States like North and South Dakota are in a fierce battle to keep college affordable as public schools navigate the ebbs and flows of enrollment trends.
Researchers tracking high-school graduation data predict smaller class sizes within the next few years. That could mean fewer seniors filling out college applications.
The South Dakota Board of Regents has taken notice and last week, it approved offering in-state tuition rates to more nearby states - including Kansas, Minnesota and Missouri.
Board Executive Director Nathan Lukkes said while enrollment has rebounded at South Dakota schools, they know challenges lie ahead.
"There are just going to be less high school graduates to compete for, across the region and the country," said Lukkes. "Regionally, you're going to see universities and states stepping up their game to try to be more competitive."
He pointed to Minnesota's recent adoption of its North Star Promise Scholarship program, which will make tuition free at public colleges and universities for families earning less than $80,000 a year.
In response, North Dakota leaders are eyeing a similar approach, and North Dakota State University just announced its own free tuition program for Minnesota and in-state students.
Researchers also note high schools are graduating more diverse groups of students, presenting opportunities for college recruiters. Lukkes said it's happening in larger cities in his part of the country.
"You know, we're seeing a growth in underrepresented, first-generation populations," he added.
As they expand recruitment, Lukkes said it's important for schools and policymakers to enhance resources for students from different racial and ethnic backgrounds.
As for South Dakota's efforts, the Board of Regents says between 2018 and 2023, it saw a 20% enrollment increase in students from other states that were part of its initial rollout for competitive tuition rates.
Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.
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President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have different views on most issues, and student loan debt is no different. In the Reno-Sparks area, one nonprofit, the Black Community Collective, is in favor of what Biden's been doing to ease the burden of student loans.
Edward Coleman, executive director of The Black Community Collective, applauds the multiple student-loan relief initiatives that Biden has introduced, most recently announcing nearly $8 billion in forgiveness for undergraduate student-loan borrowers.
Coleman said his own student debt was cut by three-fourths because of Biden's actions.
"Just prior to that, my thought was, 'Well, I'll be paying this back forever.' And now it's like, 'Well, this will be paid off, you know, in a few years and then what am I going to do?'" he explained.
Coleman added the assistance will mean he can be more financially free. New data show that about 18% of adults say student loan debt will have a major influence over their vote in the upcoming election.
Opponents of Biden's forgiveness plans say borrowers should pay back their own debts, especially when other working Americans have done so without government assistance.
Coleman said marginalized communities typically have the smallest amount of resources and are more heavily impacted by what he calls "non-progressive policies," such as Trump's approach. The Legal Defense Fund found that the Black-to-white disparity in student loan debt more than tripled just four years after graduation, making it harder for Black students to accumulate wealth. To Coleman, that isn't fair.
"And then, to be saddled with an unreasonable amount of debt for trying to better yourself so that you can improve your community's life, it feels like a punishment," he said.
Trump has called Biden's forgiveness plans "vile" and suggested that if he returns to the White House, those plans could be reversed.
Despite the Supreme Court's move last summer to kill Biden's mass student-loan forgiveness plan, Coleman said Biden's administration has provided unprecedented relief to borrowers.
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Policy analysts are concerned the Department of Education is not reaching and engaging with low-income and disadvantaged student loan borrowers in the most effective ways.
Tia Caldwell, higher education policy analyst for the progressive think tank New America and one of the authors of a new report, highlighted more than 40% of low-income borrowers are unaware of income-driven repayment plans.
She said it is concerning because debt collection on defaulted loans will resume in September. While the Biden administration has helped struggling borrowers through its Saving on a Valuable Education plan, Caldwell emphasized some still do not know about its benefits. In Nevada, more than 36,000 federal student loan borrowers have enrolled but Caldwell argued the department should consider new outreach methods.
"The Department of Education is just missing a whole chunk of people and so we really heard from a variety of outreach experts that you need to reach people through multiple mediums," Caldwell explained. "We would love to see more texting and creative ideas like push notifications, things like that; reaching borrowers where they actually are, on their phones."
Caldwell stressed unless the department and its contractors' outreach improves, borrowers from marginalized backgrounds will be at a high risk of default when debt collections resume. She recognizes while the department and its contractors have made improvements, they can continue to make strides but it will take more funding and prioritization from Congress.
Caldwell pointed out the report lays out a number of recommendations to help improve communication, which should first come from the Department of Education, but it also touches on the role other government agencies could play as "trusted messengers" when they come into contact with student loan borrowers.
"We'd love to see, like, an 'all of government' approach so that if a vulnerable borrower or low-income person reaches the government in any way, they'll be screened for a variety of different needs and be directed to a variety of different benefits they need: SNAP, student-loan assistance, all of that through any door," Caldwell outlined. "That is, like, a pie-in-the-sky thing, it is far away."
Caldwell added there is also a significant need for what she called user testing, meaning the Department of Education understands what it is like to be a borrower navigating what at times can be complex systems and subsequently talks with them about what is working and what is not.
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Texas Tech University and the online public-school TTU K-12 are teaming up to offer high school students an opportunity to earn a bachelor's degree in six years.
The partnership creates the Texas Tech University College Preparatory Academy.
High school students who enroll in the academy can earn their high school diploma and get college credits by taking dual enrollment courses.
After graduation, students can earn a bachelor's degree in leadership studies in just two years at a four-year university.
TTU K-12 Principal Cari Moye said enrollment is open, and the courses begin in August.
"Lots of high school students are taking dual credit," said Moye. "A lot of them are participating in programs where they can get an associate's degree, and we just wanted to take that one step further and give them an opportunity to start right into that bachelor's degree."
Moye said students don't have to enroll in the academy to take advantage of the college credit courses.
TTU K-12 is a state-approved online kindergarten through 12th grade school. It started in 1993 and currently has an enrollment of about a thousand students - approximately 600 are in high school.
Moye said many families choose online schools because of convenience and flexibility.
In addition to traditional homeschoolers, their students have families who are in the military, live overseas, and travel a lot.
She said the self-paced courses in the academy will prepare students for their college journey.
"When you're able to take those courses in high school, you know, you're still living at home, you're not paying for those on-campus expenses" said Moye. "And it's ultimately saving you time to earn that four-year degree. So, if you're able to get two years ahead while you're still in high school, and then just have the remainder left once you get onto campus."
Students who start the program in their freshman or sophomore year can earn more than 60 college credit hours.
Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.
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