Montana's big landscapes and sparse populations present a challenge to colleges and universities. But the internet is shrinking distances for the state's rural students.

Joe Thiel is the director of academic policy and research for the Montana University System. He said long distances to college can act as a bigger deterrent to enrollment than the cost of higher education.

However, Thiel noted that the state can't have a college in every small community. And he said there are even challenges for small communities that do have one of the state's 16 university system campuses.

"So, even if you have a college in your community in a rural area," said Thiel, "you might not have access to the courses or programs that you want for your career interests for your pathways to help you succeed."

Thiel said it's an especially hard time to attract students, which is why using the virtual space creatively can be an asset for high education.

He said the amount of online coursework grew rapidly during the pandemic, when in-person classes weren't feasible.

Thiel said one innovative partnership Montana's colleges and universities have is with the technology company Quottly. It allows schools to share courses across campuses and provide remote workforce training.

Thiel said the university system is working on ways to expand this service.

"We can take advantage of the fact that we have 16 campuses," said Thiel, "all with their own unique specialties, all with their own capable faculty - and find new ways that we can share those courses and share those programs more sustainably across the entire state."

Thiel said bringing higher education to more places is not only good for the students it serves, but also for their communities.

"The communities that need trained teachers, trained health professionals, trained business leaders," said Thiel, "they can develop those locally rather than having to rely on their attempts to recruit them out of state, which too often have failed."

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.




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Another controversial move in Florida's education system is a proposal to drop sociology, the study of social life and the causes and consequences of human behavior, as part of their general education requirement for public college students.

When it comes to trying to understand why sociology is suddenly on the chopping block, University of Florida Professor of Sociology, Criminology and Law William Marsiglio said one guess could be the state's current political climate -- and the fact that the course covers sociological theories, core concepts and issues related to societal structures, sexuality, gender and race.

"One would assume that there are political reasons associated with trying to preserve a kind of conservative agenda," said Marsiglio, "to minimize opportunities for people to talk about or for students to learn about race or gender or sexuality, history and social class."

Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr. proposed the change to replace the sociology course with "Introductory Survey to 1877," which is an American history class for students to meet the state's civic competency requirements.

The change is still subject to a final vote in January, which some expect is an effort to bring curriculum in line with SB 266 -- a new law that prohibits colleges and universities from spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Academics see the decision as potentially harmful to sociology departments, student enrollment and the quality of education in the state.

Marsiglio said the proposal even impacts the learning objectives of students preparing for medical school.

"They would be discouraged from taking a course that would better prepare them for a career in health professions, medicine in particular," said Marsiglio. "So, I think that is a shortsighted view on the part of those who are trying to make this decision."

Critics, including the American Sociological Association, are submitting public comments opposing the removal before the final decision in January.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.




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A new report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finds the repayment process for federal student loans has been filled with errors.

Repayments began in October following a three-year pandemic-related pause. Since then, complaints of inaccurate bills, late notices and poor customer service have increased. Officials with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said they are working to protect borrowers from incompetent or predatory student loan servicers.

Rohit Chopra, director of the bureau, said borrowers should be cautious, especially when talking to third parties contracted by loan servicers for bill payments.

"If you're having trouble, please file a complaint," Chopra urged. "We're often able to get those individuals across the country fixes - and sometimes, clear answers on what really needs to happen."

The Supreme Court struck down President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan earlier this year, affecting almost 1.8 million Ohioans carrying student debt. Average student loan debt in Ohio is more than $34,000, according to the website educationdata.org.

Judy Dollison, president of the Better Business Bureau of Central Ohio, said now is the time for borrowers to carefully read and understand the terms of their loan and become familiar with legitimate student loan repayment assistance programs.

"It's important to know what services those lenders provide," Dollison noted. "And what are the legitimate companies that are part of the program."

This week, the U.S. Department of Education released draft rules for expanding federal debt relief. Hearings on the plans will be held Dec. 11-12.


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Fewer college students are taking foreign language courses, and a new report warns this could affect how well students are prepared for a globalized world.

The Modern Language Association survey finds fewer students chose to study languages other than English between 2016 and 2021. Nationally, enrollment dropped 17% during the same period, and the impact in Indiana is far greater.

Deborah Cohn, provost professor of Spanish and Portuguese at Indiana University, explained the dropping numbers could spell trouble for students applying for college, and have implications for equity.

"In Indiana, between 2016 and 2021, they dropped from 42,000 to 30,000. So, that is a drop, in that five-year period, of 29.4%," she said.

Cohn pointed out that foreign language studies provide cultural knowledge and open doors for many types of jobs. The report says adequate funding for language programs, and support from the schools, are needed to help keep them going.

According to the report, making foreign language courses more career-focused might attract more students. Cohn underscored that the nation is becoming more diverse - so it's important to understand and be able to connect with others.

"We actually need language study for jobs to serve both the domestic market but also the international market. We need people who can speak languages who can offer social services, legal services, medical services within this country," she continued.

One thing that might turn the ship, according to Cohn, is getting students involved in studying languages at all levels - especially when they are young. The report also recommends schools build partnerships with multicultural organizations.


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