Photo: Juan Figueroa

During his three years of working in the diversity, equity, and inclusion division at the University of North Texas, Marcos Villarreal became a mentor to many young people. He was especially beloved among one particularly vulnerable group—undocumented students.

But Villarreal resigned recently to abide by a new Texas law banning DEI offices. Immigration and higher education experts now worry that the law will threaten support systems across the state for students who depend on them to get through college.

Covey Denton, a science teacher in Wilson, North Carolina, woke up at 6 a.m. on New Year’s Eve and tried to access the simplified Free Application for Federal Student Aid on her computer and then on her phone—no dice. After hitting refresh on multiple devices every 10 minutes for hours, she and her son, Elijah, ultimately gave up. 

They're not alone. Students and parents across the country are experiencing similar frustrations as the reimagined FAFSA makes its much-anticipated debut.

Photo: Justin Rex

A new method for funding community colleges in Texas could position two-year, public institutions as major players in training students on skills employers say are missing in the state’s labor force.

House Bill 8’s historic $683 million investment in community colleges rewards schools for getting students to complete a degree or certificate, transfer to a four-year university, or participate in college courses as early as high school.