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Welcome to our monthly newsletter!
Welcome back to our monthly newsletter! Below you will find a link to a page on our website highlighting what students should be working on this month, important news in higher education, new blog posts, and other resources we feel are important to share. Enjoy!
Monthly College Updates!
Welcome to our monthly update on the college search and application process. Each month, we'll be updating the link below to our webpage and including it in our newsletter, so that all of our subscribers can access summaries of what they should be thinking about at this point in the college search process.
These updates will mostly focus on the junior and senior classes. Freshmen and sophomores should focus on maintaining good grades, academically pushing themselves, getting involved in extracurriculars, and making sure their summers incorporate meaningful experiences for growth.
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Haven't joined our mailing list yet?
Virtual College Counselors believes every student and family should have access to expert advice on the college search and application journey, regardless of any financial or time constraints. By signing up for our newsletter, in addition to monthly college search and application updates, you will also receive a Free College Search Starter Kit PDF containing the following starter guides:
- The College Application Timeline
- Discovering College Fit
- College Essay Tips
- Common College Essay Pitfalls
- Introduction to Financial Aid 101
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New Blog Post!
Recommended Reading:
The Anxious Generation
This month's recommended reading highlights The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, which comes from Sawyer. Discover why The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt is a must-read for educators, parents, and students to gain insight into the impact of technology on today's youth. Sawyer will provide his reasoning for the recommendation within the blog post and follow it with Amazon's summary.
Higher Education in the News
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Trump’s Proposed Education Policies and Their Potential Impact on Higher Education
- Since our last newsletter, President-elect Donald Trump won the 2024 US election. Regardless of your political affiliation, two things are clear: the implementation of his potential education policies remains unclear and it's almost certain the education system in the USA will see significant changes over the next four years. President-elect Trump's education platform, as outlined during his campaign, is currently being reviewed and speculated on across the higher education news sphere. Here are some of the most trending topics below:
- Trump has pledged to dismantle the Department of Education, arguing that its functions should be handled at the state and local levels. This move would threaten key federal programs such as Title I funding for schools in low-income areas, Pell Grants, and student loan relief initiatives like Public Service Loan Forgiveness and income-based repayment plans.
- Additionally, President-elect Trump has vowed to cut funding for schools and programs teaching Critical Race Theory or promoting "gender ideology," framing these as divisive issues. His administration would likely target diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in higher education, echoing his broader opposition to systemic DEI measures.
- Title IX protections for LGBTQ+ students are also at risk. While the previous/current administration sought to expand Title IX to include protections for LGBTQ+ and transgender students, President-elect Trump is expected to reverse these changes, aligning with Republican-led legal challenges that have already blocked these expansions in many states.
- Finally, President-elect Trump’s agenda includes a sweeping federal school choice program and substantial cuts to K-12 spending, which could prioritize privatization and voucher systems over public education investments.
- The 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now live and available to students and families, marking a significant milestone after last year’s technical issues caused widespread delays and confusion. Following months of feedback collection and testing, the U.S. Department of Education officially launched the form ahead of its planned December 1 deadline. Both the online and paper forms are accessible at fafsa.gov. The Department has implemented extensive updates and improvements, including four rounds of rigorous testing with over 167,000 students, feedback from diverse student groups, and collaborations with colleges, state agencies, and federal partners. These steps aim to ensure the platform can handle a large volume of users and prevent a repeat of the challenges seen in previous cycles. The FAFSA’s launch is critical for students applying for federal aid, scholarships, and other financial assistance, as it allows schools to process applications and provide aid decisions more efficiently.
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A new class-action lawsuit accuses the College Board and 40 elite universities of price-fixing through their use of the CSS Profile, a financial aid application that gathers detailed family income and asset data, including from noncustodial parents. The lawsuit claims this common financial aid methodology, adopted in 2006, artificially inflated college costs for students by coordinating how noncustodial parent data is used, constituting an illegal "conspiracy." The suit echoes a similar 2022 lawsuit against members of the 568 Presidents Group, which alleged that financial aid practices among elite schools violated antitrust laws by not adhering to true need-blind admissions, particularly for waitlist and transfer students. Many colleges settled that case despite denying wrongdoing. This is not the first time the intersection of college admissions, financial aid practices, and antitrust laws has faced legal scrutiny. Previous cases include:
- 2019 DOJ vs. NACAC: The Department of Justice ruled that barring colleges from "poaching" committed students was anti-competitive, leading NACAC to change its code of ethics.
- Ivy League Athletic Scholarships Case: A recent lawsuit claiming the Ivy League’s ban on athletic scholarships was a tool for price-fixing was dismissed.
These legal battles underscore ongoing concerns about transparency and fairness in financial aid practices, especially at top-tier institutions.
- President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Linda McMahon as the next U.S. Secretary of Education. McMahon, best known as the former CEO of WWE and a member of Trump’s Small Business Administration during his first term, has limited direct experience in education but has served on Connecticut’s State Education Board and as a trustee at Sacred Heart University. McMahon’s education policy positions emphasize alternatives to traditional four-year degrees. She supports expanding universal school choice, allowing taxpayer-funded vouchers for nonpublic education, and bolstering vocational training. She has praised Switzerland’s apprenticeship model and endorsed the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act, which would allocate Pell Grant funding to short-term job training programs in fields like cosmetology and construction. While McMahon has been lauded for her business acumen and advocacy for parents’ rights, critics question her qualifications due to her limited experience in the K-12 and higher education systems.
- Several U.S. universities have issued travel advisories to international students and employees, urging them to return from winter break before President-elect Donald Trump's January 20 inauguration. These advisories, while not mandatory, reflect concerns over possible executive orders that could block international individuals from re-entering the U.S. The warnings stem from experiences during Trump’s first term when he signed a travel ban targeting seven nations days after taking office. That order left many students and faculty stranded abroad or detained upon arrival. Institutions like the University of Massachusetts (UMass) system had to assist affected individuals, with UMass Dartmouth's leaders speaking out after faculty members were detained despite their lawful residency status. Universities such as MIT and Wesleyan University have similarly advised caution, aiming to minimize potential disruptions for their international communities. This reflects broader institutional concerns about maintaining access and mobility for students and staff amid uncertain immigration policies.
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A groundbreaking study by the National Bureau of Economic Research reveals that the proportion of low- and middle-income students at highly selective colleges has remained largely static over the past 100 years. Despite broad increases in overall college enrollment, from 10% in the early 1900s to over 60% today, selective institutions have seen little change in their socioeconomic composition. While efforts to increase socioeconomic diversity—such as need-based financial aid programs—have ramped up in recent decades, these changes have not significantly altered the overall trend. This contrasts sharply with the increased racial and geographic diversity seen at elite institutions, particularly after the civil rights movement. Here are some key takeaways:
- Static Socioeconomic Representation: Wealthy students remain overrepresented at elite colleges, with some institutions enrolling more students from the top 1% of wealth earners than the bottom 60% combined.
- Racial and Geographic Gains: Unlike socioeconomic diversity, racial and geographic diversity improved substantially over the century.
- Public University Progress: Selective public universities, like UCLA and UC Berkeley, showed measurable progress in low-income student enrollment, unlike their private counterparts.
- Historical Barriers: Historical developments, including the GI Bill and standardized testing, had little impact on changing socioeconomic representation at elite institutions.
2024-2025 FAFSA Officially Opened!
Two weeks ago, the Department of Education quietly announced the official launch of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, almost two weeks prior to the anticipated opening date! Information about FAFSA and completing financial aid forms can be found in the Monthly Updates link or the monthly newsletter below.
We recommend waiting at least a week before attempting to complete the form, to give the Department of Education time to work out any glitches in the system. However, we have only heard stories of smooth sailing this year thus far, so delaying submission might not be as necessary as it has been in the past.
Don't forget to keep tabs on financial aid application deadlines (for FAFSA, the CSS Profile, state-specific, and institution-specific forms, whichever are applicable for your specific schools of interest), in addition to general admission application deadlines.
It is also critical that students check their email inboxes daily for any correspondence from schools to which they've applied or intend to apply. Lastly, students should be sure to set up their prospective student portals for each school as soon as the login information is sent to them to ensure all application materials are received by the appropriate deadlines.
- The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), historically opened on October 1st, is now live!
- Some schools use the CSS Profile to determine eligibility for institutional aid. It's a doozy of a form! The list linked at the beginning of this bullet point is the most complete one that exists. It's still missing some programs because a few schools have started using the CSS Profile only because of the FAFSA delay--be sure to check the websites of each school to which your student is applying to ensure you don't miss out on the opportunity for financial aid. Every school has its own deadline when the form needs to be received for aid consideration, so this is a friendly reminder to pay close attention to those deadlines.
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We've been strongly encouraging all students to pay close attention to application requirements for each school and to submit their applications at least a week before institutional deadlines for three primary reasons:
- Once the application is received and processed, schools will provide students access to a prospective student portal. This is important because it's where students can track which materials have been received and which are still outstanding. Most schools provide a cushion of a few days for counselors and teachers to submit their materials, but some don't.
- Some schools have additional essay prompts or requirements that can only be accessed through the portal! The most common additional requirement is the Self-Reported Student Record. Information about all requirements can be found on each institution's website, but it never hurts to have another set of eyes double-checking for these important pieces.
- The application systems tend to get overrun and often crash on the days of major college deadlines.
- Our advice: For Nov. 1 deadlines, submit no later than tomorrow afternoon/early evening and keep an eye on your email for portal access. It also doesn't hurt to remind your recommenders and school counselors of this deadline if they haven't already submitted the materials on your behalf.
That finish line is right around the corner, and we are excited to be crossing it with you on this journey! Our wonderful colleagues at Big J Consulting have broken down the important information you need to know when completing these forms for the first time in this helpful blog. We highly recommend using this as a guide as you navigate the forms.
If you'd like more information on the current discourse about the FAFSA delays, we'd suggest looking into the following articles:
Relevant Virtual College Counselor Blogs:
Relevant Outside Blogs/Resources:
We want to once again express our gratitude to all of our students, their families, other professionals, and even strangers who have taken the time to peruse our newsletter. As always, if you have questions OR if you have a topic you'd like to see discussed, please don't hesitate to reach out.
info@virtualcollegecounselors.com
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