skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, March 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Despite Stresses, Study Shows Students Value Higher Education

play audio
Play

Monday, April 25, 2022   

In the wake of stresses, disruptions and losses due to COVID-19, research shows the majority of college and university students who stopped out over the past two years want to return.

Gallup and Lumina Foundation surveyed high school graduates 18 and older who were either current college students, enrolled before or during COVID and dropped out, or never enrolled.

Lumina's Vice President for Impact and Planning Courtney Brown explained that enrollment in higher education dropped dramatically during the pandemic - more 5% since fall 2019. However, she said there still is great interest.

"High percentages said that they know they need a degree or certificate to gain skills, to get a job," said Brown. "So, the survey actually shows that there is a great value in higher education. And that is even for people who have never been part of higher education."

Emotional stress was the primary reason most students said they had considered stopping out, followed by concerns about COVID, the cost and the difficulty of coursework.

Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education Randy Gardner said programs such as Ohio's College Come Back Program, and Second Chance Grant are helping former students get back to class, even those with debt.

"With our demographics we cannot continue to provide for the workforce of the future with just high school graduates who enter college," said Gardner. "We need to re-engage former college students and encourage not only college but also the trades, apprenticeships, credentials and certificates."

Gardner said they're also connecting students with opportunities to reduce the cost of a post-secondary credential or degree, including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application for federal financial aid.

"People are better off if they have a credential or certificate or trade skill or college degree," said Gardner. "They're likely to have better wages, they're likely to have better health care outcomes, they're more likely to be employed if we can encourage them and support them in their endeavors."

Beyond financial aid, the report suggests whole-student supports such as child care and emergency aid, as well as mental health counseling. In 2020, Gov. Mike DeWine appropriated more than $13 million CARES Act dollars to directly support mental-health counseling and support.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.




get more stories like this via email
more stories
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


Social Issues

play sound

Wisconsin children from low-income families are now on track to get nutritious foods over the summer. Federal officials have approved the Badger …

Social Issues

play sound

Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …


A 2022 report finds failing to speed up transmission beyond the current pace will increase 2030 U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions by 800 million tons per year. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

New York's Legislature is considering a bill to get clean-energy projects connected to the grid faster. It's called the RAPID Act, for "Renewable …

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …

Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021