Nearly one in three Black students and one in four Hispanic students have been unable to register for classes due to an institutional hold.

Many colleges use institutional holds to force a student to do something, such as pay a late bill or get required advising. But sometimes this backfires. For example, a student who hasn’t completed an advising requirement doesn’t register for the next semester at all. Others with a financial hold may drop out because of fees they can’t afford to pay.

The United States is home to more than 400,000 undocumented students in higher education. This includes 181,000 students who are beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. 

But unlike other college students, undocumented students must often navigate complex rules and regulations to access a higher education—solely on account of their immigration status. States and institutions have the capacity to help.

Electricians, the essential workers in the transition to renewable energy, are in increasingly short supply. They are needed to install the electric-car chargers, heat pumps, and other gear deemed essential to address climate change. 

Electricians say they are booked several months out and struggling to find enough workers to keep up with demand. Many are raising wages and prices and worried that they won’t be able to keep up as government climate incentives kick in.