Oklahoma Wesleyan University launches Meadow Pay for student billing

The State of NJ should consider providing aspiring and new educators with incentives for entering and staying in the profession. NY State for example offers annual stipends for teachers (i.e. Teachers of Tomorrow) of hard to staff subjects. Another way to reward educators is to consider them for coaching or extra curricular stipend Positions where they can earn a little extra and make an impact on students’ lives outside of the classroom. Loan forgiveness is just not enough for some aspiring and new teachers. We need to provide greater incentives due to the economy. It doesn’t take someone with a PhD to tell you where the root of the problem lies, but I believe with meaningful financial assistance and proper mentoring we can increase the number of quality candidates entering the profession and most importantly staying past the 5th year. Our students deserve happy and highly effective teachers in every classroom.

🏫 School Finance Leaders Confront Federal Funding Uncertainty At the Association of School Business Officials International conference, school finance leaders voiced growing concern over looming cuts to federal education programs. With the Trump administration proposing reductions or eliminations for Titles II, III, and McKinney-Vento, many districts are struggling to plan budgets amid uncertainty. Some, like Parkrose School District in Oregon, have opted to budget zero for vulnerable programs. “It’s too risky for a district to budget something and then not get it. Especially if you have staffing associated with that federal funding, it's not fair to those staff,” — Sharie Lewis, Director of Business Services, Parkrose School District Districts are exploring creative ways to offset shortfalls — from selling naming rights and raising parking fees to renting out facilities and offering stipends for employees who waive health insurance coverage. While leaders remain resourceful, many caution that sustained cuts could mean staff layoffs, program cancellations, and a loss of critical student support services. #EducationFinance #SchoolFunding #K12Education #BudgetPlanning #Leadership #PublicEducation #SchoolBusinessOfficials #EducationPolicy #FiscalResponsibility https://lnkd.in/dXuqKjqb

If we truly want opportunity for every student, quality options for every family, and great schools in every community, we must be 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡. States play a critical role in bringing coherence to a “mixed delivery” K-12 education system. Intentional alignment of accountability, data, governance, funding, and support services will promote school quality and thriving communities. Without that coherence and clarity, infighting about what is fair for which groups will persist. And that is a distraction from the hard work necessary toward improving, sustaining, and scaling quality schools. Afton Partners' Katie (Morrison) Reed along with Center on Reinventing Public Education shares her call to action here.

The Big Beautiful Bill Act (BBB) is set to revolutionize access to postsecondary education starting July 2026, by expanding Pell Grant eligibility to short-term workforce training programs. This isn't just policy jargon. It's a game-changer for attracting non-traditional students, boosting enrollment in high-demand fields such as technology, healthcare, and skilled trades, and aligning your institution with labor market needs. But here's the reality check: Implementation won't be seamless. We're talking new accreditation hurdles, stringent outcomes reporting (think job placement and earnings metrics), and the need for robust data systems to track everything from program approval to student success. States are scrambling with tight deadlines, and financial aid teams will juggle dual Pell structures while serving working adults who demand flexibility. If we wait, we risk compliance pitfalls, missed enrollment surges, and leaving underserved learners behind. Proactive action now means: - Collaborating across teams to map eligible programs and integrate labor data. - Investing in tech for seamless FAFSA processing and outcomes tracking. - Partnering with employers to co-design credentials that deliver real ROI. The BBB could drive equitable growth and position your institution as a leader in workforce-aligned education. Let's not react. Let's lead. Who's already building their BBB playbook? Share in the comments. #EnrollmentManagement #Admissions #HigherEd #WorkforcePell #BigBeautifulBillAct #EducationPolicy #StudentAccess

How do we make the school admissions process more equitable? Read how one school broke down financial barriers in this excerpt from Independent School magazine: "In the admission office of Live Oak School (CA), a small but powerful change has taken root. It wasn’t a grand renovation or a cutting-edge curriculum but something far more subtle: the elimination of the school’s $100 application fee. While many schools offer fee waivers, Live Oak recognized that even asking for a waiver can create an unnecessary barrier for prospective families and can inhibit diversity and inclusion in the admission process. 'We want families to come and see how awesome we are as a school, not feel hindered by $100,' says Maurice Hill, director of enrollment management and admissions." To find out more about Live Oak School's application adjustment, click here. https://bit.ly/47jKCWP #indyschools #enrollment #equity #admissions

In my conversation with Dr. Matt Boyce of Emerson College, he said something that’s stayed with me: “Affordability isn’t just about tuition, it’s about time.” We often talk about lowering costs, but few talk about wasted credits. For a transfer student, losing even one semester’s worth of credits can mean thousands of dollars, and months of lost momentum. When students can see how their credits apply before they apply, affordability stops being a guessing game and becomes a gameplan. That’s where credit evaluation moves from an administrative task to an enrollment strategy. #highered #enrollment #highereducation #transferenrollment #admissions

💡 Parcel Tax Dollars at Work for Students! The latest Parcel Tax Oversight Committee meeting highlighted how Measure E funds are directly improving student success across all four Peralta Colleges — from funding classes to expanding tutoring and counseling support. ✅ 87% of Laney’s funds go straight to instruction ✅ Merritt supports high-demand programs like Nursing & Allied Health ✅ BCC funds 54 essential course sections in core subjects ✅ CoA strengthens health, math, and science programs Every dollar makes a difference — helping ensure students have access to quality classes, strong academic support, and opportunities to thrive. 📖 Read the full story and see how these funds power education across Berkeley City College, College of Alameda, Laney College, and Merritt College. 👉 https://bit.ly/49cbrz5 #PeraltaColleges #StudentSuccess #MeasureE #CommunitySupport

Transforming the student financial experience. Upper Iowa University is partnering with Meadow across all three of our solutions—Meadow Price, Meadow Pay, and Meadow Pre—to deliver a more transparent, supportive, and modern financial journey for students and families. At Meadow, we help colleges and universities protect and grow tuition revenue and keep students enrolled by making it easy for students to understand what they owe, pay their bills on time, and catch up when they fall behind. With data-driven workflows, personalized outreach, and modern design, our platform boosts enrollment, retention, and payment outcomes. Through this partnership, UIU students will gain access to clear cost estimates, streamlined payment options, and compassionate support when challenges arise—empowering them to stay focused on achieving their goals. We’re proud to support the UIU community with a comprehensive approach to the student financial experience. #Poweredbymeadow

🚨 New development in higher education access: According to Inside Higher Ed, 120 programs within the federal TRIO suite were terminated after grant applicants referenced gender-balance goals or DEI framing in their proposals. As someone focused on the interplay of federal civil-rights law (especially Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964) and higher education policy, a few reflections: -These cuts come as the 2025-26 admissions season begins and leave more than 43,000 students—many first-gen, low socioeconomic status, and veterans—without critical college-access support. -The message to institutions: framing access programs through diversity, equity & inclusion may intersect in unexpected ways with evolving federal compliance priorities. Institutions must be nimble in how they articulate goals, track metrics, and align with statutory-based civil-rights frameworks. -For regulatory/legal counsel working in higher ed: this is a time to review program language (including grant & aid-program applications), monitor enforcement trends, and ensure transparency in how eligibility and outcomes are documented. If you’re advising a college, nonprofit, or public-sector entity on civil-rights compliance, DEI strategy, or student-access programs, and you’d like to connect on best-practice frameworks or emerging risk trends—let’s chat. #HigherEd #CivilRights #TitleVI #TRIO #FederalCompliance #EducationPolicy #StudentAccess https://lnkd.in/eUqqateh

Frequent teacher turnover destabilizes school communities, disrupts student learning, and takes time and funds away from strengthening instruction. In a new blog, Linda Darling-Hammond explains how investing in teachers—through competitive pay, strong preparation, and effective retention strategies—can help districts break the chronic teacher shortage cycle, save money, and improve student outcomes. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eepxqX4X