Recent Stories
With State Bans on D.E.I., Some Universities Find a Workaround: Rebranding
Welcome to the new “Office of Access and Engagement.” Schools are renaming departments and job titles to try to preserve diversity programs.
New York Times
Apr. 12, 2024
That Giant College ‘Sticker’ Price Isn’t What Most Students Pay
The share of those paying the full advertised cost has declined over the last couple of decades, a new report found. Yet many don’t understand how much they’ll really pay.
New York Times
Apr. 12, 2024
What is the North Star Promise scholarship?
A program is helping Minnesotans earn a tuition-free bachelor’s degree at a state or tribal college.
Kare11
Apr. 10, 2024
Washington researchers find ‘growth mindset’ improves first-generation college students’ grades
A study conducted by Washington State University (WSU) has found that notifying students of their instructors’ growth mindset results in better grades for first generation students.
NonStop Local
Apr. 9, 2024
Baruch College, an Upward-Mobility Machine
The New York School is praised as a model college in a new report on diversity in higher education.
New York Times
Apr. 8, 2024
‘First-Generation Students’ Can Be a Limiting Category, New Report Says
Colleges can’t agree on how to define “first generation” students. And maybe that’s OK, according to a team of researchers. But institutions must be aware of even small differences in backgrounds — because a narrow framing of who’s first-gen might cause colleges to miss students who need additional support.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Apr. 5, 2024
FAFSA delays are just the beginning: This college admissions cycle is full of changes
Free tuition. The end of affirmative action. Financial aid delays. Shorter applications. The ways Minnesota students apply to college and pay for it are quickly changing.
Star Tribune
Apr. 2, 2024
College textbooks can be pricey. Minnesota State system is offering more for free
System leaders hope free resources will help reduce disparities in higher education, while giving professors more power to tailor course materials.
Star Tribune
Mar. 31, 2024
The majority of these students come from low-income families, and often, their paths to success can be riddled with barriers. Covering the cost of tuition is challenging; many of the students are simultaneously full-time students and full-time employees. They have fewer resources than some of their counterparts and less guidance. If someone is the first member of their family to attend college, what point of reference do they have for navigating through it?
MSN
Mar. 27, 2024
$7.2M grant to fund first-generation college students at trio of San Antonio colleges
More students from across San Antonio will soon be going to college without any financial burden, with a historic $7.2 million grant set to be distributed to a trio of private San Antonio universities from the Hector and Gloria López Foundation.
San Antonio Report
Mar. 27, 2024
Alabama bans DEI programs in public colleges and the teaching of ‘divisive concepts’
The legislation, which Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law Wednesday, will go into effect Oct. 1.
NBC News
Mar. 20, 2024
One professor said it was a ‘racist’ narrative to assume minority students were disadvantaged on SAT or ACT tests.
Fox News
Mar. 16, 2024
‘I thought Columbia was going to save me’: The realities for first-generation college students
For some students coming from under-resourced high schools, going to college seems like a beacon of light that will solve all their problems.
KUOW
Mar. 14, 2024
Research: Understanding the First-Gen Experience
A qualitative study from a Virginia Tech researcher identifies five themes in the lived experiences of first-generation students in a scholarship program and five recommendations to better support them.
Inside Higher Ed
Mar. 13, 2024
DACA recipient makes history at U of M Humphrey School of Public Affairs
Starting in the fall, Edwin Torres will be the first undocumented immigrant and DACA recipient to pursue a PhD at the U of M Humphrey School of Public Affairs.
KARE11
Mar. 12, 2024
Proposed bill would ban legacy admissions at all Minnesota colleges
State officials are considering banning preferential treatment in college admissions for privileged students.
MPR News
Mar. 12, 2024
Q&A with a college and career counselor on affirmative action and changes to federal aid
Last year the Supreme Court struck down race-conscious affirmative action in college admissions programs, declaring race cannot be a factor and forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies.
Minnesota Reformer
Mar. 11, 2024
Supreme court won’t hear Virgina High School’s admission case on race
The decision, along with an order this month declining to block West Point’s admissions program, suggests that most justices are not eager to immediately explore the limits of its ruling from June.
New York Times
Mar. 9, 2024
Murray State first-generation students explore London over spring break
A new study abroad experience allows Murray State first-generation students the opportunity to expand their education outside of the classroom.
The Murray State News
Mar. 7, 2024
Colorado lawmakers reup effort to recognize colleges serving large share of 1st-generation students
Colorado lawmakers are once again pushing to create a designation for colleges and universities that enroll a higher-than-average proportion of students who are the first in their family to go to college.
Chalkbeat
Mar. 5, 2024
What Do First-Generation Students Need To Be Successful?
What challenges do first-generation students face? And, what advice and resources are available to help make the transition from high school to college a successful one for first generation students?
The Search Bar
Feb. 29, 2024
Nearly 153,000 student loan borrowers currently enrolled in a new repayment plan launched by the Biden administration are expected to get an email Wednesday notifying them that their remaining federal student loan debt will be canceled, totaling about $1.2 billion.
CNN
Feb. 27, 2024
Why elite colleges are bringing the SAT back
Yale and Dartmouth are bringing testing back — but thousands of other schools aren’t.
Vox
Feb. 27, 2024
Yale ditches test-optional policy, saying it hurts lower-income applicants
Yale University on Thursday said it will reinstate standardized testing requirements for incoming students — joining a handful of elite schools that have ditched the controversial test-optional policy put in place during the pandemic.
New York Post
Feb. 23, 2024
Columbia’s Abbey Hsu Shines On and Off the Basketball Court
Going pro beckons after college, but before then, she’s trying to fit it all in, while breaking a record or two.
Columbia News
Feb. 16, 2024
University of Minnesota, some private colleges extend decision deadlines after FAFSA delays
The U.S. Department of Education announced last week that it would be sharing students’ financial information with schools later than expected, giving students less time to compare competing offers.
Star Tribune
Feb. 8, 2024
First generation students get help with FAFSA at boot camp
First-generation students got help completing the FAFSA form at White Plains High School on Tuesday as part of a FAFSA boot camp that many people attended.
News 12
Feb. 6, 2024
Yakima Valley College’s migrant program: A game changer for first-generation students
“It’s just a life changer honestly.” That’s what program mentor and student Juan Vargas had to say, about Yakima Valley College’s College Assistance Migrant Program, which Y-V-C says they help first generation students who come from a migrant or farmworker background to complete their first year of college.
KIMA
Feb. 5, 2024
UW-Green Bay Honored for Commitment to First-Generation Student Success
The Center for First-Generation Student Success, an initiative of NASPA and The Suder Foundation, announced the advancement of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay to the First Scholars phase of the First Scholars Network.
WTAQ
Feb. 2, 2024
Minnesota colleges scramble to re-evaluate decision deadlines after FAFSA delays
The delay in financial aid offers will leave students will less time to compare their options.
Star Tribune
Feb. 1, 2024
Colleges have fled standardized tests, on the theory that they hurt diversity. That’s not what the research shows.
New York Times
Jan. 7, 2024
First-generation college students drive growth at Southwest Minnesota State
Affording college felt like a constant worry for Peda Zeba. Growing up in tiny Adrian, Minn., the child of immigrant parents from Burkina Faso, Zeba had the drive to pursue a degree. Paying for it, however, would be a challenge.
MPR News
Sep. 11, 2023