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Michigan and Alabama Colleges Adopt New Direct Admissions Model to Boost Enrollment

Michigan and Alabama Colleges Adopt New Direct Admissions Model to Boost Enrollment

Colleges in Michigan are implementing a new direct admissions model, MI College Match, similar to a program launched last year in Alabama. This approach allows students to receive college admission offers without a traditional application process. Unlike some direct admissions models that automatically send offers based on state data, the Michigan and Alabama programs require students to create profiles detailing their GPA and intended major. Once a profile is made, students receive admission offers from institutions whose criteria they meet, with offers beginning as early as mid-September. The Michigan College Access Network (MCAN), a college-access nonprofit, collaborated with the enrollment-management firm EAB to develop MI College Match. EAB's Alabama program resulted in over 12,000 students receiving admissions and scholarship offers totaling over $5.1 billion, with about half of those students not previously on the universities' prospect lists. Michigan college leaders hope this platform will connect...

James Madison University Unveils Transformed Carrier Library After Extensive Renovation

James Madison University Unveils Transformed Carrier Library After Extensive Renovation

James Madison University (JMU) has reopened its Carrier Library following a comprehensive renovation and expansion project. Originally opened in 1939 as Madison Memorial Library, the facility underwent significant changes to enhance accessibility, safety, and sustainability, while also preserving historic elements. The renovation transformed the 1980s Brutalist entrance into a new South Plaza Entrance featuring a three-story wall of windows. Key historical features, such as decorative plaster column capitals, original woodwork, and interior Bluestone walls from the 1939 structure, were meticulously restored. The project also introduced modern amenities, including high-tech makerspaces, light-filled reading rooms, and the new home for the Furious Flower Poetry Center. The library, which previously welcomed nearly 1 million visitors annually, was redesigned based on student and employee feedback to address navigational and physical limitations.

South Carolina State University Launches 1896 Challenge to Boost Student Success

South Carolina State University Launches 1896 Challenge to Boost Student Success

South Carolina State University has initiated its 1896 Challenge for 2026, an annual giving campaign aimed at gathering support for student success. The campaign calls upon a wide range of stakeholders, including alumni, faculty, staff, students, families, friends, and community partners, to contribute to the Bulldog Annual Fund. This fund is designed to provide flexible resources for scholarships, student programs, and other critical university needs. Dr. John Michael Lee Jr., vice president for University Advancement, emphasized that the challenge is about uniting the 'Bulldog family' around the shared priority of student success. This year's campaign introduces a nostalgic element by inviting alumni, referred to as 'Loyal Sons and Daughters,' to 'Rep Your Freshman-Year Dorm,' encouraging them to make gifts that reflect their personal experiences at the university. The initiative seeks to transform Bulldog pride into tangible support for current students, with contributions of any meaningful amount, such...

Palm Beach Post

Six students receive scholarships from Boca West Country Club

Six students receive scholarships from Boca West Country Club

Boca West Country Club and George Snow Scholarship Fund award six students the 2026 Jay DiPietro Scholarships, supporting higher education in Florida.

Washington and Lee University Interns Engage with Local Nonprofits and Businesses in Community-Based Learning Program

Washington and Lee University Interns Engage with Local Nonprofits and Businesses in Community-Based Learning Program

Washington and Lee University's Community-Based Learning (CBL) program has placed a new cohort of students with local nonprofits and businesses in Rockbridge County for the summer. This initiative aims to provide mutual benefits, allowing local organizations to receive skilled support for projects while students gain practical experience and a deeper connection to the community. Interns were assigned to various organizations, including Main Street Lexington, Rockbridge Conservation, Rockbridge Rock Steady Boxing, and the Lexington-Rockbridge Chamber of Commerce. The projects undertaken by the students were designed to enhance the capacity and impact of these local entities. For instance, Simmons Lee ’27 worked with Main Street Lexington on social media content, grant research, and event assistance. Mary Catherine Colo ’27 at Rockbridge Conservation focused on overhauling trail management documentation and mapping water monitoring programs. Courtney Schmidt ’28 at Rockbridge Rock Steady Boxing assisted with...

How Does Academic Procrastination Harm Students

How Does Academic Procrastination Harm Students

Academic procrastination is a pervasive issue, particularly among students, with studies indicating that over 70% of students report procrastinatin...

Why Do Colleges Prioritize Academic Programs

Why Do Colleges Prioritize Academic Programs

Academic program prioritization is a critical process undertaken by educational institutions to strategically allocate funding and resources. It in...

Minnesota State System Pilots New Technology to Combat Financial Aid Fraud

Minnesota State System Pilots New Technology to Combat Financial Aid Fraud

The Minnesota State system, comprising 26 colleges and seven universities, is initiating a pilot program for a new automated identity verification system. This initiative aims to combat the persistent issue of 'ghost students'—individuals who enroll using stolen or fake identities to fraudulently obtain financial aid. The Minnesota Legislature allocated $3 million for this effort, which Craig Munson, overseeing information security for the system, believes will provide protection for a few years. In the 2025-26 school year, the system flagged 2,696 financial aid applications as fraudulent or potentially fraudulent, a decrease from 7,715 the previous year. However, system officials have not disclosed the total amount of federal or state aid lost to these fraudulent activities, citing security concerns. This new system is a response to a problem that has largely been managed by individual institutions, with some faculty members reporting that a significant portion of their online students could be fake.

College Students Face Significant Financial Stress and Basic Needs Insecurity, Ellucian Report Reveals

College Students Face Significant Financial Stress and Basic Needs Insecurity, Ellucian Report Reveals

A new report from the education-technology company Ellucian indicates that a substantial number of college students are grappling with severe financial stress and basic needs insecurity, including challenges in affording food, housing, and transportation. The data, collected from a survey of 2,000 students in the spring, shows that 78% of students at minority-serving institutions (MSIs) and 75% at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) reported having to choose between paying for college and meeting their basic needs. This compares to approximately 58% of all college students surveyed. To cope, 56% of all students work full-time jobs, a figure that rises to 71% for HBCU students and 72% for MSI students. Furthermore, 42% of all students reported that financial stress significantly impacts their mental health.

National Science Foundation Grant Expands Summer Research Opportunities at Lander University for South Carolina Students

National Science Foundation Grant Expands Summer Research Opportunities at Lander University for South Carolina Students

Lander University's College of Science and Mathematics has received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to significantly expand its summer research program. This funding will create additional research opportunities for Lander students and other students across South Carolina. Lander University is one of 11 colleges in the state to receive a portion of a larger $10 million grant, which aims to boost research capacity and STEM workforce pathways at primarily undergraduate institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Lander will specifically receive $157,341 annually for four years. This funding will cover stipends and supplies for 10 student researchers, who will work in up to five faculty research labs each summer. Approximately half of the participating students will be from Lander, with the remaining spots prioritized for students from other South Carolina institutions that may lack similar research opportunities.

Western University Professors Adapt Teaching Methods to Combat AI-Assisted Cheating

Western University Professors Adapt Teaching Methods to Combat AI-Assisted Cheating

Professors at Western University are implementing new strategies to address the rise of AI-assisted cheating in academic settings. Philosophy professor David Bourget is piloting a project where 130 students will research and write essays in an on-campus computer lab under supervision. This lab utilizes MATCHA, a software program designed by Bourget, which provides access to word processors and research materials but blocks AI tools. The program also records the essay production process, including notes and drafts. Similarly, Selma Purac, undergraduate program chair at the Faculty of Information and Media Studies, has redesigned essay assignments. After noticing a significant number of AI-generated essays in her classes, she now requires students to complete research and outlines outside of class, then write their essays in-class with pen and paper under supervision. These measures aim to restore the integrity of academic writing and critical thinking skills that professors believe are being undermined by l...

The Columbus Dispatch

Ohio State non-tenure faculty demand higher pay, job protections

Ohio State non-tenure faculty demand higher pay, job protections

More than 1,000 non-tenure Ohio State faculty are pushing for a $65,000 salary floor and longer contracts amid concerns about pay and job security.