EAB’s Kathy Ruby and Sarah Le Duc review the basics of financial aid optimization and explain why FAO is more important than ever to helping colleges meet enrollment targets. The two examine the real-world impacts schools should prepare for when the FAFSA Simplification Act is enacted in 2024. They also offer tips to help financial aid offices work with campus leaders to begin preparing now and to communicate with families of prospective applicants who are already asking questions about what the new legislation means for them.

EAB experts Amy Luitjens and Ed Venit examine how colleges and universities are working to better support and guide graduate students toward achieving their educational goals. They point out that today’s graduate students are more diverse, taking on more debt, and have higher expectations for how they want institutions to serve them. Given current market trends, Amy and Ed suggest it is in a university’s financial self-interest to change and do more to help these students succeed.

EAB’s Michael Fischer and Michael Varda examine key takeaways from a survey of HR Officers from colleges and universities across the US, Canada, and the UK. Among the biggest concerns expressed by survey respondents was how to develop remote work policies that are equitable, and how to guide managers in monitoring the performance of remote workers. They note that nearly half of HR leaders appear willing to take on additional tax and regulatory complications in order to recruit from a broader talent pool of potential candidates who live in other states or even countries.

Summer melt is a challenge that every admissions team understands and works hard to address, even during the best of times. With in-person orientation and other large gatherings still limited at many colleges, this summer will prove exceptionally challenging. Enrollment leaders from Robert Morris University and the University of Louisville join EAB’s Madeleine Rhyneer to talk about what they learned during last summer’s campus closures. They also share strategies for engaging students and families this summer, and for mixing on-campus events with virtual meet-ups to boost yield.

EAB’s Ann Lippens and Kaitlyn Maloney discuss the steps that colleges and universities are taking now to welcome students and faculty back to campus this fall. While higher ed leaders are still working out the details of a safe return, including vaccination requirements, they are also thinking about how to use campus facilities in different ways to accommodate safety protocols as well as other considerations. Ann and Kaitlyn say this isn’t just an exercise in space planning though. Schools are looking to apply lessons learned during the pandemic and expand the use of technology to improve a range of student services.

Thanks to the pandemic, most universities are preparing to welcome two years’ worth of campus newcomers this fall. Add to that the stressors resulting from months of political and social unrest as well as elevated health and financial concerns that threaten to leave schools facing a perfect storm of mental health challenges when campuses reopen. EAB’s Hailey Badger and Kate Cudé share findings from their research into how colleges and universities are preparing. They point to the surprising success of virtual counseling as at least one silver lining that emerged from the pandemic. They also urge higher ed leaders to shift more of their focus to preventative care and promoting mental health wellness as a way to get ahead of the problem.

Wisr co-founder and CEO Kate Volzer is joined by Dr. Angela Clark-Taylor, Director of the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women at Case Western Reserve University. The two talk about their chance meeting in 2019 and the work they’ve done together since to support and empower women working in higher ed. Dr. Clark-Taylor shares actionable advice derived from her research on gender equity. Both offer insights they’ve collected through their work leading professional development conferences and webinars designed to help women push through career barriers and pull other women up along the way.

EAB’s Chief Partner Officer, Sally Amoruso, is joined by Brian Elliot, the head of the Future Forum, a consortium launched by Slack to help companies reimagine work in the new digital-first world. The two discuss key takeaways from a recent virtual gathering of more than 125 university leaders EAB hosted to explore the future of work on college campuses. They share tips on ways to offer campus workers greater flexibility, a change that will be critical to schools looking to attract and retain talent in a tight labor market. Sally and Brian also urge managers to shift away from being attendance monitors and spend more of their energy inspiring employees to stay connected, build camaraderie, and bring their best selves to work each day, regardless of whether they are working remotely or onsite.

EAB’s Kathy Dawley and Brett Schraeder discuss the significance of National College Decision Day and share initial thoughts on successful strategies colleges are using to meet enrollment targets during one of the most challenging recruiting cycles of all time. They stress the importance of virtual engagement with admits as a means of reducing summer melt. Kathy and Brett also share findings from EAB’s most recent survey of more than 15,000 high school students and break down the implications of those findings on everything from the design of your school’s website to how and when to engage parents in the recruiting process.

Enrollment at for-profit colleges has increased or remained flat, while enrollment at community colleges is down nearly 10 percent since the onset of the pandemic. EAB’s Christina Hubbard and Larisa Hussak share key takeaways from a recent “secret shopping” experience with for-profit institutions and explain their applicability to community colleges. They talk about the dos and don’ts of onboarding, a perennial pain point at two-year schools, and urge community college leaders to assume greater responsibility for guiding students through the application process, registration, and beyond as a way of boosting yield and building student engagement. Christina and Larisa also stress the importance of adapting to meet growing student demand for greater flexibility in everything from course modalities to term lengths.