High School Counselor Week

Half of the States Won’t Comply with Trump’s Push to Defund Schools over DEI
The 74 – September 8, 2025
While previous administrations have issued “Dear Colleague” letters to schools, Trump’s is the first that frames itself as though it were law – setting a potential new precedent for the executive branch to issue educational mandates without the approval of the judicial or congressional branches of government. While all but two states have responded to Trump’s letter, about half of them have said they are not going to comply with its terms – despite the administration’s threat of cutting funding if they do not follow the guidance. 25 states refused to certify the letter, asserting that they already complied with Title VI and that their policies are not discriminatory. The education commissioner for Connecticut, also pointed out that in order for the federal government to cancel DEI programming, it would have to first legally change the definition of Title VI.

Tracking Trump’s Crackdown on Higher Education
U.S. News & World Report – September 4, 2025
As president, Trump has leveraged the power of the federal government to threaten funding and restrict foreign student status, demanding an unprecedented role in university admissions, curriculum and operations. In many cases, he has used accusations of antisemitism or the credo of law and order as wedges to force broader scrutiny of higher education administrators and employed civil rights laws aimed at providing fair access and equal protection to recast the definition of discrimination and roll back safeguards for historically disadvantaged populations. Here’s a look at the key areas of Trump’s agenda and some of the noteworthy moves he has made when it comes to higher education:

Your Guide to the Evolving Federal Budget and What It Means for Schools
Education Week – September 4, 2025
Federal spending is in the spotlight this year like never before, as the Trump administration has bypassed Congress and held up billions of dollars lawmakers had already approved for education. The outcome of the current budget negotiations in Congress is one factor that will determine the extent to which that status quo is upended in the coming months and years. Here’s a guide to what might happen in the next few weeks, and why it matters for K-12 education.

‘This Kid Scares People’: A Behavior Specialist Shows Her Reality
Education Week – September 4, 2025
Despite increased mandates and media coverage, many schools still treat behavioral assessment and management as a compliance checklist, not a prevention strategy. We’re not just undertraining true multidisciplinary teams that intervene with students who might become threats—we’re underempowering them. Threat assessment done poorly becomes either performative or punitive. But when done well, it’s a whole-child approach to early intervention. There are educators right now doing this work in isolation—without training, without backup, and often without credit. They try to make the system work with the tools they have. And when something goes wrong, they’re often the first to be blamed. As a collective education community, we need to do more than admire their dedication. We need to support them with real tools, clear roles, and safe places in which to speak up—before a tragedy forces the conversation.

State Leads Find Ways to Help School Counselors, Despite Limited Authority
Harvard University Graduate School of Education – August 29, 2025
The work counselors do in schools is dependent on a “nested” system of influences that affects the ability to do their jobs well. One of those influences — the support they receive from state education agency leads (SCAs) — became the basis of a new paper “Boundary Spanning in State Education Agencies: How State Officials Support School Counseling.” Broadly, SCAs are tasked with helping to implement statewide counseling policies such as overseeing counseling licensure and evaluation systems. Despite the importance of this work, the leads have limited authority, and are a very small group. But as boundary spanners, they disseminate counseling-related information and serve as a resource for school counselors, provide technical assistance and let schools know about professional development opportunities, and, with what power they do have, advocate for counselors at the state level. States need to understand that these are potentially very influential people, if they’re positioned to be influential.

10 Expert Tips to Help Your Teen Succeed in College Admissions
Moffly Media – September 8, 2025
Navigating the journey to college can feel overwhelming for both teens and their parents. It’s a time filled with big questions about academics, extracurriculars and future career paths. But what if there were simple, actionable steps you could take right now to set your teen up for success? These ten tips offer a path to college admissions—moving beyond test scores and grades to help your teen develop transferable skills, meaningful and measurable impact, and a distinctive application that captures an admissions officer’s attention.

Should You Ever Withdraw A College Application?
The College Investor – September 5, 2025
When you’re getting ready to attend college, it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of the college application process. You start by considering state schools, liberal arts colleges, and other post-secondary options, then you apply to your short-list of schools. After some long waits, you’ll start to hear back about acceptance decisions and financial aid packages. The whole process is so complicated and drawn out that it’s easy to skip the final step of the application process, withdrawing your application from schools you won’t attend. Withdrawing applications is a courtesy to other applicants (especially those on a waitlist), and it can give you a sense of peace to commit to a particular school. With this in mind, these are the things you need to know about withdrawing a college application.

Do College Admissions Check for AI on Applications?
PrepScholar – September 1, 2025
People are using artificial intelligence (AI) large language models, or LLMs, for everything from helping write emails to refining the lists of colleges they’d like to apply to. However, using artificial intelligence to help you craft your college applications can cause problems. What are colleges’ policies on using AI in the admissions process. Can you use it ethically? And why are college concerned with it? We explore these and other questions below.

Private vs. Federal Student Loans: What’s the Difference?
U.S. News & World Report – September 8, 2025
When you’re looking for the best college or university for you or your student’s future, one of the biggest aspects to figure out is how to pay for it. You’ll hear about federal loans, receive advertisements for private loans and wonder how to make the right decisions about how much to borrow and from which lender. A good first step is to learn about the differences between federal and private student loans, including which option might be best for you as a student or as a parent.

Understanding Financial Aid for College: A Guide
U.S. News & World Report – September 4, 2025
Many families are shocked by a college’s sticker price. While the cost of tuition can be overwhelming, financial aid can make higher education more affordable. Here are a few answers to common financial aid questions.

Why You Should Fill Out The FAFSA Even If You Don’t Think You’ll Receive Aid
The College Investor – September 4, 2025
According to National College Attainment Network’s FAFSA Tracker, 58.5% of families completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA for the 2024-2025 school year. So why are over 40% of students deciding not to apply? They may believe their parents make too much or that they won’t qualify for another reason and don’t want to waste their time. But skipping the FAFSA can leave free money, access to student loans, and other opportunities on the table. Even if you don’t think you need it now you might wish you had later on…