What's New in Higher Ed This Week? CC Weekly News Roundup

Scholarships for Vaccines, Howard Renames College of Fine Arts After Chadwick Boseman, Student Health Flagging, and More

More States Offer Scholarships for Vaccines, and Ohio Announces First Winners

In an attempt to address lagging vaccine rates due to vaccine hesitancy, more states are offering lotteries for adults and scholarships for teens in return for vaccinations. New York State Governor Cuomo announced that the state will be giving away 50 full-ride scholarships to SUNY or CUNY schools to people between the ages of 12 and 17 who received their vaccine.

Oregon’s “Take Your Shot” incentive will grant five vaccinated teens with a $100,000 contribution to an Oregon College Savings Plan. This money can be used at any qualifying institution, including private colleges, trade schools, or culinary schools.

Ohio, whose “Vax-a-Million” program was the first to pilot a lottery-based incentive program, announced the first winners of the lottery and scholarship. Twenty-two year old Abbigail Bugenske won the $1 million grand prize. Bugenske, a graduate of Shaker Heights High School, returned to her home state of Ohio last year after earning a degree at Michigan State University. Fourteen year-old Joseph Costello from Englewood, OH was the first to win money for college. Costello, who just finished 8th grade, doesn’t know where he wants to go yet, but is thinking about Ohio State University or Miami University in Oxford, OH.

Colorado also announced this week that it will also have a vaccine lottery and scholarships, but has not released the details of the scholarship incentive yet.

Catholic University Receives $20 million For Their Nursing Program

Large donors Bill and Joanne Conway have donated another $20 million to Catholic University’s nursing program. This gift brings their total donations up to $80 million since 2013. The money will be used to provide scholarships for nursing students. The Conways say their goal is to “educate 20,000 nurses.”

Howard University Renames School of Fine Arts in Honor of Alum Chadwick Boseman

Howard University announced that it will rename its newly-reestablished School of Fine Arts after famous alum, Chadwick Boseman, who died last year at 43 years old, after a battle with colon cancer. Boseman, who is best known for his starring role in the movie Black Panther, was a long-time supporter of his alma mater, and delivered Howard’s commencement address in 2018. Another famous Howard alum, Phylicia Rashad, best known for her role on the Cosby Show, will be the dean of new school. Robert A. Iger, Executive Chairman of the Walt Disney Company, will lead fundraising efforts.

Simone Ledward-Boseman, Chadwick Boseman’s wife, said, “Chad was a very proud Bison — both Howard and Ms. Rashad played integral roles in his journey as an artist. The re-establishment of the College of Fine Arts brings this part of his story full-circle and ensures that his legacy will continue to inspire young storytellers for years to come.”

Student-Parents Are Struggling, Feel Unwelcome By Institutions

A recent report by Ascend at the Aspen Institute and the JED Foundation revealed that many student-parents are struggling to stay afloat. One in five students are also parents, and 48 percent of student-parents say they are stressed “all or most of the time” and 28 percent report being depressed.

In an article for the Atlantic, Nicole Lynn Lewis describes her own struggles as a student-parent, and the ways in which institutions make parents feel unwelcome.

Students Have Adopted Unhealthy Habits During The Pandemic

In a Student Voice survey conducted by Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse and presented by Kaplan, college students report getting less exercise and sleep than before the pandemic, and developing less-structured eating habits. Students also report feeling physical effects from increased screen time. Three out of four respondents said that they had experienced headaches, neck and back pain, or other physical symptoms related to spending more time in front of a computer.

Nearly half of students say they believe their school cares about their health. Students cite innovative wellness offerings, like Quinnipiac University’s outdoor cycling classes and Boise State University’s holistic wellness program, BroncoFit, as helpful ways to them in staying active and healthy.

Colorado Ban Legacy Admissions, Washington Forgoes Standardized Testing, and California Extends Test-Optional Policy

As part of an effort to make college admissions more equitable, Colorado became the first state to ban legacy admissions at the state’s public universities. Washington State announced that it will no longer require the SAT or ACT for admission to state schools. The University of California system also announced that it will consider applicants' SAT or ACT scores between fall 2021 and spring 2025. It's unknown what will happen with admission tests after 2025.

Oregon announced last year that it would not require standardized tests for applicants to public universities last year. The new policies announced by Washington and California mean that none of the public university systems on the West Coast will require the SAT or the ACT.

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