools are critical thinking and problem solving (66 percent), financial literacy (64 percent), mental health management (58 percent), leadership skills (52 percent), and creativity and innovation (50 percent).

    This press release originally appeared online.

    eSchool News Staff
    Latest posts by eSchool News Staff (see all)

    Source link

  • College Orchestrates Job Shadows in Students’ Hometowns

    College Orchestrates Job Shadows in Students’ Hometowns

    Job shadows are one way to give students a behind-the-scenes look at the daily operations and undertakings of a particular role or industry, giving them a deeper perspective than an informational interview or job description may provide. However, opportunities to engage in career exploration experiences can be limited, particularly for lower-level students.

    A winter 2023 survey found 22 percent of respondents had never had experiential learning or an internship while in college. Among first-year respondents, that number grew to 28 percent.

    To increase access to career exploration for first-generation students early in their college experience, Harvey Mudd College in California partnered with alumni around the country to offer short-term job shadows in students’ hometowns. The experiences offered students a chance to define their STEM career goals and establish a professional network.

    Survey Says

    Students say giving them access to and preparation for career-building spaces is critical for their success. A May 2024 Student Voice survey by Inside Higher Ed and Generation Lab found 38 percent of students believe helping them prepare for internships and career success should be a top priority for career centers.

    The background: Harvey Mudd is a liberal arts college that provides exclusively STEM degrees. Its current strategic plan focuses on expanding students’ career navigation experiences, particularly helping them connect their major program with life after college, said Shannon Braun, director of career services.

    “A lot of time they really know what they want to study because it’s interesting to them, but not how that applies to life after Mudd or during Mudd,” Braun said. “It can be a little difficult.”

    Staff elected to focus first on students who could most benefit from a job-shadow experience and exposure to a professional work setting.

    “We landed on our first-gen, who may not have had some of the opportunities that other students might have, like a take-your-kid-to-work day,” Braun said.

    How it works: The pilot program focused on students enrolled in Mudd’s Summer Institute, a precollege program for incoming students from underresourced high schools and those who are first-generation or from groups historically underrepresented in STEM.

    Summer Institute participants indicated if they would be interested in a summer job-shadow opportunity, as well as some information about their hometown, program of study and career goals. From there, the career services office partnered with the alumni and family engagement office to identify hosts that matched students’ location and interests.

    The focus on a student’s hometown was in part tied to logistics—most first-year students go home during the summer before their second year, and it was more cost-effective to provide job shadows where they were residing, Braun said. But staff also hoped it would expose students to career opportunities locally and near family, which can be a strong pull for first-generation students in particular, and help them affirm their major decision.

    “Another benefit of this program is, let me shadow an engineer and see if I’m into that, or let me shadow a programmer to see if I’m into that,” Braun said.

    After the alumni and students were matched up, both groups completed orientations prior to the job shadow addressing what makes a good job-shadow experience, questions to ask of the student or host, and transportation to and from the host site. All job shadows happened in the metropolitan area of the student’s hometown, so most participants commuted at least some distance.

    The college also reimbursed students for their travel and lunch for the day, about $150 on average.

    The impact: Ten students participated in cities ranging from neighboring Los Angeles and Altadena to farther away in Redmond, Wash., and Denver. Over all, student and alumni feedback indicated all parties were pleased with the experience.

    “Students said this was something that they felt was informative for them, either picking a different major or thinking about an industry that they wanted to go into,” Braun said. Alumni said it was a feel-good experience and an opportunity for them to give back, as well.

    One change staff are considering is to rebrand the program. The pilot was titled “Muddship,” a play on internship, which was confusing for both groups, so staff are brainstorming a new title that clarifies this isn’t work-based learning but a low-stakes career-exploration experience.

    For next year, Braun and her team are hoping to offer job shadows over winter, spring and summer breaks, allowing more students to participate.

    The program has limited funds, but Braun would like to see additional dollars invested for stipends on the front end so the students don’t have to pay out of pocket to participate. Braun also sees value in offering students the opportunity to travel to job shadows or providing students with professional dress to enter job-shadow spaces, which would require more financial resources, as well.

    Source link

  • Is the UK still a destination for global students or just global graduates? How will higher education respond?  

    Is the UK still a destination for global students or just global graduates? How will higher education respond?  

    This HEPI blog was kindly authored by Joanna Hart, Products, Services, and Innovation Director at the Mauve Group. 

    In the last couple of months, the UK Government has unveiled a 10-year, Modern Industrial Strategy and published an Immigration whitepaper, which referenced expanding visa pathways such as the High Potential Individual and Global Talent visas. The industrial strategy aims to attract highly skilled global talent in eight priority sectors, with a strong focus on technology and innovation. Collectively, these efforts to attract global graduates are undercut by new barriers facing international undergraduate students. 

    Ongoing changes to the Skilled Worker visa, including steep increases to salary thresholds, and tighter restrictions on dependents, combined with proposals to shorten the Graduate Visa, and introduce a controversial 6%  international student levy, create mounting financial and reputational pressure on UK universities, while also deterring international undergraduates.

    In response, institutions are turning to establishing overseas campuses to offset domestic shortfalls and attract local talent who may still benefit from expanded UK visa pathways post-graduation. While attracting high-level international talent is valuable for addressing skills gaps in the UK, it must be part of a broader, symbiotic strategy. One that nurtures international students from undergraduate level through to employment to ensure UK higher education remains globally competitive.

    Visa routes 

    An important step in the much-needed long-term strategy is the implementation of expanded visa pathways such as the High Potential Individual (HPI) visa and the visa, traditionally for internationally educated post-graduates and entrepreneurs.

    High Potential Individual (HPI) visa

    The High Potential Individual (HPI) visa is a UK immigration pathway designed for recent graduates from 40 top global universities, providing the opportunity to live and work in the UK for several years. At present, 47% of universities on the list are from the US, with just one institution from the entire southern hemisphere featured.  

    The Immigration whitepaper released in May and the UK government’s industrial strategy referenced extending the HPI visa to a wider selection of global universities. According to the UK government, it intends to roll out a ‘capped and targeted expansion of the HPI route for top graduates, doubling the number of qualifying universities.’ However, we do not yet know whether this expansion will be based on global league tables or geographic location. 

    Innovator Founder visa

    The Innovator Founder visa offers the opportunity for founders of new, innovative, viable and scalable businesses to operate in the UK for three years. Traditionally, it facilitates incoming innovation, but the newly announced UK industrial strategy suggested the Innovator Founder Visa would be reviewed to make it easier for entrepreneurial talent currently studying at UK universities to be eligible. Details are yet to be disclosed but recent figures reveal that the average Innovator Founder Visa application success rate to the UK is almost 88%. While this is significant, it is not as high as other visa types, such as the Skilled Worker Visa, which is 99%. While the overall approval rate for Innovator Founder Visa applications sits at 88%, this figure can be misleading. The critical bottleneck is at the endorsement stage the first hurdle in the process, where the success rate drops sharply to just 36%

    Skilled Worker and Graduate visa 

    Changes to visa pathways for domestically educated international students, including the Skilled Worker and Graduate visas, may result in applicants feeling short-changed. For example, it has been proposed that the standard length of the Graduate visa, which allows international students to remain working in the UK at the beginning of their careers, be reduced from two years to 18 months. If implemented, it may make it hard to secure a career after studying in the UK. 

    Meanwhile, effective from the 22nd July 2025, the minimum salary threshold for the Skilled Worker visa will rise to £41,700. Occupation-specific salary thresholds will also increase by about 10%, with the minimum skills requirements raised to Royal Qualifications Framework (RQF) level 6 for new applicants. Prior to the changes, between 30 and 70 per cent of graduate visa holders in employment may not have been working in RQF level 6 or above occupations. Although there are some discounted thresholds for PhD students, especially in STEM fields, these changes are set to exclude many current Skilled Worker visa holders.

    How will higher education respond to stricter selective visa rules?

    Drawbacks

    One of the major drawbacks comes from the announcement that the government is considering introducing a 6% levy on higher education provider income from international students.  It is likely that universities will be forced to consider passing these costs onto international students. The UK’s higher education sector generates £22 billion annually from international students and education, making it a valuable export to the UK in an increasingly competitive global market. The proposed levy risks discouraging international students and undermining this critical source of economic growth.

    Many institutions will already have factored in price increases to account for rising costs going forward, making an additional 6% unfeasible.

    Numerous universities are already struggling financially, with courses and entire departments being cut. With the possibility of a highly reduced international student body due to the levy and further changes to graduate visa pathways, these institutions face increased strain, meaning even more drastic cuts may be imminent.

    Benefits 

    With an emphasis on higher visa thresholds, rising costs and the controversial 6% levy on international fees, UK universities face growing challenges to remain competitive in the global education landscape.

    In response, many are rethinking their models, with institutions like the Universities of Liverpool and Southampton establishing campuses in Bengaluru and Gurugram, India, respectively. UK Universities operate 38 campuses across 18 countries, educating over 67,750 students abroad. Embracing international collaboration not only broadens the research opportunities available to UK universities but also supports financial sustainability and preserves the UK’s reputation as a global education powerhouse. By establishing overseas campuses and hubs, the UK’s academic influence extends well beyond its borders. This pivot will provide opportunities for international students to receive UK-affiliated accreditations, potentially giving them greater access to selective UK visa pathways post-graduation. 

    To adapt, higher education must develop a more integrated approach; one that links international recruitment, offshore campuses, and expanded visa pathways in a cohesive, long-term strategy. This means not only attracting global graduates but supporting students from undergraduate level through to employment, driving opportunity and innovation in the UK. 

    If UK institutions are to remain global leaders, they must work with the government to ensure that opportunity does not begin at graduation; it begins at enrolment. By nurturing this full pipeline, universities can continue to feed the skilled workforce envisioned in the new industrial strategy.

    Source link

  • Educators Can Teach Students to Write Well—and to Hope

    Educators Can Teach Students to Write Well—and to Hope

    To the editor:

    I was absolutely appalled at the anonymous AP Literature and Composition reader’s summary of his time in Salt Lake City. I was even more appalled by his tone, which was condescending, arrogant and unapologetic, and by his sense of superiority. Far be it from me to evaluate how he might be as a teacher (especially if he had a bad night’s sleep, poor lamb), but his emphatic victimhood at the circumstances that accompanied the reading, which he signed up for, was more than off-putting; it was flat out reprehensible.

    His attitude, that this whole event is beneath him, is hard to understand. Again, he chose to be there. He blatantly ignored his table leaders, skimmed rather than read essays and, behind the shield of anonymity, celebrated only giving a handful of 5s. He took it as a personal affront when he was asked to follow the rules. I feel especially bad for any AP student who suffered because of the negligence of this dismissive and self-pitying reader. 

    Worse, he used his entire experience as a microcosm for What’s Wrong With Education Today. The other readers are a part of this excoriation: While he gets up to give himself additional breaks, his colleagues “seem well adapted to the AP regimen, and to regimentation.” He, though, has escaped from Plato’s cave and has come back to tell us all … that the free coffee wasn’t very good. 

    This, while there are actual problems plaguing the state of college writing, from students uncritically using AI to assignments and essays that aren’t accurately evaluating student learning. With these legitimate concerns, it seems myopic to worry only that he encountered too few essays that contained “something insightful or fluent.” From that small sample, he concludes, “Is this how we’re educating the best and brightest, these college students of the near future? Are the vaunted humanities—assailed for years from without—rotting from within?”

    A sharp reader might resist stooping to make such generalizations. A sharp reader might conclude that work written hastily on an unseen topic while myriad other concerns are influencing its writer will rarely be sufficiently fluent. But the author’s preoccupation with these flawed essays reveals something worse: an attitude more concerned with signifying his august tastes than celebrating some of the essays’ successes—which AP readers are explicitly tasked with doing. As many happiness scholars have noted, expressing gratitude is an often-effective way to combat negativity. 

    If I were the sort of writer who uses few examples to draw overconfident conclusions, I might argue that the anonymous author represents the worst sort of virtue signaler: one who simultaneously laments that the “army of food service workers, mostly Hispanic or Asian,” must serve all the readers, but who also overindulges on the free food (“my waistline expands”). He likewise points out the inequality women professors face (“That fits with the service-heavy load female professors typically shoulder at most universities”) while demeaning his own female table assistant-leader (ignoring her when she asked him to put away his phone). Dare one conclude that he is staring at the mere shadows of true virtue down in his cave of concrete convention center floors and thick black curtains? 

    Maybe I am overreacting. I have a visceral dislike for the sort of persona he displays here, and it was part of the reason I left higher education after finishing my Ph.D. At most academic conferences, especially in the humanities, where our findings aren’t as obviously helpful to the field as, say, the sciences, postering and self-aggrandizement were pervasive. Seven years ago, I became a high school teacher and now an AP Literature reader, and I’m happy to report that I find myself surrounded more by the optimism of youth than the performative jadedness of some of those in higher education. 

    I’m sorry the author wears his ennui and disillusionment as a signifier of his superiority. I’m sorry he celebrates his misanthropy alongside his impractically high standards. And it’s a shame that he was so disheartened by this experience, he felt the need to trash it publicly. To what end? 

    I was not at the author’s table this year. I’m sure my sunny disposition would have made me fodder for his future displeasure. (When he got to his table and saw so many people excited to start reading, he responded, “The enthusiastic vibe can’t help, either.”) But perhaps instead of focusing our energies complaining about the task of wading through essays or the state of writing today, we can embrace the role we have as educators. Few other positions offer that sort of direct influence on such a large number of people. 

    Hopefully, as we teach our students to write well and insightfully analyze texts, we can also teach them to see the hope that comes with possibility—to see that they can always find something to celebrate, as long as they try to have the right attitude. 

    Andrew J. Calis is an English teacher at Archbishop Spalding High School in Maryland.

    Source link

  • Working Students Face New Challenges in a Shifting Policy Landscape

    Working Students Face New Challenges in a Shifting Policy Landscape

    Most undergraduates today are juggling academics with paid work, many logging 40 or more hours a week. That load leaves little margin: more non-academic responsibilities, less time for coursework, and fewer opportunities to engage on campus mean these students often feel the effects of federal policy changes first.

    The budget reconciliation bill signed into law on July 4 threatens to make those challenges worse, reshaping student loans and public benefit programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid in ways that risk cutting off critical financial lifelines. On Pell Grants, the news is mixed: the bill restores a revised Workforce Pell program that could open doors to short-term training, but makes other changes that may reduce access for some students.

    For working students already balancing jobs, school, and basic needs, these changes could tip the balance toward longer time to degree, greater debt, or leaving school altogether. Using recent data, we explore how these students are making ends meet now, and what colleges, universities, and policymakers can do to protect and strengthen the supports that help them stay enrolled and graduate.

    Profile of student workers

    According to the 2020 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:20), nearly three-quarters of undergraduate students work while enrolled, with around a third of those students working full time. Results from Trellis Strategies’ 2024 Student Financial Wellness Survey (SFWS) identified similar rates of employment, allowing the ability to cross-reference specific questions about overall financial wellness. In this post, we compare SFWS respondents who answered “yes” to the question “Do you work for pay?” with those who answered “no.”

    About half of all SFWS respondents reported using income from their employment to pay for school. However, many working students have additional financial commitments beyond their education. For example, 19 percent of working respondents indicated they provide financial support to a child, and 18 percent provide the same support to their parents or guardians. Overall, about half of working SFWS respondents (47 percent) shared that it was important for them to support their family financially while in college, compared to 38 percent of their non-working peers.

    This heightened familial commitment is reflected in the fact that many working students—36 percent of those responding to the 2024 SFWS—identify primarily as workers who go to school, rather than students who work. Furthermore, working students attend part-time at higher rates (38 percent) compared to their non-working peers (28 percent).

    How working students pay for college

    Most students who were working at the time the 2024 SFWS was administered self-reported using their employment to pay for college (see Figure 2). Many used personal savings as well, but only seven percent were able to “work their way through college” using employment and/or personal savings alone. Instead, working students, similar to their peers who don’t work, depend upon aid such as grants and loans to be able to access higher education.

    Nationally representative data from NPSAS:20 show that almost 40 percent of working students receive Pell Grants and more than a third borrow federal student loans (non-working students receive federal aid at similar rates).

    For these students, losing part of their federal aid could mean they can no longer afford higher education. This is especially true for those students with limited financial flexibility to fall back on. Working students in the SFWS were more likely to report using credit cards to pay for college and were less likely to receive financial support from parents or family, as compared to their non-working peers.

    Implications of policy changes

    The reconciliation bill passed by Congress in July 2025 (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) includes many changes that impact students, with particularly significant consequences for those who work.

    On Pell Grants, the bill offers both opportunities and new concerns. It restores a revised Workforce Pell Grant program, starting July 2026, that expands the traditional Pell Grant to include eligible short-term non-degree programs at accredited institutions, an option that could help working students earn credentials more quickly and move into higher-paying jobs.

    At the same time, the bill restricts Pell eligibility when other scholarships, grants, or non-federal aid fully cover a student’s cost of attendance. Under this system, a working student who receives a private scholarship that might otherwise allow them to decrease their working hours could instead see their Pell Grant decrease. While intended to prevent Pell from being awarded in “full-ride” situations, the change could also affect working students who have substantial financial responsibilities beyond the calculated cost of attendance.

    The bill also includes significant changes to federal student loan programs and repayment options, with most of the changes effective as of July 1, 2026. Parents borrowing Parent PLUS loans will now have annual and aggregate borrowing caps. About one in 10 undergraduate students, including among working students, reported that their parents borrowed loans for their education. Limits on this borrowing may constrain the financial resources of some students, with possible negative consequences for their academic momentum.

    Changes to SNAP and Medicaid will affect state budgets, putting higher education at risk and making it harder for people to enroll in and complete a credential while meeting their basic needs. Many students, despite also working, already face significant barriers such as food and housing insecurity, as found in the 2024 SFWS.

    While no changes were made to student-specific eligibility criteria in SNAP, new work requirements in SNAP and Medicaid prioritize work over education, making it harder for people to complete a credential while maintaining access to food and health assistance. These work requirements will also create new administrative hurdles, which research shows result in people being kicked off of Medicaid despite being eligible.

    The net effect of these changes will relegate more people to low-wage work by delaying or denying their ability to complete credentials that would provide higher wages, lower unemployment and poverty rates, and less use of public benefits. While the Medicaid work requirement changes don’t begin until January 2028, the SNAP changes were effective upon signing of the bill. However, states are awaiting further guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on how to administer those changes.

    Any reduction in financial aid or public assistance resources for students may mean that more students will need to work longer hours while enrolled to make ends meet. Besides reducing the number of hours available to study, work schedules can also directly conflict with class schedules and other campus activities.One-quarter of working respondents in the 2024 SFWS reported missing at least one day of classes due to conflicts with their job, and 56 percent of students with jobs agreed or strongly agreed that their job interfered with their ability to engage in extracurricular activities or social events at their school. Students with a weaker sense of connection and belonging at their institution have been shown to have worse academic performance and retention rates than their peers.

    Supporting working students

    While changes to federal student aid programs are still being debated, colleges and universities can ensure they have programs and processes in place to support working students at their campuses. Institutional leaders can:

    • Develop or enhance robust support systems, such as emergency grants, connection to public services, and adequate financial aid, to help students weather financial challenges, develop a stronger connection to their institution, and remain enrolled.
    • Implement strategic course scheduling that can help students more effectively plan employment, child care, transportation, and other needs so they can enroll in and complete more classes in a timely way.
    • Leverage regular data collection to respond to the needs of their specific student body. Participating in the annual Student Financial Wellness Survey is free and provides institutions with a customized report, benchmarking insights, and de-identified student data.
    • Policymakers should consider how programs can best serve students juggling multiple time commitments and financial priorities. Robust social services, such as child care and access to public assistance programs, can allow more working students the opportunity to thrive. Adequate financial aid can help students work less and complete their credentials sooner, opening the door to higher wages.

    If you have any questions or comments about this blog post, please contact us.

    Source link