Afternoon Update: Tuition-Discount Rates Hit New Highs at Private Colleges

Ed Department extends easing of aid-verification rules; 'shell shocked' students reflect on two tough years; workers win pay raise in Miss.; and more. ADVERTISEMENT [Afternoon Update Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. COLLEGE COSTS [Tuition-Discount Rates Hit New Highs at Private Colleges]( Average institutional tuition-discount rates at private, nonprofit colleges and universities climbed to record highs in 2020-21, according to the National Association of College and University Business Officers’ 2021 survey of 359 institutions. (Nacubo news release) ADVERTISEMENT FINANCIAL AID [Education Dept. Extends Relaxation of Aid-Verification Rules]( Citing the “challenges and barriers resulting from the ongoing national emergency,” the U.S. Education Department is [extending its waiver]( of verification requirements for most of the information that federal-aid applicants must provide through the 2022-23 enrollment cycle. The move will [continue to ease a burden]( that falls disproportionately on low-income and underrepresented applicants. (Department of Education, The Chronicle) TEACHING [‘Shell Shocked’ Students Reflect on 2 Tough Years]( By Beth McMurtrie [STORY IMAGE]( Students write about what made them feel disengaged in college this year, and what helped. CAMPUS LABOR [Hourly Workers at Southern Mississippi Win Pay Raise]( Two weeks after a labor-union rally to demand at least $15 an hour for campus employees, the University of Southern Mississippi’s president announced that the minimum pay rate will rise to $11.25 an hour, up from $10.10. (Open Campus) PUBLIC SAFETY [One Dead in Shooting After High-School Graduation at Middle Tennessee State]( The police in Murfreesboro, Tenn., reported today that a “person of interest” had been identified in a shooting that left one person dead and another critically injured following a high-school graduation ceremony Wednesday night at Middle Tennessee State University. (The Tennessean) EVENTS [Browse Upcoming and On-Demand Virtual Events]( [STORY IMAGE]( Join a discussion with national experts and leading practitioners on how to navigate an uncertain future and what new ideas your institution can pursue. UPCOMING EVENT [Join us June 7-24]( for a virtual professional development program on overcoming the challenges of the department chair role and creating a strategic vision for individual and departmental growth. [Reserve your spot now](. Space is limited. SPONSOR CONTENT | University of Denver [University of Denver is a Catalyst for Positive Change]( ADVERTISEMENT FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [The Library of the Future]( [The Library of the Future]( Academic libraries occupy a central position on campus, literally and figuratively. Explore the challenges libraries and librarians have endured in recent years, how this transformation is affecting institutions, and the ways they’ve adapted to it. [Order your copy today.]( NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK What did you think of today’s newsletter? [Strongly disliked]( | [It was ok]( | [Loved it]( This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. [Manage]( your newsletter preferences, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2022 [The Chronicle of Higher Education]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037