One year in: Progress report on the Board of Regents’ 10-year strategic plan for higher ed
As Utah’s public institutions enroll the vast majority of Utah high school graduates, the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) is the primary workforce pipeline in the state. USHE’s ability to encourage students to participate in higher education and graduate with a meaningful credential is key to Utah’s prosperity. But over the next ten years, […]
Over 10,000 students attended StepUp events in 2016
The Utah System of Higher Education via their college readiness platform StepUp to Higher Education, has worked to increase college preparation awareness among Utah high school students, with a large emphasis on how to pay for college over the past few years. StepUp outreach officers work with individual high schools and school counselors to host […]
Students earning college credit in high school saves over $34 million in tuition
Since 1985, Utah has provided an opportunity for high school juniors and seniors to take college courses while 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). […]
2015-16 USHE graduates will earn almost $400 million in increased wages this year
Higher education is not only a primary engine for the state’s economy, it is one of the most solid options to guarantee a higher individual income. In Utah, the 2016 USHE graduates will earn a combined increase of over $400 million in wages their first year in the workforce—an average of over $13,000 more per […]
Tuition & fees at Utah’s public institutions remain among lowest in the country
The College Board released its annual Trends in College Pricing Report that provides trend analysis on tuition and higher education financing. The report compares 2016-17 tuition and fees by state. Utah has consistently ranked among the top states with the lowest tuition for 4-year public institutions. In addition to having the lowest average student debt […]
New college readiness course available for high school counselors
This fall semester, the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) is rolling out the final components to a major multi-year initiative to empower secondary counselors with improved tools in helping students prepare for college. College and Career Readiness training of counselors needs improvement. A 2012 survey of school counselors by the College Board found the […]
Utah Scholars 2015-16 annual report
91% of eighth graders plan to attend college. However, statistics show, only about 50% of Utah high school students enroll in college after graduation. The Utah Scholars program is designed to increase the number of well-prepared students going on to college after high school by helping them set college goals before they get to high […]
Starting Oct. 1, students can file their 2017-18 FAFSA
On Sept. 14, 2015, President Obama announced significant changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process that will impact millions of students. Starting with the 2017–18 FAFSA, the following changes will be in effect: Students will be able to submit their FAFSA as early as Oct. 1, 2016, rather than beginning on Jan. 1, 2017. […]
1 in 3 USHE students received a Pell Grant during the 2015-16 academic year
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 […]
2016 StepUp to Higher Education College Guide to be distributed to 85,000 Utah students
StepUp to Higher Education, an outreach initiative of the Utah System of Higher Education, recently completed the 2016 College Guide. This guide—the fifth StepUp has done—will be distributed to Utah high school students through the High School Tour, where representatives from all nonprofit colleges and universities in Utah go to Utah high schools to educate these students […]