A new report from the Lumina Foundation called "Level Up" report showed a steady decrease in enrollment and completion rates among Black students nationally. Across all sectors, roughly 600,000 Black learners have disappeared from American higher education, and the drastic decline in access and enrollment was seen long before the COVID-19 pandemic. Cassie Tavorn, dean of student support services at South Arkansas Community College in El Dorado, said the school s enrollment has dropped 2% to 4% since the pandemic. .
More school funding for basic and special education, along with more funding targeted to lower-income districts are on the wish list of a Pennsylvania advocacy group for public schools. Gov. Josh Shapiro s budget includes an increase of just over $567.4 million for education, or 7.8%, with an increase of almost $104 million for special education. .
Rural community colleges face a lot of challenges, but many have turned determination into innovation, with best practices showcased in a new report from the Aspen Institute. Researchers singled out efforts at two rural California community colleges. Kate Mahar, associate vice president of innovation and strategic initiatives at Shasta College explained the school offers a program called BOLD, which stands for Bachelor s Through Online and Local Degrees. .
Some North Carolina students are calling on legislators to propose a bill to allow undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at community colleges and universities. Right now, undocumented students in North Carolina pay out-of-state tuition a rate nearly three times more than in-state tuition despite living in the state for years, and graduating from North Carolina public schools. Aylin Sotelo, a 22-year-old immigrant from Mexico, recounted her struggles in pursuing higher education. .