Daily Lumina News 011024

Declining enrollments. Changing demographics. Tightening budgets. An “evolving student marketplace.” All of these elements led Jay O. Rothman, president of the University of Wisconsin system, to announce in October that the system was closing one two-year campus and ending in-person instruction at two others.
Today, the troubles happening in Wisconsin are setting off alarm bells about what may be to come for schools nationwide.

Dual-enrollment courses can be very costly for colleges to offer, according to a new Ohio state auditor’s report. The survey found that half of colleges lose money when accounting for all costs of their programs for high school students.
The report comes at a time when high school students are increasingly enrolling in community college courses. That trend has been a relief for institutions after staggering pandemic enrollment declines and an anticipated impending drop in the number of traditional-age students.

Colleges haven’t had it easy lately. The year kicked off with the messy rollout of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid form. The FAFSA came about three months later than usual, meaning institutions will be making financial aid offers on a truncated timeline.
Looking ahead, experts envision seven storylines that will likely shape higher education in 2024. Among their predictions: continued consolidation, the rise of artificial intelligence, and more political attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Even as employers nationwide struggle to find qualified workers, community college enrollment is barely beginning to recover from a two-decade steady decline and an even steeper dive when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Recent research shows that things have finally turned a corner for community colleges, with enrollment numbers picking up in the spring and fall semesters. But if that recovery doesn’t persist, it could come with economic consequences in coming years, such as labor shortages in certain industries and mergers between two-year schools.

Colleges across the United States have been roiled by controversy in recent months on issues involving the Israel-Hamas war, the resignation of Harvard University's president, attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and more.
In this interview, Anemona Hartocollis, a New York Times reporter who covers higher education, reflects on her reporting during these contentious times and how her beat has changed over the years.

College and graduate students aren't just facing rising tuition as they take on debt to pay for college. Experts say the housing crisis is making the already high student-debt load in the country worse.
College towns from coastal California to rural Montana are feeling the impact of skyrocketing home costs, and as a result, some students are turning to federal student loans to finance the high costs of living in their school's area.