New studies highlight the underemployment challenges of Utah college graduates
In the wake of the Great Recession, a common refrain took hold: That of the overeducated barista, unable to find a job in their field, working instead in a low or middle-skilled position just to get by. By 2012, more than half of college graduates under age 25 were jobless or underemployed. Underemployment, while not […]
The 2016 Free Application for Federal Student Aid is now available
The 2016 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is the application that incoming and current college students fill out to see if they qualify for federal financial aid, is now available (opened Jan. 1). Current high school seniors who plan to attend college after high school and current college students should file the FAFSA, and […]
UESP exceeds 300,000 college savings accounts
The Utah Educational Savings Plan (UESP) announced December 30th that the number of accounts under its management has passed 300,000, as a growing number of families invest in Utah’s official 529 plan to save for their children’s future college costs. The number of UESP college savings accounts has almost doubled since the financial crisis ended […]
Every Student Succeeds Act passed by Congress, signed by President
The U.S. Senate on December 9 voted 85-12 in favor of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The bill is a rewrite of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to replace No Child Left Behind, which expired in 2007. ESSA marks a major compromise that emerged between Democrats and Republicans in recent months, largely scaling […]
StepUp/UHEAA’s “You CAN Pay for College” event attendance increased 25% from last year
From September through November, Utah Higher Education Assistance Authority’s (UHEAA) Outreach team (operating under a joint StepUp/UHEAA platform) hosted 24 regional “You CAN Pay for College” evening events throughout Utah where high school students and parents learned about college savings, scholarships, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), grants, work-study programs, and student loans. The events […]
Utah receives grant from National Governors Association to work on replicating Utah Aerospace Pathways project in other industries
Last week, the National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices announced six states—Indiana, Iowa, Montana, New Hampshire, Utah and Washington—will participate in the 2016 Policy Academy on Scaling Work-Based Learning. The 18-month leadership program focuses on helping state teams incorporate work-based learning into their overall talent pipeline as a way to establish clear career […]
Students earning college credit in high school increases 6%
Since 1985, Utah has provided an opportunity for prepared high school juniors and seniors to take college courses while still in high school. Through the Concurrent Enrollment program, students earn both high school credit for graduation and college credit corresponding to the first year at a college or university in the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE). […]
USHE works to improve college completion rates
College educated citizens make Utah’s economy stronger. The Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) wants to make sure that every student can get a meaningful credential in a timely manner. That means taking enough credits each semester, taking the right classes, and building upon strong academic preparation in high school. USHE recently released a report, College […]
USHE brought over $656 million to the state in outside research and grant funding in 2014-15
One of the strategic objectives of the Utah State Board of Regents is “Innovative Discovery,” to encourage innovation as a core value at each institution in the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE). In fact, the primary task of USHE is to create and disseminate knowledge to help make Utahns well-rounded, productive citizens and increase their economic […]
USHE releases inaugural High School Feedback Reports
To show how Utah’s high school graduates are making the transition from high school to higher education, the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) created the inaugural High School Feedback Reports. These reports show the college performance of the 2013-14 high school graduating class who went on to enroll at a public college or university in […]
