A Program of the Louisiana Board of Regents
LOSFA Mentions
LOSFA participated in Louisiana’s Apprenticeship Appreciation and Awareness Week
LOSFA hosted a statewide webinar that focused on the benefits of Registered Apprenticeship as a career for high school students.
Governor John Bel Edwards declared November 15-21 as a time to help Louisianians starting or transitioning to new careers find programs to develop critical skills. By highlighting programs that provide continuous training, Governor Edwards said, more people become connected to rewarding careers, and Louisiana increases its talent pool, making the state more attractive for companies seeking relocation or expansion.
LOSFA celebrates FAFSA Now completion ceremony
BR Proud (NBC 33) highlighted LOSFA's FAFSA Now virtual ceremony held on its YouTube page, LOSFA1000.

The ceremony recognized and celebrated best practices from counselors and why 2021 graduates believed FAFSA completion was necessary.
The ceremony also encouraged the class of 2022 to complete their FAFSA by February 1.

If you missed it, click here to watch the FAFSA Now ceremony.
Social Media
National Family Literacy Day promotes the importance of literacy and families reading together. To celebrate, LOSFA shared how parents can teach their children about financial literacy. Teaching children early about the importance of saving and allowing them to help in certain family financial decisions gives them a greater understanding of money matters. Parents were also encouraged to show students how to save by opening a 529 college savings account.

For more information about Louisiana's 529 college saving program, the Student Tuition and Revenue Trust (START) program, visit startsaving.la.gov.
Other Related News
White House releases new framework for social spending package, includes $40 billion for higher education
The Build Back Better Act is up for consideration in the U.S. Senate after passage from the U.S. House of Representatives.

The National College Attainment Network's (NCAN) CEO, Kim Cook, said the Build Back Better Act's proposed investment in higher education moves toward a more equitable system for students.

Cook referenced the act would provide vital support for students of color, first-generation students, and students from low-income families.

The framework for the act proposes $40 billion in spending for postsecondary education and workforce development, including a $550 increase to the maximum Pell Grant. NCAN noted that the increase would be the most significant single-year increase in more than a decade.

The organization (NCAN) recommended doubling the Pell Grant, which would allow for 50 percent of tuition, fees, room, and board at public four-year institutions to be covered.
OPINION: If you want to help students afford college, be more transparent about financial aid
In this opinion piece, Whitman College President, Kathleen Murray, writes it is time colleges clue potential students and their parents in early about financial aid - especially since the pandemic has more families examining their finances.

Murray is challenging other institutions, particularly liberal arts colleges, to begin programs that give interested students a guaranteed preview of their financial aid package, even before they apply.

In 2019, Whitman College introduced its Early Financial Aid Guarantee. High school seniors can request to see how much money in scholarships and financial aid they are guaranteed from Whitman if admitted.

Murray says the traditional timeline (narrowing down possible colleges/universities, sending applications, and waiting until March to learn about acceptance and receive a financial aid offer) does not leave much time to work through the financial implications of college. She writes it can be especially intimidating for low- and middle-income families.
A new push to create a 3-Year degree option
The director of Research and Publications at the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center says very few undergraduate students complete a degree in three years. Those who overload on fall and spring credit hours elect to take summer classes and may have started college with dual-enrollment or AP credits.

Two higher education professionals, Robert Zemsky, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and Lori Carrell, chancellor of the University of Minnesota at Rochester, have recruited more than a dozen institutions to explore a three-year bachelor's degree program.

Currently, the College in 3 pilot is in the idea stage. Each institution has promised to consider how to present information to students, so they can learn the skills and materials needed for a bachelor’s degree in three-quarters of the time.

Some institutions say they have previously tried three-year undergraduate degree programs, but there was never enough interest from students.

While there will be some hurdles (i.e., accrediting agencies), staff at higher education institutions say the success of College in 3 would also depend on what types of students are attracted to a program like this one. Would traditional students find a chance to save money for a shorter college experience appealing, or would students who were not considering a bachelor's degree find a faster and cheaper way to the workforce more attractive?

Carrell and Zemsky believe the idea of a three-year degree may be better now, particularly as the cost of college continues to climb and more adult and nontraditional students consider career changes.

One pilot institution has begun developing a three-year program for business, finance, engineering, and nursing. They believe the identified programs could include more professional and internship experience than the typical undergraduate program.
Nicholls MBA graduates rank among nation’s best in debt-to-income ratio
A new report by the Wall Street Journal found that at 98 percent of universities that offer a master's of business administration program, graduates make more money two years out of school than they borrowed.

The Wall Street Journal compared federal student loan data for nearly 600 programs and studied the debt and median salaries of students who took out federal loans. They found a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree to be one that leaves students with a manageable debt load.

In comparison, the journal found six percent of law school graduates had higher median earnings than debt during the same time period.

The report ranked the M.B.A. program at Nicholls State University fifth for debt and earnings - graduates have a median debt of $13,300 and earnings of $56,641 within two years of graduation.

The dean of Nicholl's College of Business Administration said this report demonstrates that a master's degree is a good decision and proves there is a return for students who invest in their education.

Southeastern Louisiana University, Tulane University, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and the University of New Orleans were also included on the Wall Street Journal list.
Less than half of high schoolers want to go to a four-year college, survey finds
Since January 2020, the Educational Credit Management Corporation (ECMC) has polled a group of more than 1,000 high school students about their postsecondary plans. The survey found that more students are placing career training and post-college employment above a four-year degree. According to the ECMC Group, the likelihood of those surveyed sank more than 20 percent in the last year (from 71 percent to 48 percent).

One reason students have shifted is because of cost and loan debt.

ECMC's CEO says students are considering more affordable, direct-to-career pathways instead of traditional four-year degrees. As a result, students feel more empowered and in control of their futures, and other credentialing opportunities are now receiving attention.
About LOSFA
The Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA), a program of the Louisiana Board of Regents, strives to be Louisiana's first choice for college access by promoting, preparing for and providing equity of college access.