For the second year in a row, the news on the higher education scene was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic and all of its many, seemingly never-ending ramifications for colleges and universities.

But the far-reaching impact of the pandemic is hardly the only story of significance in 2021. Changes in federal education policy and leadership, a continuing enrollment slide, and employer-provided free college made big news in 2021, as well. 

When Yadira Hernández Pérez graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 2015, she had many questions about the future. Chief among them: her undocumented status in the United States. 

Hernández Pérez decided to take action, creating an alumni association to help undocumented graduates navigate the challenges of life after college. Other institutions are now following suit.

All told, President Joe Biden's administration has erased more than $12.5 billion in loans owed by more than 650,000 borrowers.

But for every borrower who has had his or her financial slate wiped clean, there are dozens still struggling with unmanageable debt. Now, plans are underway to rewrite the rules governing federal loan forgiveness programs, with the aim of making them simpler, fairer, and more generous.