High School Counselor Week
Weekly stories, facts, trends, and other information from around the country
.November 5, 2026
Dealing With Students’ Mental Health Is Exacerbating Teachers’ Own Challenges
Education Week – October 21, 2026
Teachers shoulder an increasing load for students’ mental health and well-being, taking up instructional time and putting educators themselves at risk of burning out, according to a new study.Nearly 60% of teachers say they spent more time supporting students’ and families’ mental health and well-being in 2025-26 than they did a year earlier. In most schools, counselors and psychologists juggle up to twice the recommended ratio of students—leaving teachers to pick up the slack for students waiting for additional help.
Democrats sweep in blue tsunami. What does it mean for education?
Chalkbeat – November 4, 2026
Congressional Democrats have pledged to do more to protect the Education Department and hold Education Secretary Linda McMahon responsible for deep cuts to the agency. Top of mind for many education advocates is reversing budget cuts and ensuring money allocated by Congress actually makes it to schools, universities, and researchers. But it’s not clear where education ultimately will rank in the priorities of newly elected leaders whose agendas also include reining in healthcare costs and gas prices and fighting the administration on multiple fronts.
The Election Will End. The Education Revolution Won’t.
Forbes – October 30, 2026
Changes in political power will not end the 35-year movement for education reform, opportunity, and innovation. This movement is driven by parents demanding better options and educators creating them, with key historical support from figures in both political parties. It’s not simply about private school versus public school. It’s about allowing great educators to build great schools, encouraging innovation wherever learning occurs, and giving families access to programs suited to their children’s very different needs.The diverse constituency for educational opportunity includes families of every race, income level, and political affiliation who will fight to keep programs that work for their children.
Five Minutes to Better College CounselingPost – November 4, 2026
Counselors’ Corner with Patrick O’Connor, Ph.D.
Not Sure What to Major In? The Answer May Be in Patterns You Haven’t Noticed Yet
Admissions.Blog – November 4, 2026
For students who are still muddling through the “I don’t know” phase of articulating what makes them tick, college applications can add a layer of unwanted stress when asking them to identify an intended major or explain why a particular academic field interests them. And while interests are an excellent starting point, interests alone may not provide enough direction, particularly for teenagers who don’t have one obvious passion. The useful structured approach is to look across four dimensions, as discussed here. Students don’t need to have one final major selected before building a college list. But having several realistic academic directions can help them evaluate colleges more intelligently.
November is National Scholarship Month
National Scholarship Providers Association – November 1, 2026
National Scholarship Month (NSM) is a national campaign created and led by the NSPA to raise awareness of the vital role scholarships play in reducing student debt and expanding access to higher education. Join the NSCM Challenge: Throughout the month of November, encourage your students to participate by applying for 10 or more scholarships and maximize their chances for financial support!
Finish degrees for less: Schools overseas pitch US community college students
Christian Science Monitor – October 12, 2026
U.S. community college students sometimes face obstacles to finishing degrees, including credit transfer rules and tuition costs. Some overseas schools are drawing them by offering savings, as well as the study abroad experience. The Transfer Abroad Network, started in 2025, identifies schools outside the U.S. that offer accredited degrees, as well as those that accept U.S. government financial aid to students. U.S. community college students get a more affordable path to finishing a bachelor’s degree and the schools they partner with gain access to part of the U.S. higher education market.
As courting students gets tougher, colleges vie to make the admissions process friendlier
The Hechinger Report – November 2, 2026
Being accepted to college now is generally easier than in the past — and easier than Americans seem to think it is. The average overall undergraduate acceptance rate for first-time applicants is nearly 80% at public and 70% at private, nonprofit colleges and universities. This news has been slow to trickle down to students. More than 40 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds wrongly think it’s harder for today’s students to get into college than it was for people in their parents’ generation. “Most of the public actually doesn’t understand that the majority of institutions in the United States actually accept the majority of students who apply,” said Angel Pérez, CEO of NACAC.
Questions To Ask On The College Visit That Go Beyond The Price Tag
Forbes – November 2, 2026
Families can, and should, answer the value question with the same rigor they bring to the cost question. As families prepare for their college visits, here are three questions worth asking:
How to build a college list that won’t break the bank
The Washington Post – November 4, 2026
Building a college list used to mean coming up with a handful of schools students knew they could get into, some dream schools and a few others in the middle. But as families increasingly worry about the cost of higher education, counselors say affordability, not admissions probability, should be the organizing principle.
What’s the key to finding college scholarships?
Illinois State University – November 3, 2026
Millions of scholarships are on offer for students willing to look for and pursue them, and there is, quite literally, something for everyone. Has your student schooled the opposition in competitive marbles? There’s a scholarship for that. Blessed with height? Don’t miss this opportunity. Planning how to survive the impending zombie apocalypse? Get help attending college before the end comes. With a little time and effort, a scholarship search can help you and your student to worry less about money and more about finding the right campus fit
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November Scholarship Opportunities
sponsored by Fastweb
November 2026 Scholarship Opportunities
Your students can start the month with these scholarship opportunities
When Teens Turn to Self-Harm: Signs, Support, and Hope
Deconstructing Stigma – October 15, 2026
Most people imagine self-harm as something obvious—visible, dramatic, impossible to miss. But for many teens, it lives in the quiet: behind locked bathroom doors, beneath long sleeves, in moments that don’t look like a crisis from the outside. Self-harm, often called “cutting” or clinically referred to as nonsuicidal self-injury, is more common than many people realize.
Doomscrolling on social media is emotionally numbing, teens say
Bay City News Foundation – January 1, 2026
Doomscrolling— constantly scrolling through disturbing news—can take a severe mental toll on teens. According to research by the Stanford Center for Digital Health in conjunction with JAMA Pediatrics, teens face heavy exposure to distressing online news with 50% saying that it disrupts their sleep.
