High School Counselor Week

Screen-Free Schools? Some Legislators Push for a New Normal
EdSurge – March 9, 2026
“Digital programs and edtech broadly has come with a lot of promise, including improving student learning and improving teacher and administration efficiency. The question people are starting to ask themselves is, ‘Are we seeing those benefits?’” Some legislators and advocates are pushing to roll back the reliance on devices, particularly at a younger level when children are more susceptible to distractions.

Education Department urged to broaden ‘professional’ student definition
K-12 Dive – March 6, 2026
The agency’s proposed rule would limit graduate students in Education from being able to borrow no more than $100,000 in federal student loans. Specifically, the proposal said the Education Department determined that education master’s and doctoral degrees “are not required for entrance into a specific profession and are not required for licensure,” such as teaching. The ED’s interpretation unfortunately ignores that, “The broad field of education includes many professional roles that do not have teaching as a mandatory prerequisite and that require a graduate degree for licensure and/or hiring.” Some of those positions include licensed school counselors, principals and superintendents — all of which require a graduate degree.

Key federal education data collections under review in IES overhaul
K-12 Dive – March 4, 2026
Data collections for student statistics, educator workforce and high school outcomes are among those being reviewed or on the chopping block as the U.S. Department of Education considers overhauling a branch of the agency tasked with collecting, analyzing and maintaining education data.

A developmental roadmap for school counsellors
Times Higher Education – March 11, 2026
High-school counsellors play a vital role, connecting with students at one of the most defining periods in their lives. During this period students are considering their next steps, navigating stressful decisions about subject choices and exploring for life after school. But here’s the reality: when students arrive in high school, they already carry deeply ingrained beliefs and habits developed in earlier years – some that support them and others that limit them. An awareness of these early foundations enables counsellors to provide more effective guidance. This road map explores the developments that shape students before high school, and examines how counsellors can enhance or recalibrate these foundations once students reach grades 9 to 12.

72% of Teens Have Used AI Companions—What Parents Need to Know About the Risks
Parents – March 7, 2026
Many teens are forming emotional connections with AI companions because they feel lonely, curious, or want a place to feel heard. These tools can seem comforting, but they may share unsafe advice, miss signs of serious mental health issues, and misuse personal information.

It’s Time to Park the Helicopter and Trust Your College Applicant
U.S. News & World Report – March 5, 2026
One study found helicopter parenting was associated with hampering a child’s ability to problem solve, develop life skills and learn to help themselves, while increasing anxiety and a sense of undeserved privilege and lowering self-confidence. College students with helicopter parents also showed more depressive symptoms than other students. If a teen has a say in where they go to college, they’re more likely to be motivated to find that mentor, tackle a big project and seek out that one activity that will lead to the happy, healthy and meaningful life parents want for their kids in the first place.

The Story Higher Ed Needs To Tell: Going To College Is Getting Cheaper
Forbes – March 11, 2026
Despite almost a daily drumbeat of headlines about how college costs are soaring, pricing many families out of being able to afford higher education for their children, recent data tell a very different story. If one considers the average net price of college, which is not the “sticker’ or published price, but the amount that students actually pay after receiving various sources of financial aid, the cost of going to college has fallen for most families over the past decade

Social Media Can Supercharge the College Search
U.S. News & World Report – March 5, 2026
Social media isn’t just for food photos, selfies or vacation pictures. It’s also a powerful tool you can use to supercharge the quest for the ideal institution of higher education. Social media is a good way to get the vibes of a place. You can see what the students and the campus look like – akin to a campus tour, albeit one step removed.

Ranked: The Hardest U.S. Colleges to Get Into
Visual Capitalist – March 6, 2024
Which US colleges and universities are the hardest to get into? These 30 institutions of higher education admit fewer than 10% of applicants.

Behind ideological attacks on higher ed, surprising bipartisan reforms are happening
The Hechinger Report – March 11, 2026
It’s rare in an era of partisan division to hear a veteran of the Clinton and Obama presidencies agreeing with a right-leaning economist who worked for George W. Bush. Yet these prominent voices from opposite ends of the political spectrum teamed up to mostly praise a law passed by the Republican Congress and signed by President Donald Trump. The purpose of the law: to protect college students from borrowing federal money to enroll in programs that give them little or no financial payoff when they graduate.

How to Find and Win Scholarships for College
U.S. News & World Report – March 6, 2026
Scholarships are one way to reduce the cost of college, and aren’t awarded only to high school valedictorians or students with significant financial need. Per one expert, “”Most scholarship awardees are not at the top of their class. And I think that’s a misconception amongst a lot of students – they just don’t apply because they assume that they’re not going to be awarded because they don’t have a 4.0.” Here’s what students and their families should know about the college scholarship application process.

Pell Grants Are a Lifeline for College Students. These Students Know
EdTrust – March 4, 2026
Pell Grants help low- and middle-income students afford college each year. But students say Pell Grants don’t cover the full cost of attendance. Today, the maximum Pell Grant is $7,395 — but it covers less than one-third of the total cost of attendance (COA), which is more than just tuition. COA includes fees, books, housing, and meals at the average public four-year college. In 1975, Pell covered about three-quarters of those costs. So, as college prices have risen exponentially, Pell hasn’t kept pace.