News

“First Look” NSC Report Shows COVID-19 Impact on Student Transfer Muted

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s “First Look” report on the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on transfer students shows transfers from two to four-year colleges are up slightly, but an expected transfer pattern from four-year to two-year institutions has not materialized. The pandemic’s greater impact appears to be first-time and returning students deciding not to enroll this fall.

The Edge: The Election Results Spell Bad News for Higher-Ed Innovation When It’s Needed Most

Senior writer Goldie Blumenstyk from The Chronicle of Higher Education interviews thought leaders in the postsecondary education space to ask what the 2020 presidential elections might mean for innovation in the higher education space, and what changes are now more vital or likely. Ascendium VP-Education Philanthropy Amy Kerwin weighs in.

Why Equity in Transfer and Why Now?

Data clearly show equity gaps in student transfer rates. This fact, coupled with the national spotlight on systemic racism, has prompted the launch of the Equity Transfer Initiative, a two-year project funded by Ascendium Education Group and ECMC Foundation. The overall goal of the project is to ensure total alignment of at least five programs between two- and four-year institutions that lead to employment.

How the Pandemic is Affecting College Student Transfers

Ascendium and the ECMC Foundation are supporting a new research series steered by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Nine reports will be created and will provide up-to-date information about how the pandemic is affecting student success and completion rates.

Maintain Momentum Grants Top $4.5 million, Plus New Fellowships, Resources, Grants and Events

• Maintain Momentum Initiative Supports AAC&U, NCAN, Yes We Must
• Education Writers Association, Ed Trust Launch Fellowship Programs
• How-to Guide will Benefit Community College Leaders and Stakeholders

Second Round of Maintain Momentum Grants Announced

New grants to the Association of American Colleges & Universities, the National College Attainment Network and the Yes We Must Coalition bring initiative totals over $4.5 million.

UNCF Awarded $1.9 Million Ascendium Grant to Improve Academic and Career Outcomes of HBCU Students

Eight Historically Black Colleges and Universities will share funds from a two-year grant awarded to the United Negro College Fund to continue an important initiative to increase student success outcomes.

Higher Ed’s Most Successful Failure

For students struggling with hardship, community college support programs designed to help them stay on track can make a huge difference in whether they complete their degree. This article advocates for support programs and the replication of them throughout America, using the CUNY Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP), which Ascendium funded the replication of, as an example of why it works.

New Grants, New Report on Postsecondary Education in Prison Metrics, Strong Start to Finish

• New Grants Support a Spectrum of Student Success Initiatives
• IHEP Releases Groundbreaking KPI Framework Report
• Strong Start To Finish Shows Early Promising Results: Case Studies

Report Details Framework for Gathering Data on Higher Ed in Prison

There is a national need to identify key performance indicators (KPIs) of student success for higher education in prison programs, and a report from the Institute for Higher Education Policy explores how to use those KPIs to identify and benchmark those programs. This important work was supported by a grant from Ascendium.