art.martinez@tgslc.org

A reputation for bad customer service can stick to an organization, and institutions of higher education aren’t immune. But when schools provide good customer service, students feel more comfortable asking for help, assured that their issues will be taken seriously. A solid foundation for customer service can even make the jobs of all faculty and [...]

Graduating from college is no small feat. According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, only 62% of bachelor’s-degree-seeking students overall graduate with a degree. In fact, many colleges and universities see their graduation rate as a key success metric. It’s a number that can add credibility to an institution’s recruiting efforts. But [...]

For many students, working part- or full-time still remains a vital part of paying for college. But when federal student loans, scholarships, grants, and work-study jobs fail to cover what’s left of the cost of attendance, an excessive unmet need is created. Unmet need forms yet another obstacle for both the students working toward graduation [...]

Getting a higher education is often the first step in increasing one’s economic mobility. Having a postsecondary degree offers more opportunities for employment, as well as higher lifetime earnings than those without a degree. Students seek out education as a means to increase their earning potential, and this is why many students of low-income socioeconomic [...]

“Uplifting and centralizing first generation students’ experiences is important because they affect the policies and changes that our institutions make,” says Dr. LaTonya Rease Miles, the Dean of Student Affairs at Menlo College. Higher education practitioners have a role to play in helping all students succeed, but that role is of critical importance for first [...]

Now more than ever, college students are concerned about the financial impact of getting a higher education. According to Trellis’ Fall 2019 Student Financial Wellness Survey of over 25,000 college students, three in every five students worry about having enough money to pay for their education, and around a quarter of them don’t know how [...]

Administrators, academic advisors, and financial aid officers may not be able to effectively support their students when communication lines are unreliable. This problem continues to affect universities, even when students seem more reachable through their smartphones. A study conducted by Baylor University found that college students spend more than eight hours a day on [...]

In 2005, Texas became a majority minority state when its non-White residents comprised the majority of the total population. This change was driven almost exclusively by a growing Hispanic population. As we move into the future, these demographic shifts will continue to impact higher education as well as the Texas economy. Today, young Texans are [...]

If you’re new to Trellis, or just new to our blog, we’re excited you found us. And we’re looking forward to providing you with informative articles that you can immediately use in your role, whether you consider yourself a practitioner, academic, policymaker, or you just like staying current on trends in higher education. The Trellis [...]