Daily Lumina News 053124

MassReconnect, Massachusetts’s free community college program for non-degree holders over 25, has proven so successful that now some state legislators are looking to extend the offer to all Massachusetts residents who don’t hold a degree—regardless of age or income.
Though free college has become an increasingly popular policy position in recent years, if MassEducate passes, Massachusetts would be the first state to offer universal free access to community colleges.

The Class of 2024 faced a chaotic financial aid application process, and the number of students who completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is still down 15.5 percent from the same time last year.
Higher education experts and policy advocates are now lobbying federal lawmakers to ensure that FAFSA’s woes and the ensuing completion gap do not continue into the next admissions cycle.

Athens Marron’s participation in a federal grant program for Hispanic Serving Institutions gave him a sense of belonging, putting him and other Latino students on a solid path to graduation.
Some of these programs may expand with new funding, while others scale down, surviving only through the efforts of students or faculty. But experts say that to truly serve Latino students and improve their outcomes, campuses must create programs that can keep running even after grant funding dries up.

College students’ levels of clinically significant mental-health symptoms have doubled during the last decade, with more than 60 percent of students meeting the criteria for one or more psychological problems. Counseling centers are overwhelmed by demand, and mental-health apps have helped pick up the slack.
But how effective are those apps? How many students are using them, and for how long? Good questions—but the answers are scarce.

Students say one of the most important factors in choosing a college is academic quality. But in reality, it’s difficult to determine how much students actually learn in college and whether what they learn will lead to a career.
In this interview, higher education experts and advocates explore what’s really happening inside today's college classrooms and what students and families get for their hard-earned tuition dollars.

The rise in mental health concerns comes at a challenging time for colleges and universities, which often struggle with insufficient resources and staff burnout.
But experts say that while faculty and staff are not a substitute for skilled, licensed mental health professionals, they can, with the right training, serve in a valuable preventative role and as critical first responders.