Pell Grants Should Cover Short-term Worker Training Programs
At just 22 years old, Christian Couric is already an experienced professional welder. A specialist in pipeline welding, Couric has worked in paper mills, commercial refrigeration facilities, as well...
View ArticleA Little College Student Debt Relief Goes a Long Way
Democratic proposals for student loan forgiveness have so far come in two sizes: Big and bigger. President Joe Biden campaigned on a plan to provide $10,000 of federal student loan forgiveness per...
View ArticleGlenn Youngkin goes full MAGA
In contrast to his campaign persona as a genial, fleece-wearing dad, newly elected Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin of Virginia has spent his first few weeks in office as a MAGA warrior. His day-one...
View ArticleOnce a pandemic lifeline, universal access to free lunch could end
Throughout the pandemic, Donna Martin’s lunches have been a lifeline for the public school students in rural Burke County, Georgia, where she serves as nutrition director. One in five citizens lives...
View ArticleWould you trust a used car dealer with your tax refund?
At the Car-Mart in Rogers, Arkansas, or at 150 other Car-Mart locations nationwide, you can both buy a used car and get your taxes done. If that sounds like an unusual combination, it’s not. According...
View ArticleA Texas university uses value and smarts to keep students enrolled
In a world of skyrocketing college tuition and spiraling student debt, the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is resolutely affordable. Located in Edinburg, Texas, an hour from the...
View ArticleWhy women and minorities leave STEM careers
I interviewed 25 workers with STEM degrees about the trajectories of their careers. The experiences of the women and minority workers I interviewed could not be more different from the experiences of...
View ArticleTrain in Vain
Advanced College is a for-profit school in South Gate, California, a Los Angeles suburb that’s 95 percent Hispanic. Photos on Google Maps show a one-story beige building with a small parking lot. A...
View ArticleSharpest drop in college enrollment is among Black and Latino men
From 2019 to 2021, male undergraduate enrollment dropped by 10.2 percent, according to the National Student Clearinghouse, compared to 7.8 percent among women. Among Black men, however, enrollment...
View ArticleAdventures in “Credentialing”
Companies like Google, Meta, IBM and others offer students a chance to earn “professional certificates” online in topics such as data analysis, IT and online marketing. These classes offer convenience...
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