Daily Lumina News 011524

For years, college counseling centers were overrun, unable to keep up with students’ demand for mental-health services. Getting them help fast became increasingly urgent.
One by one, colleges started contracting third-party, higher-ed-focused teletherapy providers to assist their in-house counselors. Now, hundreds of colleges use these companies. New Jersey recently purchased teletherapy access for every college student in the state; last week, the state extended that partnership through the spring of 2025.

The recent resignations of the presidents of Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania, following their testimony at a blistering congressional hearing on campus antisemitism, was a highly visible symbol of the pressure on top college leaders.
Those departures are now highlighting a central question on the minds of many people: Has being a college president become an impossible job?

Colleges are quietly buying—or licensing—lists of potential student names and personal information from companies administering tests like the SAT and ACT. The goal? Recruit, but also recruit to reject. The more applicants a college recruits, the more selective and prestigious it appears on certain college rankings lists.
This episode of College Uncovered explores how both selective and less selective colleges and universities use enrollment and financial aid management strategies to increase their applicant pool, lower admission rates, and meet their bottom line.

During his time at juvenile hall, Chris Alvarado participated in a comprehensive pre-apprenticeship training program called the Multi-Craft Core Curriculum, or MC3. The experience would become his ticket to a future career and a better life.
A unique arrangement between Contra Costa County Probation in northern California and some skilled trades nonprofit programs is providing youth with training while still incarcerated, with the hope it reduces recidivism rates and provides a sustainable pathway upon release.

In a surprise announcement, the Biden administration says it will fast-track a big change, previously scheduled for July, that will soon erase the debts of thousands of federal student loan borrowers. That includes undergraduate as well as graduate students who initially borrowed less than $21,000.
The move comes courtesy of the SAVE plan, which is quickly becoming a key vehicle for President Joe Biden's student loan debt relief efforts.

The international student market, long focused on recruiting students from China, is steadily shifting to South Asia. And with the shift comes new concerns.
Some colleges, especially lesser-known institutions with fewer application requirements, are swamped with fake applications and last-minute transfers. Their simple eligibility thresholds and appetite for full-paying international students make them the perfect marks for any student or recruitment agent seeking to take advantage of the system.