MIT to Eliminate Tuition Fees for Low and Middle Income Students
Beginning next year, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) will be waiving tuition fees for any student whose family earns less than $200,000 per year. Additionally, MIT will cover ancillary costs such as housing, dining, and fees – and will provide a book allowance – for any student whose family earns below a threshold of $100,000. Prior to this shift, the cutoff family for free tuition was $140,000. For families that do not qualify, the current MIT tuition is approximately $62,000 per year, with a full cost of nearly $86,000 per year.
Takeaways:
This policy change is part of a national movement to increase accessibility in higher education and will make it so 80 percent of MIT’s incoming classes will be tuition-free. “We’re determined to make this transformative educational experience available to the most talented students, whatever their financial circumstances,” wrote MIT president Sally Kornbluth in an official statement. MIT’s announcement comes as the University of Texas also finalizes their plans to offer free tuition – at all nine institutions within its system – to any student whose family earns less than $100,000 per year.
M.I.T. to Offer Free Tuition to Families Earning Less Than $200,000 (NY Times) – 11/21/24
JD-Next Purchased by Test Prep Subsidiary
LSAT competitor JD-Next, which has seen a growing – though still modest – market share over the past several years, was purchased this week by Aspen Publishing, a textbook and study aids company that is a subsidiary of test-prep giant UWorld. Developed by a professor at University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, JD-Next has been embraced by over a quarter of the American Bar Association-accredited campuses. An eight-week online course that culminates in a law-school style exam, JD-Next aims to prepare students through modeling, feedback, and self-assessments. Proponents of JD-Next claim that the platform is as effective at the LSAT at identifying quality candidates while not contributing to the same disparity along racial lines as does the LSAT.
Takeaways:
Aspen Publishing intends to expand JD-Next, both in terms of participants and partner schools. That being said, it is unclear how the new ownership will affect the structure or cost of the program, which is currently priced at $299. The news of the sale comes about a week after the American Bar Association established new means for prospective students to bypass traditional entrance exams, further threatening the LSAT’s hegemony over law school admissions.
LSAT competitor sold amid push for alternative law school admissions (Reuters) – 11/19/24
October 1st Deadline for the FAFSA Unanimously Passes Through House
This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the “FAFSA Deadline Act.” Henceforth, the U.S. Department of Education will be mandated to release the Free Application for Federal Student Aid by October 1st, pushing the deadline up by three months from January 1st. The bill passed unanimously by a vote of 382 to zero. According to the Representative Virgina Foxx (R-NC), the chairwoman of the Education and the Workforce Committee, “This is about delivering the basic functionality students deserve and safeguarding their ambitions against bureaucratic failure.”
Takeaways:
Whereas most years’ FAFSA forms are released on or around October 1st, last cycle’s revamped form was launched mere hours before the end of the year. Between the protracted rollout and the further delays brought on by subsequent technical errors, students faced major impediments in receiving federal financial aid, leaving low income students especially compromised. In the end, “about 9 percent fewer high school seniors and other first time applicants” submitted the form. While the FAFSA Deadline Act has clearly gained immense bi-partisan support, there are some questions on how constructive such a dictate will be: the hard work to revamp the FAFSA is almost done, and, with hope, there will not be a reason for major delays for years to come.
House Passes FAFSA Deadline Act (Inside Higher Ed) – 11/18/24
Massachusetts Ends Standardized Testing Requirement for High School Graduation
On November 5th, Massachusetts residents voted in favor of a ballot question that removed standardized tests as a graduation requirement in the state. The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests, which measure progress in STEM and English subjects, will still be administered, but a score below the state minimum will no longer impede a student’s ability to graduate. Nearly 700 students fail the MCAS annually, and are, thus, denied a diploma regardless of whether they fulfilled other graduation requirements. This number accounts for roughly 1 percent of Massachusetts seniors, and most of these students are English Language Learners or have disabilities.
Takeaways:
With the passing of Massachusetts Ballot Measure Two, only seven U.S. states retain mandated standardized graduation exams. This number is down from a total of 27 such states with the in the early 2000’s. Along with Florida, Louisiana, Ohio, New Jersey, Texas and Virginia, New York State stills require standardized testing as part of high school graduation requirements; however, its standardized test, the Regents, is currently in the process of being phased out.
More states are ditching exams as high school graduation requirements (Associated Press) – 11/16/24
President-Elect Trump’s Proposed Education Changes Create Uncertainty
One of President Trump’s promises for January 20th – his first day back as Commander-in-Chief of the United States – is to reshape the American education landscape to make it free from what he considers “political meddling.” Mr. Trump has vowed to cut financial support to “any school pushing critical race theory, transgender insanity, and other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content on our children.” Additionally, he has gone on record to say he will “not give one penny” to institutions that require vaccines or masking for their students. Among the goals outlined in the conservative Project 2025 presidential wishlist is to disband the Department of Education, an objective that is shared by the president-elect. Whether Mr. Trump actually plans to – or will be able to – make good on his promises remains to be seen, but his purported goals are clear. On his most recent campaign website, his team posted the following: “We’re going to end education coming out of Washington, D.C.”
Takeaways:
Such sweeping changes could have a meaningful impact on the higher education landscape. Schools that are especially reliant on endowments are particularly at-risk. If the president-elect follows through with his threats, colleges and universities that continue to operate diversity programs risk being “fined up to the entire amount of their endowment.” Although some, including key allies, believe that he would not have the ability to make large changes quickly, President-Elect Trump has many tools at his disposal to do just that: executive orders, changing the accreditation process to have more leverage on institutions ability to procure financial aid, leaning into fringe interpretations of civil rights laws to target more left-leaning institutions. There will be many unanswered questions until January at the earliest, but we will continue to follow this story as it develops.
Trump wants to end ‘wokeness’ in education. He has vowed to use federal money as leverage (Associated Press) – 11/15/24
College Board Expands Operations in India
Over forty prominent private Indian universities – including Ahmedabad University, Ashoka University, Bennett University, BITS Pilani, FLAME University, NMIMS, and Krea University – now accept the SAT as an alternative to entrance exams such as JEE, CUET, and NEET. Recently, the international branch of the College Board established the India Scholars Program, which provides students in India with financial options for university, including discounted SAT registration fees and scholarship options for students who are able to achieve SAT benchmark scores. The company plans to expand the program in 2025.
Takeaways:
Some questions still linger surrounding implementation of SAT tests in India, particularly surrounding test center availability and security concerns. According to College Board International Vice President Rushi Sheth, “We want to be a complementary piece to the education landscape in India. We are also aiming to connect with Indian schools and let them know the many options they can access through the College Board.”
More Indian universities accept SAT as College Board expands (The Pie) – 11/14/24
2023-24 FAFSA Played an Outsized Role in Shaping the Class of 2028
A new survey from the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) suggests that the bungled rollout of the 2023-24 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) had significant influence on the size and character of the class of 2028. Over seventy percent of private nonprofit colleges and universities reported that FAFSA delays and tech issues had an impact on their incoming class; over twenty percent of those surveyed reported fewer financial aid recipients; over ten percent of respondents reported less racial diversity than the previous year. Additionally, the report concludes that the issues with the 2023-24 FAFSA form led to declines in enrollment at 44 percent of private colleges.
Takeaways:
Much has been stated about the lingering effect of the U.S. Department of Education’s failures surrounding the 2023-24 “Better FAFSA” rollout, but this data is especially damning. An overwhelming majority of respondents to the NAICU survey had a negative view of the DOE’s handling of the launch, with 90 percent citing a lack of timely information from the department and 88 percent complaining of unclear information. Only 7 percent of survey respondents considered the department’s communication both timely and clear.
FAFSA Delays Upended Private College Enrollment (Inside Higher Ed) – 11/11/24
Race-Conscious Admissions Provide an Additional Obstacle for Indigenous Students
Enrollment rates for Native American college students have been dropping for years, but they seem to have reached a crisis point in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court affirmative action ban in 2023. This year, a number of highly selective schools saw their percentages of Native American students cut in half, including Amherst College, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cornell University and the University of Virginia. Harvard saw a decrease in first-year Native American students year-over-year from 1.2 percent to 1 percent. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill saw first-year Native American enrollment drop from 1.6 percent to 1.1 percent.
Takeaways:
“A limited number of Native students actually go to highly selective institutions,” noted Cheryl Crazy Bull, president and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, which provides scholarships and programming to support Native college students. Most indigenous students attend public four-year universities, community colleges, tribal colleges and universities and Native American–serving nontribal institutions. American Angelique Albert, CEO of the Native Forward Scholars Fund, a major scholarship provider for Indigenous students, lamented the trend. “We see the numbers are going down, and it’s so disheartening and discouraging.” The already significant barriers faced by Native students are exacerbated by these latest declines. Only 16 percent of Native Americans aged 25 to 64 hold a bachelor’s degree; the main hurdle cited for Indigenous people around getting to and through college is financial concerns.
How the End of Affirmative Action Is Affecting Indigenous Students (Inside Higher Ed) – 11/8/24
U.S. Election Creates Uncertainty For Higher Education
President-elect Donald Trump’s unprecedented return to the White House brings with it much uncertainty. In regards to higher education, there are sweeping suggestions (or, in some cases, promises) he has directly made:
- To modify the college accreditation process
- To punish institutions that do not police pro-Palestinian speech
- To deport international students who engage in campus protests
- To ban transgender athletes from participating in college sports
- To tax wealthy colleges to create a national online university that “combats wokeness”
- To dissolve the Department of Education, ceding control of education policy to individual states
- To root out ideological bias propagated by U.S. universities’ “Marxist maniacs”
Takeaways:
As much of President Trump’s political strategy is grounded in bluster, it is unwise to take any of the above pronouncements without a grain of salt. However, Mr. Trump’s pick in running-mate should be a sign that this administration will have a further-right view on education than the Trump administration of 2017-2021. Vice President-elect J.D. Vance has been leaning into anti-higher ed rhetoric since he set his sight on political office, denouncing DEI initiatives and criticizing college endowments. Mr. Vance has called university professors “the enemy,” and went on record to say, “If any of us want to do the things that we want to do for our country…we have to honestly and aggressively attack the universities.” Much of the higher education community, thus, is holding its breath looking ahead to January 20th and beyond.
What Trump’s Victory Means for Higher Ed (Inside Higher Ed) – 11/6/24
University Fees in England to Increase in 2025
Capped for the past eight years at £9,250 per student, University tuition fees in England are set to be raised for the first time since 2017. These fees will be increased to £9,535 per student beginning in 2025. Simultaneously, education secretary Bridget Phillipson announced an increase in student loans, which would provide extra funds per year to students in need, covering the £414 gap for the lowest-income families.
Takeaways:
The Labour Party – led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer – won a landslide victory in July, ending 14 years of Conservative leadership in the United Kingdom. This first-year decision is one that clashes with the Labour party’s policy to eventually eliminate tuition fees. Inflation and a general financial crisis in the education sector, however, has instead prompted the latest fee increase. According to Ms. Phillipson, “The situation we have inherited means this government must take the tough decisions needed to put universities on a firmer financial footing so they can deliver more opportunity for students and growth for our economy.”
University fees in England to rise next autumn for first time in eight years (The Guardian) – 11/4/23
Some Universities Admit Higher Percentage of Students Through Early Admissions
A greater number of popular four-year colleges and universities are admitting 50 percent or more of their incoming freshmen through early decision or early action programs. For the Class of 2028, Boston University filled 58 percent of its open seats via early decisions; meanwhile, Barnard College and University of Pennsylvania did so at rates of 56 percent and 51 percent, respectively. Even at institutions with a lower share of enrollees through early decision, this increased rate of early admissions can greatly increase a student’s ability to be admitted during the regular cycle. For example, at Nashville’s Vanderbilt University – which admitted 37 percent of its class through early admissions – students who enrolled early were admitted at a rate of 15.2 percent (889 of 5,825), while students who applied during the regular cycle saw an admit rate of 3.7 percent (1,512 of 41,336).
Takeaways:
Early admissions, which has become a more mainstream admissions choice in recent years, can have benefits for both students and institutions, with students leveraging the higher admissions rates prior to regular enrollment and colleges and universities minimizing the uncertainty inherent in the admissions season. Opponents of this process, however, cite the inequality perpetuated by early decision programs: “applying early is closely associated with the educational and socioeconomic characteristics of applicants’ home communities.” As early decision enrollment tends to be a binding decision, it precludes certain lower-income students, whose college plans must hinge on comparing financial aid packages and qualifying for federal aid.
Barnard, Boston Univ. And UPenn Accept More Than Half Of Students Early Decision. Is That Fair? (Forbes) – 10/30/24
Direct Admissions Begins in New York State
This week, Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY) announced that New York state will begin a direct admissions program: students with grades and scores in the top 10 percent will automatically gain acceptance into one of the nine State University of New York (SUNY) campuses. Originally put forward this January, Hochul’s direct admissions program will be implemented this fall, beginning with New York City public schools and dozens of other districts – eventually expanding to the whole state.
Takeaways:
Direct admissions is one of the key strategies that colleges and lawmakers have implemented to work to offset the potentially deleterious effects on campus diversity from the 2023 Supreme Court ban on race-conscious admissions. In light of enrollment declines for low-income students and continued FAFSA delays, proponents of direct admissions highlight the particular timeliness of the program. Governor Hochul aims to enroll 500,000 students in the SUNY system. “Access to higher education has the potential to transform New Yorkers’ lives and change the trajectory of a student’s life.”
NY high school students in top 10% of class to be automatically accepted to SUNY (Gothamist) – 10/24/24
Written by
Zachary Adler
Since 2010, Zach has been helping students achieve their college readiness goals, specializing in all sections of the SAT, ACT, PSAT, and SHSAT. Prior to joining Onsen, Zach worked for a global investment firm, as well as in various roles in the education space. He has served as a youth mentor and has run college readiness information sessions for students in under-resourced communities. Additionally, Zach is a writer and filmmaker. He is an International Baccalaureate scholar and a graduate of Boston University.