Photo:  John O'Boyle

Enrollment at for-profit colleges has been on the rise—increasing 5.3 percent from fall 2019 to fall 2020. That growth is concerning in light of what happened following the Great Recession. Those years also saw a surge in the number of students attending for-profit colleges, but those students were more likely to drop out, end up with low-wage jobs, and find themselves unable to repay their student loans.

The authors of a just-released report say a new classification system is needed to help students choose colleges that will serve them well. 

Over the past decade, community colleges in Tennessee have implemented a wide-ranging set of tools to help students find and complete high-quality, post-high school education and training. The state has integrated high-impact practices (HIPs) into its strategic plan and made it a core component of Tennessee’s “Momentum Year” work.
 
Now, a new report confirms how HIPs—when designed and implemented with equitable outcomes in mind—can benefit college students across the board, especially Black, Latino, and adult learners. 

Halfway through a school year like no other, BG Tucker is ringing an alarm bell. She’s contacted her elected officials, college admissions counselors, and journalists—and even messaged Michelle Obama on Instagram—to tell them: High schoolers’ path to college is more difficult than ever.

In this interview, Tucker talks about the extraordinary logistical, physical, and mental hurdles facing this year’s senior class.