This week, college enrollment is up, California looks to ban legacy admissions, climate change programs abound, graduating seniors at UMass-Dartmouth receive a surprise, FAFSA warnings make the news, and Cal Poly introduces a year-round academic calendar.
Recent data reveals an upswing in college enrollment. Undergraduate enrollment grew 2.5% this spring, building on last fall’s 1.2% increase. This slow and steady increase marks a shift from the pandemic-related decline in recent years.
The California State Assembly has voted to ban legacy admissions in all public and private colleges and universities in the state. The bill now heads to the State Senate.
Responding to growing student interest, more colleges and universities are introducing programs in climate change. Institutions offering majors, minors, and certificates dedicated to climate change include Yale University, the University of Washington, UCLA, Columbia University, Vanderbilt, Stanford, and MIT. The University of Texas-Austin will launch a program this fall.
The Class of 2024 at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth received an unexpected graduation gift. Philanthropist Robert Hale Jr. gave every member of the graduating class two envelopes, each containing $500; one envelope was to keep, the other was for them to give to someone in need or a favorite charity. Hale’s gift amounted to $1.2 million.
According to documents obtained by The New York Times, officials at the Department of Education learned back in 2020 that a revamped FAFSA had significant potential pitfalls. They were warned then that the timeline was too aggressive.
Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo has announced a shift to year-round operations. Beginning in 2025, it will become the first public university in California to operate a 12-month academic program, giving students the option to begin school in summer and choose a different term for break. This change will allow the university to admit more students each year.
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