High School Counselor Week

How the Education Department will prioritize AI in awarding grants
K-12 Dive – April 14, 2026
The U.S. Department of Education is continuing to push for artificial intelligence use in classrooms through newly finalized priorities and definitions for districts and colleges applying for any of the agency’s discretionary grant programs. AI grant priorities for K-12 include multiple proposals that aim to expand the understanding of AI or the appropriate and ethical use of AI in education.

Gallup: Gen Z growing more negative toward AI
K-12 Dive – April 10, 2026
Gen Z’s negative sentiment toward artificial intelligence has grown over the past year, and many are concerned about it harming their learning, according to a Thursday survey from Gallup, the Walton Family Foundation and GSV Ventures. Among K-12 students, 74% said it is “very” or “somewhat” likely that AI designed to complete tasks quicker “will make learning more difficult in the future.” That share was even higher among Gen Z adults.

In Admissions Data Legal Fight, Colleges Want Protection From Punishment
Inside Higher Ed – April 14, 2026
After a federal judge blocked the Education Department from collecting years of race- and gender-related admissions data for some public colleges, dozens more institutions are also seeking continued relief from participating in the Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement survey—which the federal government plans to use to look for what it considers unlawful race-based admissions practices.

The Integrated College Counseling and Social Emotional Counseling Model: Addressing the “Groundhog Day” of Admissions Anxiety in High-Pressure Schools
ACCIS AdmitAll Blog – April 14, 2026
Increasingly, in this ultra-competitive, changing, and uncertain admissions landscape, anxiety and self-doubt and expectation can shift a year-long rite of passage into a mult-year crisis of personal and family identity. Many years ago, we in the College Counseling Office and the Counseling Office at our school realized that our offices were having similar conversations about disappointment and stress with the same families. In the sequential, laddered programming we have since developed, we attempt to provide practical suggestions and emotional grounding for students, parents, and teachers at this important developmental stage. We have tried valiantly to mitigate the Groundhog Day moments when kids and parents lose the plot of what they are actually doing (growing! finding themselves!) and fall into the predictable and avoidable pattern of focusing so much on process and rankings and results that relationships fray. Spoiler alert: it’s working!

Parental Guidance: You Got In to College. Now What?
U.S. News & World Report – April 9, 2026
As always, your job is to facilitate your kid’s process, not impose your outcome. Maybe they got into your alma mater, leading you to feel wave upon wave of nostalgia. Maybe you think their top choice should not be the top choice. You’re entitled to your opinion. But pressuring them can backfire spectacularly.

More than a quarter of private colleges are at risk of closing, a new projection shows
NPR – April 13, 2026
A new estimate projects that 442 of the nation’s 1,700 private, nonprofit four-year colleges and universities, with a combined 670,000 students, are at risk of closing or having to merge within the next 10 years. More than 120 institutions are at the very highest risk, and many are small and rural. Fewer than half of students at colleges that close continue their educations.

Can You Accept More Than One College Admissions Offer?
MSN – April 12, 2026
Receiving multiple college acceptance letters can be both thrilling and confusing. It’s a time when students may wonder if it’s permissible to hang onto more than just one of those golden tickets. But you shouldn’t jump to say yes to more than one offer. Each college admissions offer you accept constitutes a commitment and potentially a legal obligation. Let’s take a closer look…

4 Reasons to Consider Community College
U.S. News & World Report – April 8, 2026
Making the decision to start or continue your education can be challenging, but community college is a quality, cost-savvy option to consider. Through flexible class schedules and a variety of programs, community college can help you prepare for the workforce or a four-year institution while balancing other responsibilities.

Students Turning to TikTok to Find Scholarships
Inside Higher Ed – April 14, 2026
A survey of Gen Z students showed many searched TikTok for scholarships. It led them to new opportunities—but also misinformation.

Colleges Now Discount Tuition 56% on Average — A Record High
The College Investor – April 8, 2026
Despite widespread discounting, most families still pay $25,000 to $100,000 out of pocket over the life of a degree when room, board, fees, and living costs are included — meaning tuition discounts alone do not tell the full story of college affordability.

Interior Department Once Again Proposes Eliminating Tribal College Funding
Inside Higher Ed – April 8, 2026
The American Indian Higher Education Consortium, which represents tribal colleges and universities, said in a statement that this latest proposal “does not align with the Administration’s stated priorities to support rural America and expand access to higher education” and “removes a relatively small investment that delivers outsized economic and community impact.”