High School Counselor Week

Amid Financial Headwinds, Could Course Sharing Offer Colleges Relief?
Inside Higher Ed – March 26, 2025
As massive cuts to federal funding escalate long-standing financial uncertainty for many colleges, institutions are increasingly reducing course and program offerings. Although that approach may alleviate immediate budget pressures, 57 percent of college students nationwide are already prevented from completing their degrees on time because their institutions don’t offer the required courses during the days and times or via modalities they need. But colleges could work together and allow students to take classes at other institutions—a model known as course sharing that a recent white paper argues could benefit institutions and students alike.

New Survey Finds Medicaid Cuts Would Devastate School Staffing and Services
The 74 – March 21, 2025
As public education comes under attack on a number of fronts, school leaders are sounding the alarm about potential significant cuts to Medicaid. Medicaid is among the largest federal funding streams for K-12 public school-based health and mental health services, helping to pay for $7.5 billion in services every year. It is also the largest source of federal funds to states; a significant federal cut would shift more costs to them, threatening major budget reductions in other state spending priorities — including for K-12 education

A look at trends in college consolidation since 2016
Higher Ed Dive – March 18, 2025
The last few years have been tumultuous for many U.S. colleges. Pressure to lower tuition, stagnating state funding and a shrinking pool of high school graduates has strained many institutions’ bottom lines and questioned their long-term viability. Those pressures have caused some to close. We’ve been tracking consolidation across higher education since the fall of 2018. Our goal was not to create a death watch but rather to give our readers a tool to show the scope of that activity and any patterns within it. Below, we spotlight significant recent closures and consolidations.

‘Walk with me’: why we should counsel students on the move
Times Higher Eduation – March 20, 2025
Traditional university counselling often focuses on deadlines, destinations and checklists. But our students are more than just applicants – they are young people figuring out their next steps, often feeling unsure or overwhelmed. One of the simplest yet most effective techniques I use is walking around the school and having casual conversations. It takes the pressure off, makes counselling feel more natural and helps students see me as someone they can talk to – not just an official who handles applications. Instead of only meeting students in formal settings, I make a point of being visible and approachable throughout the school day. A quick chat in the hallway can help a student realise that university is about finding the right fit, not just chasing the most prestigious name. Moreover, such spontaneous interactions often lead to deeper, more meaningful conversations because they happen naturally, without pressure. This can help students see that counselling is not just for those who are highly organised or who are struggling – it is for everyone.

Opinion: College Advisers Shouldn’t Need to Exist. In the Meantime, We Need More of Them
The 74 – March 19, 2025
In an ideal world, college advisers wouldn’t exist because disparities in college enrollment and attainment wouldn’t exist. However, a college admissions process already riddled with complexity is made all the worse by the deep inequities baked into it. Students with well-resourced support systems at home or in school can manage. But for many, especially potential first-generation college students and students from low-income backgrounds, the process adds to an unfair obstacle course. Today, there simply are not enough school counselors to meet demand. We need to invest in more college access professionals in more schools — because for too many students, their future depends on it.

College is a financial decision
Marketplace – March 21, 2025
As you finish high school, you might be bombarded with questions from all directions about your future and what comes next. It is a big decision with real financial consequences, so it can feel overwhelming, but we’ve got your back! Host Yanely Espinal speaks with Ralph Johnson, college counselor at charter network Democracy Prep Public Schools, about choosing the right path for you.

What Can Happen if Parents Ignore Their Teen’s Mental Illness?
Clearfork Academy – March 20, 2025
When parents overlook their teen’s mental health challenges, it can have long-term consequences. Although it can be distressing, ignoring the signs of mental illness in youth doesn’t make the problems go away. Instead, it often worsens them, leading to several issues that can affect every area of a teen’s life, such as substance abuse, academic decline, and strained relationships. It’s not always easy to recognize the symptoms of a mental health problem in your teen, but the signs are usually there. Read on to understand how to recognize warning signs and the consequences of ignoring these signs.

What types of colleges offer the best ROI?
Higher Ed Dive – March 25, 2025
Return on investment has been one of the most important concepts in higher education in recent years as students and families continue to question what they’re getting out of a college degree. That’s one reason the Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce updated its ROI database last month, ranking 4,600 colleges and universities by the financial value they impart to students. Researchers found that the ROI for college education is variable over time. Institutions that primarily award associate degrees and certificates offer a higher return ten years out than those that primarily award bachelor’s degrees. But after 40 years, that relationship reverses, with almost all bachelor’s degree-awarding colleges coming out on top.

8 questions every student should ask before choosing a college
eSchool News – March 20, 2025
College choice is about more than just academics–it’s about finding a place to grow, succeed, and feel at home. The key is knowing what to ask. Every student has different needs, priorities, and goals, and finding the right school requires looking beyond name recognition. These 10 questions can help prospective students make an informed decision and choose a college where they will thrive academically, socially, and financially.

College Financial Aid: The Art Of The Appeal
Forbes – March 26, 2025
College is not cheap. It can, however, be affordable. Unfortunately, families often see the financial aid package and are deflated or deterred. For those who need financial support (the majority of applicants) the decision of where to enroll is not just about where they want to go, but also where they can afford to attend. When these two realities conflict, families wonder if they can appeal the financial aid package at the school where their student most wants to attend. Is it acceptable to appeal a financial aid offer, and if so, when and why? To help unpack the financial aid appeal process, I assembled a team of experts to answer the most common questions.

‘Undercutting your future’: What a higher endowment tax would mean for colleges
Higher Ed Dive – March 26, 2025
Financial pain could be coming in the form of outgoing funds. Trump and Republicans in Congress have floated proposals to make colleges pay the government, including through substantial expansions of a tax on college endowments. If passed, such a tax would fundamentally alter the relationship between the government and many nonprofit colleges, as well as between those institutions and their donors. Moreover — and perhaps more importantly as a practical reality — such a tax could land hard on students, research programs and college operations.

Students try using AI to write scholarship essays — with little luck
The Hechinger Report – March 25, 2025
Students’ fears about submitting a generic essay are valid — they’re less likely to get scholarships that way. As a result of students leaning too much on generative AI, however, admissions officers have begun to see less humanity shining through and more instances of words — like ‘cornerstone’ and ‘bedrock’ — that are not commonly used by typical teenagers. While generative AI doesn’t need to be avoided altogether, it is better served as a tool to improve students’ work, rather than a be-all and end-all tool that actually ends up taking away from a powerful opportunity for students to share who they really are as person.