High School Counselor Week

Feds move to ease FAFSA financial aid chaos, but no quick fix emerges
Los Angeles Times – February 13, 2024
Under enormous pressure, ED officials announced Tuesday another round of steps to ease a crisis caused by the trouble-plagued FAFSA rollout. The steps don’t actually fix the computer problems students have encountered. Instead, the Department of Education temporarily diminished federal oversight of the financial aid system to streamline the process. Fewer students will have to verify their identity or financial information; a smaller number of colleges will face program reviews and such reviews can be delayed. ED officials said a shortage of funding contributed mightily to the problems. Congress had ‘set deadlines requiring us to undertake three massive modernization projects within a few months of each other,’ said a senior department official, who spoke on condition of not being named. ‘Congress did not provide the substantial amount of increased funding we requested to implement these … bipartisan projects, and here we are well into the fiscal year and we don’t have a budget for this year as well…’

Top colleges settle claims they favor wealthy students for admission
The Hill – February 13, 2024
A U.S. District Court judge gave preliminary approval Monday to more than $104 million in settlements among top universities and students who have accused the schools of favoring the wealthy for admission. The lawsuit was filed in 2022 against 16 major U.S. colleges, including Yale, Georgetown and Northwestern, for allegedly engaging in price fixing and limiting student financial aid by using a methodology shared among the schools to calculate financial need for an applicant. The class action case is continuing against 10 other schools.

Who’s most worried about the end of affirmative action? Race isn’t the only factor.
Louisiana Illuminator – February 14, 2024
How Americans feel about the end of affirmative action in college admissions depends not just on their race but also their age and gender, according to a recent Gallup poll. 68% percent of 12,443 respondents surveyed said they view the Supreme Court’s decision last summer to stop race-conscious college admissions as ‘mostly a good thing.’ That includes 52% of Black Americans, the group often at the center of debates on the policy, which was enacted to address the nation’s long history of discrimination. But Gallup found that their views on the ruling differ by age.

Making the Most of Spring Break: A Guide to Campus Visits for Families
Post – January 31, 2024
College Advice & Timely Tips with Lee Bierer

2024–25 FAFSA Issue Alerts: Open Issues and Workarounds
U.S. Education Department – February 14, 2024
As counselors and students are aware, there are still technical issues within the FAFSA system, preventing numerous applicants from completing the form. Callers to the hotline have encountered hours-long hold times, and many report being disconnected without warning. Even reaching a human being may not help, since many issues remain unresolved. For now, the only option that might provide a quick answer is the U.S. ED’s full list of open issues and workarounds at https://fsapartners.ed.gov/knowledge-center/topics/fafsa-simplification-information/2024-25-fafsa-issue-alerts. Users must click on an open issue to expand it and see the suggested workaround. Not all open issues have workarounds presently. Any resolved issues are also posted, underneath the open list.

As schools push more mental health treatment for teens, some parents aren’t sold
Chalkbeat – February 10, 2024
As schools across the country respond to a youth mental health crisis accelerated by the pandemic, many are confronting the thorny legal, ethical, and practical challenges of getting parents on board with treatment. For many families, the decision to start a child in therapy is often deeply personal – bringing up cultural and generational divides, as well as diverging understandings of mental health. More conflicts are emerging as young people get more comfortable talking openly about mental health, and treatment becomes more readily available, especially with the growth of telehealth and online counseling. Research suggests that having to obtain parental permission can be a significant barrier to teens accessing treatment. But the issue has become politicized, with some states looking to streamline access as conservative politicians elsewhere propose further restrictions, accusing schools of trying to indoctrinate students and cut out parents. There’s also a huge obstacle outside the law and politics: Therapy is rarely free, and paying for it or submitting insurance claims often requires parental support.

The #1 Thing My Students Want Their Parents to Know: They’re Stressed
Education Week – February 13, 2024
In preparation for an upcoming meeting of my school’s parent/teacher/student organization, I recently asked three of my most talented teachers to help me answer an important question: What do high schoolers wish their parents knew? After roughly 130 students weighed in, I was surprised to learn that the number one issue students wanted their parents to know was that they were highly stressed. But handling stress isn’t something that will come naturally to students, like blinking or breathing. Someone has to teach it to them. I’ve personally found four strategies that can be taught ‘gently’ to students to help them cope with stress. I believe that implementing even one of these basic strategies can make a world of difference in relieving the stress our students experience.

5 Tips For Parents In The Financial Dead Zone To Manage College Costs
Forbes – February 14, 2024
If you are the parent of a high school student planning for college, you might already have heard of the financial aid dead zone. It’s where you fall when you make too much income to qualify for need-based financial aid but not enough to pay the sticker price out of pocket or to have saved anywhere near the full cost of tuition room and board at today’s prices. What can parents do?

Some Colleges Still Accepting Applications, Including Rolling Admission Options
Forbes – February 13, 2024
There is a common misconception that once the regular decision deadlines have passed, students will have no more options for applying to colleges. Some colleges around the country have late deadlines, with some accepting applications on a rolling basis as space allows and even as late as August 1. These later deadlines give students one last chance to find the best place for them to continue their higher education.

The Value of a Degree vs. Micro-credentials in Higher Education
Elmhurst University (IL) – February 13, 2024
Traditionally, a degree has been the gold standard for academic achievement and career advancement. However, in recent years micro-credentials have emerged as a flexible and targeted alternative. So, if you are looking to complete your degree, what is the value of a degree versus micro-credentials in higher education?

Yet another FAFSA problem: many non-citizens can’t fill it out
Wisconsin Public Radio – February 13, 2024
Students with parents who don’t have a social security number get only an error message and are unable to fill out the FAFSA. Among those impacted are permanent residents and green card holders, not just students with undocumented parents. Following NPR’s reporting, the U.S. Education Department said it was aware of the problem and that staff were meeting daily to resolve it. They recommended that students with parents who aren’t citizens should wait to fill out the form online, but were unable to provide any timeline for the fix.

Amid the many problems with the new FAFSA, ‘every student’ should appeal for more financial aid, one expert says
CNBC – February 14, 2024
Problems with the new FAFSA have frustrated many students and families. But that also makes this the year to ask for more money. Schools are often receptive to appeals for more aid; they just don’t advertise it, experts say.

College Affordable: Letting Industry Pay for Students to Go to College
Forbes – February 13, 2024
College is too expensive. Institutions are closing. Enrollments are down. And, no one seems to know what to do about it. The nation seems gridlocked over loan forgiveness. At the state level, investments in public institutions have slightly increased, but the long-term and intangible benefits of a college experience may not feel significant enough to outweigh the immediate cost of tuition and time. Add the 2024 FAFSA delay into the equation and potential college students are encountering even more barriers to postsecondary education before. In short, educators must figure out a way to open the doors to career and technical education for students from all socio-economic backgrounds.

Destigmatize CTE: 3 ways we can change perceptions
SmartBrief – February 12, 2024
When I was in high school, career and technical education offerings were limited, and to be honest, there was a stigma that students in these courses were not college-bound and would end up with lower-paying jobs. But my perception changed when I enrolled in a business course for my sophomore year, which I didn’t know at the time was a CTE course. I wrongly assumed that CTE courses were all hands-on and not for college-bound students. My story highlights the misconceptions surrounding CTE courses. CTE is a viable option for all students, whether they graduate high school and go on to a four-year college, immediately start a career or opt for vocational school. CTE is a path that leads to many roads, all of which are good for students.

College Board to pay $750K for selling New York students’ SAT data
The Hill – February 13, 2024
New York announced Tuesday that the College Board and the state reached a settlement over the state’s claims that the SAT administrator sold students’ personal information. In addition to the $750,000 in penalties, the College Board will be barred from monetizing data of New York students through its contracts with schools and school districts. The state alleged that the College Board collected students’ personal information after they took the SATs, PSATs or AP exams. While it was optional for test takers to supply this as part of signing up for the Student Search Service, students were asked to do so ‘in the urgent context of an important exam.’ Personal information included students’ GPA, anticipated course of study, interest in religious activities and parents’ income level. An investigation conducted by the state Attorney General’s office later found out that the College Board used the collected data for marketing purposes, which the office said is illegal.

How to Perform Well on SAT, ACT Test Day
WTOP News (DC) – February 12, 2024
Stress isn’t necessarily a new feeling for high school students, but taking a standardized test like the ACT or SAT can bring its own set of challenges. These college entrance exams are somewhat unfamiliar settings for many students and come at a time in their lives when they haven’t developed many strategies to cope with the pressure. Experts say the SAT’s move to a digital format should help students feel more at ease, since many are already comfortable with technology, but preparing for the test and maintaining perspective can also go a long way. Here are eight tips that can help students perform well on test day.