Deep Dive: Page 2

How the national test-optional experiment played out at US colleges

The pandemic accelerated the trend, upending conventions of postsecondary admissions going forward.

Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Updated June 9, 2021

A chancellor search in Georgia highlights the problems of 'partisan capture'

The state's Republican leaders have a strong hand in the public system's workings — a dynamic observers argue it must break free of.

Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • June 1, 2021

The pandemic slowed tuition growth at some colleges. Will it last?

Sticker prices at several dozen of the country's priciest colleges stalled during the pandemic, our analysis found. But several are raising rates again.

Natalie Schwartz • May 25, 2021

What colleges can do to counter coronavirus vaccine hesitancy

Strong uptake of the shots may allow schools to pull back some safety protocols, but getting buy-in on and off campus is critical.

Danielle McLean • May 10, 2021

What other states can learn from Michigan about serving adult students

Lawmakers and colleges there have been instituting policies that remove financial barriers for this often-overlooked population.

Natalie Schwartz • April 16, 2021

Internships 'somewhat in flux' as employers make reopening decisions

Employers reconfigured, delayed and even canceled their programs last year. How they revive those offerings is expected to vary widely.

Ryan Golden • April 15, 2021

Donor and federal windfalls seed 'transformational' change at HBCUs

The racial reckoning last summer inspired a stream of giving to these schools that stands to shrink institutional equity gaps — if the support continues.

Danielle McLean • March 19, 2021

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