There are soooo many news articles these days about what's going on in higher education. In fact, the articles we've heard the most about this past year have less to do with what's really going on in higher ed. and more to do with social/cultural anomalies and ethics violations. Frankly, having to wade through the muck and mire of the "news" has made it hard to keep up with all of the latest higher ed. trends. For those of you who are curious and have a yen to know what's really going on, here are some of the major trends in higher ed. for 2007:
Enrollment
Its been a terrific year for women in higher education. Women, notes Scott Jaschik in an article for Inside Higher Ed., now make up the majority of enrollments on college and university campuses across the nation. Some community colleges have reported that women comprise some 60 - 70 percent of their total enrollment. Of course, social scientists now are "worried" about this new trend and are looking to find ways to make college more accessible for men.
Financial Aid
Sam Allis, a writer for the Boston Globe, notes the latest trend in financial aid is to attach a merit requirement to grants--programs that have been traditionally awarded to students based on their proving financial need. Federal grant (like the ACG and SMART Grant Programs) and state grant programs (like Texas' TEXAS Grant Program) have made merit a major eligibility factor. Time will tell if other programs will follow.
Time to Graduation
According to Clifford Ademlan, a researcher for the U.S. Department of Education, not much has changed in the amount of time it takes a student to complete what legislators and administrators have ruled "four-year degrees." The typical time to complete a bachelor's degree in the U.S. is just about 5 years.
Graduation Rates
Laura Horn and C. Dennis Carroll report that U.S. college graduation rates, overall, are declining (meaning the number of people from cohort x who successfully complete a college degree in comparison to the number of people from cohort y is lower); especially at colleges/universities with large populations of low-income students. Fortunately, women are finally at a point where we are completing more degrees than men (see note on enrollments above); and the gap in degree attainment between Whites, African-Americans and Hispanics is narrowing--though there is still a gap.
Employment Outlook for College Grads
The National Association of Colleges and Employers reports that the employment outlook for new college grads this year is better than ever! Which grads are most in demand this year? Students with business, engineering and computer-related degrees.
All in all, its been a fairly good year for higher ed. We've a lot of things left to work through this year and the upcoming years (such as the reauthorization of HERA--the legislation that forms the foundation for student financial aid and development of codes of ethics for administrators); and many things to focus on (hmm... "Men's Studies"?). I'm really excited to see what this next fall will bring us!
Until next time!
Lynn Byrne
Preparing for college admissions? Trying to find direction? Need a little help with the planning? Check out my college planning series:
- College Planning Made Easy--the planning and preparation workbook for the take charge, college-bound student,
- Paying for College Made Easy--a college financing guide designed to assist students and families in preparing and planning for higher education expenses; and
- The Great Scholarship Search--my guide for students and parents researching and applying for scholarship funding.
