College Access & Completion

Learn more about efforts to expand who goes to college and to help all students who enroll get their degree
In this May 5, 2018, file photo, graduates at the University of Toledo commencement ceremony in Toledo, Ohio. On the bumpy road to repayment this fall, student loan borrowers have some qualms. Borrowers filed more than 101,000 student loan complaints with the Federal Student Aid office in 2022 – more than double from 2021 – and that number is poised to increase further as October payments approach.
In this May 5, 2018, file photo, graduates at the University of Toledo commencement ceremony in Toledo, Ohio. New Common App data show that more high school students are applying to public institutions.
Carlos Osorio/AP
College & Workforce Readiness The Common App Used to Be Primarily for Private Colleges. That’s Changed
Educators advising students in college applications should know that the Common App has expanded its membership beyond private schools.
Ileana Najarro, August 30, 2024
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4 min read
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during an interview, Sept. 20, 2023, in Washington. The U.S. Education Department says it discovered a calculation error in hundreds of thousands of student financial aid applications sent to colleges this month and will need to reprocess them, a blunder that follows a series of others and threatens further delays to this year's college applications. Senate Republicans are requesting a hearing with Cardona to discuss their “serious concerns” about the FAFSA rollout.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks on Sept. 20, 2023, in Washington. The U.S. Department of Education has announced a phased rollout of the FAFSA form this year.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Federal FAFSA Was a Debacle Last Year. Here’s What the Ed. Dept. Is Changing
The Education Department plans a phased rollout of the FAFSA this year after the revamped form's introduction was beset by major glitches.
Libby Stanford, August 7, 2024
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3 min read
Photo collage of robotic hand using computer keyboard.
iStock
Classroom Technology 1 in 3 College Applicants Used AI for Essay Help. Did They Cheat?
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT have put a high-tech twist on decades-old questions of fairness in the college admissions process.
Alyson Klein, July 18, 2024
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8 min read
Students toss their caps into the air during the Morgantown High School graduation in Morgantown, W. Va., on May, 25, 2024.
Students toss their caps into the air during the Morgantown High School graduation in Morgantown, W. Va., on May 25. There is new data analysis of 6 million U.S.-based college applicants over five years to more than 800 institutions.
William Wotring/The Dominion-Post via AP
College & Workforce Readiness What the Pool of College Applicants Looked Like After Affirmative Action Ban
Questions remain for future research on the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court decision on race-based admissions.
Ileana Najarro, June 17, 2024
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4 min read
Student hanging on a tearing graduate cap tassel
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
College & Workforce Readiness What the Research Says New Data Paint Bleak Picture of Students' Post High School Outcomes
Students are taking much longer to complete credentials after high school than programs plan.
Sarah D. Sparks, April 9, 2024
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2 min read
Image of a bank of computers in a library.
baona/E+
College & Workforce Readiness Dartmouth and Yale Are Backtracking on ‘Test-Optional’ Admissions. Why That Matters
The Ivy League schools say test scores help them make better decisions, but most schools are keeping tests optional.
Elizabeth Heubeck, February 28, 2024
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6 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
iStock/Getty
English Learners Opinion How to Connect With English-Language Newcomers. Teachers Share Their Favorite Lessons
Stock classrooms with books that reflect students’ lives, languages, and cultures and invite them into as yet unfamiliar worlds.
Larry Ferlazzo, February 6, 2024
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10 min read
Illustration of a college building and diverse students.
Collage via iStock/Getty
College & Workforce Readiness Q&A Common App Will Offer Some Students Direct College Admission. Its CEO Explains
A new program aimed at motivating more first-generation, low-income students to go to college launches this month.
Ileana Najarro, November 3, 2023
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7 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
College & Workforce Readiness Opinion To Help Students, One Company Has Unlocked $100 Million a Year in College Aid
A peer-based mentoring organization encourages high school seniors to apply to college and helps them receive financial aid.
Rick Hess, November 2, 2023
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7 min read
Photo of calculus equations.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Mathematics Why Calculus Remains a Math Flash Point
Debates center on whether all kids should take it or just those who want to major in STEM—and its odd place in college admissions.
Sarah Schwartz, October 30, 2023
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4 min read
A dual-credit student from the Ross S. Sterling Future Educator Academy works with children at Liles Early Learning Academy, located on the same campus in Goose Creek, Texas, on Oct. 26, 2023. The district overhauled its dual-credit program to ensure students take classes that will transfer to specific degree programs at six local colleges.
A dual-credit student from the Ross S. Sterling Future Educator Academy works with children at Liles Early Learning Academy, located on the same campus in Goose Creek, Texas, on Oct. 26, 2023. The district overhauled its dual-credit program to ensure students take classes that will transfer to specific degree programs at six local colleges.
Photo courtesy of Carrie Pryor-Newman
College & Workforce Readiness How to Help Students Avoid 'Random Acts of Dual Credit'
Some schools and colleges are working to ensure their dual-credit offerings count toward a degree.
Sarah D. Sparks, October 30, 2023
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6 min read
Close up of student holding a pencil and filling in answer sheet on a bubble test.
iStock/Getty
College & Workforce Readiness The SAT Is Making a Comeback. Here's a Look at the Numbers and What They Tell Us
More colleges have made the test optional, but students are still taking the SAT in droves.
Ileana Najarro, October 25, 2023
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5 min read
Harvard University freshman Daniela Andrade on campus October 12, 2021 in Cambridge, Mass.
Harvard University freshman Daniela Andrade on campus Oct. 12, 2021, in Cambridge, Mass.
Angela Rowlings for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness What the Research Says Pandemic High School Grads Are Sticking With College. States Want to Make Sure They Finish
Students' college persistence rates are back to what they were before COVID hit.
Sarah D. Sparks, August 31, 2023
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7 min read
People protest outside of the Supreme Court in Washington on June 29, 2023. The Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions, declaring race cannot be a factor and forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies.
Demonstrators outside of the U.S. Supreme Court on June 29, the day the court struck down affirmative action in college admissions. The Biden administration on Aug. 14 issued guidance on other ways colleges to promote racial diversity.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
Law & Courts Biden Administration Outlines How Colleges Can Pursue Racial Diversity After Court Ruling
The U.S. Departments of Education and Justice say universities may partner with schools on outreach and recruitment of minority students.
Mark Walsh, August 14, 2023
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5 min read
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