The proliferation of emergency aid programs is one of the few trends to emerge from the pandemic higher education experts hope will remain.

"We want to understand how an optional student fee structure can be developed to the benefit of students and if so, what would it mean for the institutions financially and how such a program would be implemented," Board President Debbie Critchfield said.

Howard University's board of trustees approved the decision to scrap the program, the only such department at a historically Black university.

Will the decision by two massive public institutions lead to others instituting the same requirement pending full authorization?

California colleges start to make bold decisions on reopening in the fall; several other private institutions also say they will require them, including the University of Pennsylvania and University of Massachusetts.

The Idaho House approved legislation aimed at preventing universities from teaching critical race theory, which examines the ways in which race and racism influence American politics, culture and the law.

The laws would grant rights to athletes that are currently forbidden by NCAA policies, and violation of those policies would result in a student-athlete losing all eligibility to play.

FMCC Pres. Greg Truckenmiller said the college has seen a steady decline of students since the height of their enrollment in 2012 when the campus had to contract out a local hotel to accommodate for the large amount of students.