In August, many brands focused on back-to-school content, but no brand told the same story. Some dug into the financial and political situations surrounding education in the U.S., while others focused on child and teen development. A few brands offered straightforward pieces with the aim of helping parents save money during a particularly expensive time of the year.
Everyone knows the cost of higher education in the U.S. has risen dramatically over the past several decades. But understanding why is another matter.
This piece opens with a confirmation that costs have, in fact, multiplied drastically: “Higher education tuition has doubled in the last 20 years, with some institutions today hitting the $100,000 mark for a four-year degree.” An easy-to-understand data visualization shows the stark climb in tuition and fees among types of institutions. The story continues to dig into the why, touching on how things got to this point and the impact it has had on higher education and the larger economy.
Watermark Insights’ “What is contributing to rising college costs?” was published on Aug. 6 and has been picked up 302 times. The timing was ideal: It hit the wire in the weeks leading up to the start of the fall semester, when college—and the financial weight that comes with it—are particularly front of mind for millions of students and parents.
Tangentially, Stateline told the story of how the caps on student loans might make the physician shortage in the U.S. even more dire.
This story was also published early in the month on Aug. 5 and has been picked up 272 times. The author starts the piece with a human focus by introducing a real-life student whose work toward becoming a doctor has been impacted by the Trump administration’s tax and spending law. The piece explains how the law changes the way the student loan process works, and what that means for those interested in becoming physicians—and for the rest of the country, which is facing a doctor shortage.
Like Watermark’s story on tuition, this piece from Stateline would be relevant any time of the year, but it is particularly strategic to send it out on the wire leading up to back-to-school season.
Again, timing is key here. Thriveworks’ story on children’s mental health is perennially relevant for parents, but to publish it in the weeks leading up to kids heading back to school, a stressful time for families, is a smart strategy. The formatting is easy to understand and highly actionable as it offers questions to ask kids in various age groups and what to do with their answers. Published on Aug. 8, this story has been picked up by 212 outlets so far.
Here are several more stories that appeared on the Stacker Newswire in August that touch on themes related to education and child development.