Isabel, a 20-year-old undergraduate student, is no stranger to hard work. She graduated high school a year early and spent most of 2021 keeping up with three jobs. But when she started college that fall, she felt like she was “sinking.”

A new survey shows that about 3 in 5 undergraduates cite mental health as a reason for potentially stopping their coursework. The study encourages colleges to provide mental health services as part of their essential resources and supports to help students succeed. 

Terry Hartle retired last fall after 30 years as the chief government and public affairs officer at American Council on Education. During that time, he had a front-row seat to virtually every important higher education policy discussion. 

On this podcast, Hartle talks about the partisanship and inertia that afflicts today’s politics, politicians’ increased questioning and oversight of higher education, and the implications for colleges, their employees, and students.

Last week's announcement by the U.S. Department of Education of a secret shopper program to investigate the recruitment, enrollment, and financial aid practices of schools is garnering a wide range of mixed reactions. 

Advocates of access and equity call the move a win; officials at for-profit schools and some financial aid offices are raising concerns.