Free community college spreads: New York introduced its Excelsior scholarship for students from families with income less than $100,000. The challenges of free tuition also became apparent, as Oregon and other states grappled with fewer budget dollars than needed to accept every applicant.
Greek life endangered?: The true worth of fraternities and sororities was scrutinized by administrators and parents as pledge-related violence and deaths forced universities to suspend and/or eliminate Greek chapters. Some groups went sober in attempts to preserve their legacies and keep doors open.
Unmanned, but monitored: The increase of unmanned drones flying around campuses sparked a new set of privacy and safety concerns, forcing administrators to establish regulations they couldn’t have envisioned just a few years ago.
Link to main story: 2017: A look back in higher ed
Silent struggles: Opioid and addiction recovery programs increased as campuses allocated more resources to the epidemic. President Trump declared a national health emergency, though he did not allocate additional federal funds towards.
On-campus counseling centers, peer groups and sober living dorms are becoming more frequent, creating safe spaces for recovering students to learn and socialize.
Math eliminated from the equation: The California State University system eliminated intermediate algebra requirements and noncredit remedial math for incoming freshmen pursuing non-STEM majors.
Following New York and other states offering alternative courses, California will let students choose from classes such as personal finance, game theory, statistics and computer science.
From 15 to forever: The GI Bill benefits were expanded, so veterans and their families may access them at any point throughout their lifetimes—not just for 15 years after service ends.
Stefanie Botelho, as newsletter editor of UB, spends time every day seeking out the top higher ed news stories to share in UB Daily.
