Future U Podcast - The Pulse of Higher Ed

We have come to accept there is no cure for rising costs in higher ed, so we treat the symptoms with measures like loan forgiveness. What are the root causes and what to do about them? Michael and Jeff ask two veterans of the college cost debate on this episode, made possible with support from Ascendium Education Group and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  

Some 1.5 million people are in state and federal prisons in the United States, but for more than two decades they haven’t been eligible for federal Pell Grants. That’s about to change on July 1, 2023, offering an opportunity for incarcerated people and colleges alike. Michael and Jeff talk with a scholar in prison education and a formerly incarcerated student who went on to earn his degree about providing meaningful rehabilitation through a college education. This episode made possible with support from Ascendium Education Group

Elite law schools are ditching the U.S. News rankings but what does it mean for the undergrad rankings? Also, Georgetown is making a bet on an online undergrad degree with Coursera. Plus, Michael asks about Jeff's piece for New York Magazine on the SATs. Send us your questions!  This episode made possible with support from Course Hero, Ascendium Education Group, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

About 91% of colleges understate or don't include the net price in their financial-aid offers to would-be students, the U.S. Government Accountability Office has found in a new report. We go into the archives for a 2019 episode when Rachel Fishman from New America joined us to discuss her research. With support from Ascendium Education Group and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.Relevant Links:Report from GAO: https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-23-104708.pdf Wall Street Journal article: https://www.wsj.com/articles/most-colleges-give-inaccurate-price-details-in-financial-aid-letters-federal-report-finds-11670273500 Decoding the Cost of College: https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/policy-papers/decoding-cost-college/ Design Principles for Financial Aid Offers: https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/reports/design-principles-financial-aid-offers/ Nothing Has Changed Much With Financial Aid Offers. Congress Must Act: https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/edcentral/nothing-has-changed-with-financial-aid-offers-congress-must-act/

On the latest stop of Future U.'s campus tour, hosts Michael Horn and Jeff Selingo visit Bowie State University to speak with President Aminta Breaux, as well as faculty and administrators at the Maryland institution about increased enrollment at HBCUs, partnerships with employers, and student engagement. With support from Salesforce.org.

In a special episode recorded at The Chronicle of Higher Education Festival, Jeff Selingo and guest co-host Bridget Burns talk with three students about what has worked (and what hasn't) in their college experiences. With support from Ascendium Education Group, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Course Hero.

Penn State’s new president Neeli Bendapudi sits down with Jeff and Michael to talk about not only her personal leadership journey, but also shifting demographics, clear pullback in public financing of higher ed, college athletics, and more. With support from Course Hero and Ascendium Education Group.

In the second half of their conversation with Victoria Jackson and Matt Brown, Michael and Jeff dive into "Name Image Likeness," paying student athletes, and what shifting professional pathways to sports can mean for rethinking college athletics overall. This episode made possible with sponsorship from Course Hero and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

So many headlines to parse this week: What the NYU brouhaha says about how we educate top students; how the coverage of ACT scores missed the real headline; and is it better to serve in the U.S. Senate or as a university president. Michael and Jeff break it all down. This episode made possible with support from Course Hero, Ascendium Education Group, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.Relevant Links:NYU’s Firing of a Chemistry Professor Caused a Furor. Here’s What He Has to Say About It.

It's not often a university president talks about how degrees are being devalued and how higher education must align with workforce needs, but that's exactly what new Temple University president, Jason Wingard, does when he joins Jeff and Michael to discuss his book, “The College Devaluation Crisis," and what's next for Temple. This episode made possible with sponsorship from Ascendium Education Group, Course Hero, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.Follow Future U on Twitter • LinkedIn