Utah college students lag nation in taking advantage of available financial aid opportunities

Completing and submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the single most important thing a student can do to get assistance paying for college. By completing this application, students find out how much financial aid they qualify for, including Pell Grants. Also, students usually can’t qualify for need-based or merit-based aid without a FAFSA on… Continue Reading Utah college students lag nation in taking advantage of available financial aid opportunities

USHE institutions set goals to increase college completion rates

Increasing the number of students who successfully complete college with a degree or certificate has been a top priority of the Board of Regents for nearly a decade, and it was reaffirmed with the Board’s new strategic objectives approved last week. In July 2013, the Board passed a college completion resolution, identifying five initiatives proven… Continue Reading USHE institutions set goals to increase college completion rates

New UESP features for 2015 add flexibility

Account owners benefit from higher Utah state income tax benefit, now may change account investment option twice per year for the same beneficiary. The Utah Educational Savings Plan (UESP), Utah’s official and only 529 college savings plan, announced program improvements that benefit Utahns whose New Year’s resolutions include investing more for college in 2015. Starting this year, Utah… Continue Reading New UESP features for 2015 add flexibility

Nearly 40% of USHE students received Pell Grant support in 2013-14

Pell Grants: An Overview The Federal Pell Grant Program provides need-based grants to low-income undergraduate and certain post-graduate students to promote access to higher education. A Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not need to be repaid, and can be used at any one of approximately 5,400 participating postsecondary institutions nationwide. Grant amounts are dependent… Continue Reading Nearly 40% of USHE students received Pell Grant support in 2013-14

Utah Education Network

In order to effectively streamline technology to and between Utah’s public education and higher education systems, the Utah Legislature established the Utah Education Network (UEN) in 1993. UEN has since grown and now connects nearly 1,400 educational and community sites, serving more than 800,000 students from kindergarten through graduate school. UEN and the Utah Telehealth Network (UTN) are now in… Continue Reading Utah Education Network

Utah College Application Week: 2014 events in photos

Utah College Application Week events occurred Nov. 10 – 21, 2014, at 49 partner schools throughout Utah. With help from community volunteers, college and university representatives, and school administration, these events gave over 20,000 Utah high school seniors the opportunity to apply to college during the school day. Utah College Application Week (UCAW) was a huge success… Continue Reading Utah College Application Week: 2014 events in photos

Improving graduation rates at Utah’s public colleges and universities

What are the college graduation rates for today’s students, and what can be done to help these students graduate on time? Advocacy organization such as Complete College America, which released a report this week titled “The Four-year Myth,” strive to answer questions like these in states across the nation. Improving college graduation rates has been identified as a priority of the Utah… Continue Reading Improving graduation rates at Utah’s public colleges and universities

UESP Gift Program: This holiday season, give the gift of education

The Utah Educational Savings Plan (UESP), Utah’s official nonprofit college savings plan, launched a new Gift Program, just in time for the holidays. The UESP Gift Program makes it easy for family and friends to contribute to a child’s future qualified higher education expenses. When UESP account owners enroll in the Gift Program under Account… Continue Reading UESP Gift Program: This holiday season, give the gift of education