Southwestern University in Texas was one of the first institutions to create its own student aid form mimicking the Free Application for Federal Student Aid after a series of delays and missteps from the U.S. Department of Education. 

Other colleges are now following Southwestern's lead, sending students homemade aid forms and early offer estimates. Some experts say the move could be a risky one.

Baton Rouge may be a state capital and the second largest city in Louisiana, but it struggles with the kind of brain drain many smaller cities face. Students across the region vie to attend Louisiana State University, or one of several other local colleges—but when they graduate, they don’t tend to stay for work.

The local chamber of commerce is pushing back by using tech to get more students internships, and hopefully jobs, with local employers.

Photo: Sue Ogrocki, AP

This year, Oklahoma’s politicians have waged a full frontal attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at public colleges with a series of bills designed to block public colleges and universities from maintaining DEI programs and initiatives.

To many civil-rights advocates, Oklahoma’s moves strike at the heart of efforts to make the state’s colleges more equitable and inclusive for the faculty, staff members, and students. Many are concerned that proposed anti-DEI legislation, if successful, will only widen ideological divisions and impede progress on diversity, equity, and inclusion.