Deep Dive: Page 2

Community college enrollment sank this fall. But some programs fared better than others.

Two-year schools strived to keep students cooking, welding and undertaking other hands-on training even as the pandemic limited course options.

Charlotte West • March 9, 2021

As Pell Grants open up for incarcerated students, programs ready for growth

Advocates are hopeful the change will increase access to a college education in prison, but they warn of persistent challenges.

Joy Resmovits • March 5, 2021

3 HyFlex lessons from the pandemic and what's next

As colleges took classes online, some adopted an emerging delivery model that lets students participate on their own terms. But it has limitations.

Hallie Busta • Feb. 5, 2021

More colleges are partnering with boot camps to tap demand for short-term programs

Institutions are lending their credibility to outside education providers as they seek help keeping pace with fast-changing technical fields.

Natalie Schwartz • Feb. 1, 2021

Colleges get a crash course in digital recruiting during the pandemic

Enrollment professionals say recent virtual trends will stick around this year and beyond. Whether colleges take full advantage of them is another matter.

Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Jan. 29, 2021

COVID-19 is pushing colleges to close the digital divide

Institutions are helping students access classes online. But even with free laptops, hotspots and Wi-Fi access points, many are left out.

Danielle McLean • Dec. 17, 2020

4 questions for colleges now that the US has a coronavirus vaccine

Still, it will likely be several months before most students and employees are vaccinated, experts say.

Hallie Busta and Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Dec. 15, 2020

Why 4-year colleges are tapping Amazon to help deliver cloud computing degrees

Amazon Web Services is one of a handful of tech employers, including Google and Microsoft, helping colleges offer credentials in the field.

Natalie Schwartz • Nov. 25, 2020

Colleges are changing the status quo to make curriculum more inclusive

Protests this summer increased pressure on institutions to replace words with actions, but internal procedures and budgets can be limiting factors.

Kelly Field • Nov. 24, 2020

How COVID-19 is changing the business of online learning for colleges

The sector went remote in a flash. We explore how the changes could impact the kind of virtual instruction schools offer.

Natalie Schwartz, Hallie Busta and Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Oct. 20, 2020

Did colleges' quick move online ready faculty for a long-term shift?

You can't "unexpand what people now know," one instructor said. But logistics, cost and burnout are likely barriers to permanent virtual expansion.

Hallie Busta • Oct. 20, 2020

Hands-on professional programs weigh a future online

The pandemic forced disciplines such as medicine and law to make unforeseen and unprecedented adjustments that may stick around.

Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Oct. 20, 2020

Colleges look to OPMs as pandemic intensifies shift online

The companies are helping schools quickly move online while laying groundwork for future business, accelerating pre-pandemic trends.

Natalie Schwartz • Oct. 20, 2020

How colleges are helping Latinx students cope with the pandemic

These students' biggest needs are funding, technology and emotional support, according to recent surveys and student affairs professionals.

Kelly Field • Sept. 18, 2020

U of Arizona and Ashford are the latest case study in online expansion

Faculty pushed back on officials' plan to buy the for-profit university as a way to quickly scale online, while regents are promising oversight. 

Hallie Busta • Updated Aug. 25, 2020

Why UNC's plan to reopen its flagship campus unraveled so fast

Partisan governance is complicating the system's ability to respond to the pandemic, faculty and outside observers say.

Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Aug. 19, 2020

How colleges fared in the Paycheck Protection Program

More than 670 nonprofit colleges and around 100 affiliated organizations each received at least $150,000 in loans, our analysis shows.

Natalie Schwartz • Aug. 19, 2020

Will colleges' shift to sustainable investing continue amid the pandemic?

Advocates of basing investment performance on more than just returns say the crisis makes a case for broader change.

Hallie Busta • Aug. 14, 2020

Colleges look to apps that screen for virus symptoms and trace contacts

But privacy concerns are causing some schools to reconsider their options for tracking and preventing the spread of the coronavirus on campus.

Natalie Schwartz • Aug. 12, 2020

Sex, masks and parties: Can colleges actually change student behavior?

Reopening plans relied heavily on expectations students would follow rules that limit the scope of campus life. But their schools had a role to play.

Hallie Busta and Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Aug. 7, 2020

Will single dorm rooms be enough to ensure safe campus housing this fall?

Some colleges are scrambling to provide private rooms for students, but it may not prevent coronavirus outbreaks and could eat away at revenue.

Natalie Schwartz • July 20, 2020

Contracts, masks and apps: Colleges set new rules for campus life

Coronavirus health and safety requirements run counter to what students may expect, and experts say they could be challenging to implement.

Alia Wong • July 17, 2020

Pennsylvania's public colleges got the green light for major reform

New legislation allows the beleaguered state system to consolidate campuses and share services to save money, but it's unclear whether leaders will do so.

Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • July 13, 2020

Why some colleges aren't reviewing SAT and ACT scores

Experts say the pandemic may lead more schools to give up standardized tests altogether.

Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • June 30, 2020

Is this the end for college admissions tests?

With testing sites closed and fewer colleges requiring students to take the SAT or ACT, longtime frustrations with their makers are simmering.

Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • June 30, 2020