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The Weekly Dispatch
129 posts
A weekly newsletter about the role of higher ed in society. Each week, we highlight how college is (or is not) working for citizens and communities.
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How does this tiny Colorado town send most students to college?
Less than half of rural Colorado's high school graduates go to college, a rate about five points below the state average. Fowler bucks that trend.
May 20, 2022
A devotion to merit aid in the South
Most states award the bulk of their aid to students based on financial need. Since the 1990s, many Southern states have instead focused on metrics like grades and test scores.
May 13, 2022
Getting in, dropping out, making it through
We’re spending this year talking with Californians about their experiences with college. What really gets in their way? What, or who, keeps them going?
May 6, 2022
When $93 is a barrier to college
The Education Department this week announced a fix for a big, little-discussed barrier to broadening access to prison education.
April 29, 2022
Aroma of legitimacy
When a multi-level marketing company struck a deal with the U. of Mississippi, it got more than research into lavender oil. It got credibility.
April 15, 2022
Life without loans
When one of your monthly bills suddenly disappears, what do you do with that newfound cash? That's been the question for roughly 40 million Americans during the pandemic as the government froze repayments on student loans.
April 1, 2022
What will become of work?
“A lot is up for grabs in the coming years,” says Paul Fain, who writes The Job. “Some colleges and employers will seize the moment and open up new pathways to good jobs. The question is how many, and for whom?”
March 25, 2022
What will Elon Musk mean for the Rio Grande Valley?
How much could the world's richest man change educational aspirations and career opportunities in this remote region? That's what Nick Fouriezos went to Brownsville to learn.
March 11, 2022
The trick of prestige
Our latest Bootstraps episode looks at how the world's most prestigious scholarship is wrestling with its legacy.
March 4, 2022
The Great Student Resignation?
One thing the pandemic has ushered in is a fundamental re-examination of work. How are similar dynamics at play in higher ed?
February 25, 2022