Fewer students are enrolling in Iowa's state universities, and the State Board of Regents is meeting this week to discuss ways to change that.

Community college is another option, and this year, the Iowa Department of Education has made nearly $3 million in grants available to train people in multiple, high-demand fields that don't require a four-year degree.

Jeremy Varner, administrator of the Division of Community Colleges and Workforce Preparation for the Iowa Department of Education, said there's a need for employees with some very important skill sets - who could get their training and then, start right away.

"We desperately need more people in commercial truck driving, machining, nursing assistance, and HVAC," said Varner. "There's these high-demand career areas that don't require a lot of training to get into."

State universities in Iowa have seen enrollment drop since 2017, in part because not everyone has the money or time to pursue a degree.

A new report from a pair of education-related nonprofits, American Student Assistance and Jobs for the Future, says careers have become more diversified and there are more pathways to success today than even a few years ago.

While some research has shown people with certain types of college degrees have higher incomes, Varner said there is also a demand for other critical services that pay well.

He said he thinks getting the grant money into Iowa students' hands, getting them trained and into the workforce, will pay dividends to the state, too.

"We can have a substantial impact," said Varner, "for the businesses, for the state's economy, and for the earnings of the individuals going into those career areas."

The joint report mentioned earlier finds growing support in Congress for non-degree pathways.

The report calls for policy and funding investments, like the Iowa community college model, to help would-be workers get the career skills they need in lieu of four-year degrees.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.

College is the opportunity to gain some independence, learn time management and make new friends. But high school graduates with autism spectrum disorder often choose not to enroll because of the academic and social demands of college life.

One university in Indiana is working to help them get their degrees. Marian University's "Spectrum of Knights" program offers individualized support for these students, who can choose to study for any major and pursue internships the university offers.

Marian University Autism Coordinator Hannah Melton said class instruction is one-on-one and was created to meet specific needs.

"Social engagement, academic support, and life and professional skills development," said Melton. "As we know, these are often the areas that students on the spectrum may have some challenges during their college studies."

Melton said autistic students can thrive with additional support to navigate the college environment.

According to the Organization for Autism Research, of the 50,000 teens on the spectrum graduating from high school annually in the U.S. - at least one-third go on to college, but experience lower employment rates.

The report suggests taking a gap year or attending summer college-readiness programs may lead to a more successful college experience for those with ASD.

A report by the National Center for Learning Disabilities says college students with ASD often skip higher-ed because they're concerned about what others may think of them, or that they'll be perceived negatively by faculty who don't know about certain disabilities.

They also aren't sure what kinds of disability-related services are available at college or how to access them.

Melton said Marian is reviewing more ways to make its campus more accommodating to ASD students.

"Something that we are trying to get started is to create a Neurodiversity Advisory Council," said Melton. "We're hoping to have some faculty members who also identify as either autistic or neurodiverse."

Research indicates college students with ASD may have trouble managing money, organizing their time or communicating their needs to a professor or counselor.

Melton said peer tutors are available weekly for support, academic tutoring, and a comfortable environment to discuss how the student is doing.

The academic year that starts this fall will be Marian University's first full year to have an entire cohort of students in the Spectrum of Knights program.




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The House of Representatives is set to vote today on a bill that would repeal President Joe Biden's plan to wipe out $10,000 to $20,000 in student loan debt for more than 30 million borrowers.

Opponents of Biden's plan are invoking the Congressional Records Act, which allows lawmakers to nullify recently passed bills.

Mike Pierce, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center, said the bill could also revive some debt already canceled under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

"The student debt CRA scheme would reinstate student loan debt of more than 260,000 public service workers nationwide," said Pierce, "dropping a nearly $20 billion debt burden onto the backs of these hardworking teachers, nurses, first responders and service members still emerging from the pandemic."

Opponents of the debt forgiveness complain Biden's plan transfers the debt to taxpayers. The president has threatened to veto the act should it cross his desk.

A new study by the American Federation of Teachers and the Student Borrower Protection Center finds that more than 615,000 public employees have had $42 billion in debt canceled via the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program since 2007.

The program allows participants to discharge the remainder of their debt after ten years in the field.

Jessica Saint-Paul, Ph.D, is a physician assistant and professor who teaches public health in the Los Angeles Community College District. She said she no longer has to pay back $144,000 - thanks to the PSLF program.

"To release this burden of student loan debt, that's one less thing that I need to be concerned about," said Saint-Paul. "I don't have to worry about taking multiple jobs. I can truly, truly focus on doing what I love doing and I don't see myself ever leaving public service."

Biden's student debt cancellation plan was blocked by the courts before it could go into effect and goes before the U.S. Supreme Court in June.





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A new survey of 25,000 high school seniors finds 74% say they want to go to college - but only 66% expect to enroll. The nonprofit YouthTruth found the 8% percent gap widens to 14% for Native American students, 10% for Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders, 9% Hispanics, and 8% for African American students.

Que Dang, executive director of student equity and success at Pasadena City College, says COVID and the resulting job losses disproportionately hurt families of color - causing college dreams to suffer.

"A lot of it has to do with folks really struggling with different stresses that are happening throughout their lives. So, it's not just around education, but it's around mental health, getting jobs; it's also around trying to provide for their families," Dang said.

To make it easier for students to afford to attend, all community colleges in California now have a Basic Needs Center that can help with rent, food and mental-health supports. There is also a statewide network of mentors, including some that specifically work with African American male students.

The survey also finds 83% of female high school seniors aspire to go to college, and 77% believe they can actually go - while only 68% of their male counterparts want to go to college, and just 57% believe it is a real option. Part of the difference can be blamed on societal norms that discourage men from seeking help, according to Dang.

"A lot of them don't want to ask for help," Dang explained. "And so they don't seek out services in the same way as women. And there are so many support systems to help them get through college, but they have societal pressures, like men wanting to 'do it themselves.'"

The report also finds the percentage of seniors expecting to attend a four-year college has held steady at 46% over the last three years, and that Black students are increasingly under-represented on community college campuses.


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