In this week's roundup:
medical training for abortion is in jeopardy, students may see increased access to voting, and academic conference locations are up for debate.
June 30- July 13
Please note: this week’s roundup covers the top stories from the past two weeks.
- Public opinion on higher education remains mixed according to a new study from Public Agenda. Both Democrats and Republicans displayed skepticism regarding the value of a college degree.
- Medical schools are dealing with the overturn of Roe v. Wade, which has jeopardized training in the procedure of abortion. Institutions in states with abortion bans face the pressure of trying to continue their training programs.
- The College Board is no longer disclosing AP test results by ethnicity. While scores had been broken down by demographics, the College Board stopped doing so in 2021 and has deleted the data from their website.
- The Biden Administration limited the amount of added interest on student loans from interest capitalization. Undersecretary of Education James Kvaal said that “they wanted student loans to be more affordable and ending [interest capitalization] wherever possible will ensure that borrowers don’t see their balances balloon for reasons that seem arbitrary and illogical.”
- Pennsylvania state universities will receive a 15% boost in funding, an overall total of $75 million. The increase in funding will allow the State System of Higher Education to continue a tuition freeze for a fourth year.
- A new report from the Student Experience Project shows an increase in positive learning experiences during the 2020-21 school year. The most important factor for students was a feeling of belonging and value in the classroom.
- A majority of members in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics support mental health services for athletes. Among the services that are most in-demand are mental health training for coaches and directors, workshops on coping skills and a therapist with walk-in hours.
- The Youth Voting Rights Act seeks to address low voter turnout for college-aged voters. The bill introduced by Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Nikema Williams will allow on-campus voting sites and a student ID as acceptable identification.
- Academic conferences are facing pressure to boycott certain states where abortion is illegal or restricted. The annual meeting of the Allied Social Sciences Associations has already collected 1,000 signatures to relocate its 2023 and 2024 conferences in New Orleans and San Antonio.
- The University of Illinois system will stop withholding transcripts from students who have past due balances. Earlier this year, the City University of New York and State University of New York had done the same to allow student access to important documents.
- Food pantries on campuses can make a big difference in students' mental and physical wellbeing. The University of California system placed food pantries on its 10 campuses and noticed improvements in light of supporting their students’ basic needs.
- The University of Pittsburgh School of Law will offer Ukrainian lawyers a free ride for a one-year program to earn a master’s degree in law. The scholarship is part of the Ukrainian Legal Assistance Project.
