Higher education is taking a hit. According to new data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center , first-year enrollment dropped by more than 5% this year, with enrollment by recent high school graduates dropping by more than 6%. While overall enrollment still grew, this was largely inflated by a sizable pandemic dip — many fewer students enrolled in 2020, and that class just graduated. Experts have been quick to blame the decline in freshmen on the dysfunctional rollout of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) last year. “This really reconfirms the strong connection between FAFSA completion and enrollment,” said Bill De Baun, senior director of the National College Attainment Network. As risible as the FAFSA delays were — with the Department of Education bureaucrats keeping millions of families waiting months for an application that would help them determine if and where their kids might be able to go to college — the recent enrollment results also suggest deeper problems. According to a poll released by Gallup and the Lumina Foundation over the summer, only 36% of adults say they have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in higher education. That’s a decline of 57% in less than a decade. A closer look at the enrollment figures suggests that not all groups are losing confidence at the same rate. For one thing, the decline in first-year enrollment by men was steeper than the decline for women. Not by a lot — 6.4 compared to 6.0 — but, given that women already outnumber men in college by a 3 to 2 ratio, it means that the male revolt against higher education is accelerating. Moreover, there’s no reason why the FAFSA bungle would affect men more than women. But there is an obvious explanation: The messages coming from colleges and universities about “toxic masculinity,” and left-wing politics in general, have turned off young men — who tend to lean more to the right — more than women. Secondly, the decline in first-year enrollments also varies by race. While some doomsayers predicted that the Supreme Court’s recent affirmative action decision would have a devastating impact on the access to higher education by racial minorities, the truth is that white students appear to be deciding against college. First-year white enrollment declined by 11.6% from last year, compared to a decline of just 6.1% among blacks. Hispanic and Asian enrollment declined by about 1% each. Once again, problems with FAFSA cannot explain these differential declines. The diversity, equity, and inclusion regime instituted over the past decade has not welcomed white males, with predictable results. The protests against US policies in the Middle East since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, have only exacerbated those problems. It is difficult for many to take higher education seriously when they see protestors taking over academic buildings, chanting slogans about genocide, and demanding that colleges and universities should be “decolonized.” They are also aware that, despite rhetoric about academic freedom and the free exchange of ideas, the climate of opinion on the campus is overtly hostile toward conservative students, especially so to those who might support President-Elect Donald Trump. So where are these first-year students going instead? The decline seems to have been significantly smaller for associate degree programs than for bachelor’s degrees. And shorter-term credential programs are also popular. Another way to read this: Students coming out of high school are not sure about the utility of college when it comes to getting a job. And once they are off the college track, it’s not clear when or whether they will get back on. Schools certainly realize there is an issue. There is a significant dip in the college-going population expected in the next couple of years. And with demand softening, universities have started to lower their prices. As an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education noted recently: “While sticker prices have continued to balloon to as large as $100,000 at some private, nonprofit universities, the average net price — the remaining cost of tuition after institutional and grant aid is deducted — for undergraduate students entering their freshman year at these institutions clocked in at $16,510 for the 2024-25 academic year, down from $19,330 in 2006-07 (adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars).” A similar trend occurred at public institutions. Lowering the cost of higher education will certainly encourage some students to attend who otherwise wouldn’t. But, as the recent enrollment declines show, the issues are not all financial. Higher education leaders have turned off entire demographic groups of younger Americans with identity politics — and politics more generally. If they want to get them back, then they will have to make changes that go far beyond offering more financial aid. James Piereson is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Naomi Schaefer Riley is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.Some of Canada's premiers appeared to disagree with Ontario Premier Doug Ford on his approach to retaliatory measures, less than a day after he threatened to cut off the province's energy supply to the U.S. if president-elect Donald Trump follows through on his threat of punishing tariffs. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Ford said, "Well, first of all, it's a last resort," when asked if Ontario can move ahead with cutting off energy on its own. "What we're sending (is) a message to the U.S.: 'You come and attack Ontario, you attack livelihoods of people of Ontario and Canadians, we're going to use every tool in our toolbox to defend Ontarians and Canadians across the border,'" Ford said. Last month, the incoming U.S. president threatened to impose a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian imports on his first day in office, until Canada addresses his border security concerns. Following a meeting on Wednesday between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the premiers to discuss the border and potential retaliation, Ford told the media that Ontario "will go to the full extent depending how far this goes." "We will go to the extent of cutting off their energy, going down to Michigan, going down to New York state and over to Wisconsin," Ford said Wednesday. "I don't want this to happen, but my number one job is to protect Ontario, Ontarians and Canadians as a whole, since we're the largest province." According to Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) — the Crown corporation responsible for electricity exports to the U.S. — Ontario exported 12,126 gigawatt hours of electricity in 2023. More than half of that — 7,718 gigawatt hours — went to Michigan, 4,149 went to New York and another 275 gigawatt hours went to Minnesota. One gigawatt of electricity is enough to power 100 million LED light bulbs. Asked by CNBC on Thursday about Ford's comments, Trump said , "Well, that's OK. That's fine." "I have some friends in Canada, but we shouldn't have to subsidize a country, and we subsidize them for more than a hundred billion dollars a year. We shouldn't have to be doing that," Trump said. United Conservative Party Leader Danielle Smith addresses party members at their annual meeting in Red Deer, Alta., Nov. 2, 2024.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh Smith, Legault push back against Ford But other provinces do not appear to agree with Ford's threat to cut off energy. "Let me be clear, from the Alberta perspective, under no circumstances will Alberta agree to cut off oil and gas exports," Alberta Premier Danielle Smith told reporters. Unlike Ford, Smith does not support retaliatory tariffs. "Instead, we're taking a diplomatic approach, and we're meeting with our allies in the U.S.," Smith said. "We're making the case for Alberta oil and gas to be part of the solution to energy affordability, to energy security." Smith was in Las Vegas, Nev., this week to promote Alberta at the Western Governors' Association winter meeting. On Thursday, Smith also announced her province will invest $29 million to create a team of specially trained sheriffs tasked with patrolling the Alberta-U.S. border . Meanwhile, at an announcement on Thursday between Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador to settle a decades-old energy contract between the two provinces, Quebec Premier François Legault joked to the audience, saying, "By the way I won't threaten Donald not to send electricity." When asked about Ford's threat, Legault said the best choice is for Trudeau to respond to Trump's border concerns with a plan. "I think we have to do that," Legault said. "It's a lot better than getting 25 per cent tariffs starting on Jan. 21." "So I prefer that than starting a war and stopping sending energy to the United States," he added. Quebec Premier Francois Legault sums up the fall session during a news conference at the premier's office in Quebec City, Dec. 6, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey agreed. "Certainly from Newfoundland and Labrador's perspective, we have no interest in stopping the flow of oil and gas," Furey said. Last weekend, Legault met with Trump in Paris , where both attended the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral. Legault said Trump told him "very clearly that we can avoid those tariffs if we do what needs to be done with the borders." Legault's tariff assessment appears to differ from Ford's, who on Wednesday said, "This fight is 100 per cent coming on Jan. 20 or Jan. 21." When asked on Wednesday about Ford's characterization of the tariff threat, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland would not answer directly. "During the NAFTA negotiations, I learned that it's important not to get ahead of ourselves, and it is important never to answer hypothetical questions," Freeland said. "I think we also learned that Canada needs to hope for the best and prepare for the worst." This week, Trudeau said Canada "will respond" if the U.S. moves ahead with a 25 per cent tariff. The federal government also says it will publicly present a border plan in the coming days.
By Trevor Hass, The Boston Globe In an unpredictable season filled with surges and setbacks, consistency has eluded the Boston College football team. The Eagles, who have been on the hunt for a complete game ever since a drubbing of Duquesne in Week 2, finally found one Saturday against North Carolina. BC dominated on both sides of the ball, running away with a resounding 41-21 triumph at Alumni Stadium. The Eagles (6-5, 3-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) intercepted three passes, stopped the Tar Heels (6-5, 3-4) on their first 10 third-down attempts, and commanded possession. Boston College is bowl eligible for the eighth time in nine seasons and has won five games at home for the first time since 2018. “It hasn’t been perfect, don’t get me wrong, but these kids have really worked hard for us,” first-year coach Bill O’Brien said. “I’m very happy for them. It’s very well earned.” On the 40-year anniversary of the Miracle in Miami , and with members of that team in attendance, BC put forth a throwback performance. O’Brien said he showed the final drive to his team Friday to hammer home what playing until the very end looks like. “There’s a lot of tradition here at Boston College,” O’Brien said. “For those guys to be here meant a lot to our program.” The Eagles played inspired, together football from the start. They orchestrated two methodical 13-play scoring drives to open the game, overpowering the Tar Heels at the line of scrimmage. The first drive ended with a 49-yard Liam Connor field goal that crept over the crossbar, and the second yielded a 3-yard touchdown run by quarterback Grayson James. Boston College did its damage primarily in the air in the first half. UNC prioritized stopping the run, and Lewis Bond (9 catches, 81 yards) and the Eagles took advantage. “We got things going early,” James said. “We played our brand of football.” A 24-yard touchdown run from Johnathan Montague Jr., on a well-disguised end-around, pushed the margin to 17-0 at 9:05 of the second quarter. North Carolina got on the board when Chris Culliver returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards to make it 17-7. BC ensured UNC didn’t keep momentum for long. After closing out the half poorly in a loss to Southern Methodist the week prior, the Eagles finished it with conviction Saturday. “We’ve had these leads throughout the season,” BC linebacker Joe Marinaro said. “We need to keep building those leads, make them insurmountable leads, and keep the foot on the gas. That’s something we know we’ve needed to improve on this year, and I think we did a really good job of that today.” Marinaro intercepted a Jacolby Criswell pass and returned it 18 yards to the UNC 32, eliciting the one of the most enthusiastic celebrations of the season from the BC sideline. Marinaro, a former walk-on who became a captain this season, continues to fill in admirably with BC short at linebacker. The pick paved the way for an 18-yard TD pass from James (18 for 27, 192 yards) to Reed Harris with 40 seconds left in the half. James aired the ball out past two defenders to where only the 6-foot-5-inch Harris could corral it. “I don’t think anything can replace experience,” James said. “I feel like I’ve gotten better every game that I played in, and every practice as well. Game reps are paramount. I’m comfortable with the guys out there, and they’re comfortable with me.” Donovan Ezeiruaku sacked Criswell on UNC’s next possession, and Carter Davis picked off a pass in the end zone to cement the Eagles’ 24-7 halftime advantage. BC neutralized star running back Omarion Hampton — who entered the day second in the nation in rushing yards — by holding him to 23 yards on six carries in the first half and 53 yards total on 11 attempts. The Eagles limited the ACC’s top running attack to -3 rushing yards in the half and held a 240-77 edge in net total yards, while dominating possession 20:33 to 9:27. Boston College kept it rolling early in the third quarter, as an Isaiah Farris 52-yard punt return set up a 27-yard Connor field goal to make it 27-7 heading to the fourth. The Eagles extended the margin to 34-7 with 12:38 left, when pressure from Neto Okpala led to a 78-yard pick-6 from Ryan Turner. “Ryan Turner has gone from the bottom of the depth chart to the top of the depth chart,” O’Brien said. “He’s earned it. He’s stuck with it. It hasn’t been easy for him.” Kye Robichaux (23 carries, 93 yards) added an 8-yard TD rush in the final minutes. UNC scored twice in the game’s last 2:09, on two rushes from Davion Gause, but the outcome had been decided long before that. The defensive line dictated the action, as the Eagles finished with seven sacks and kept Criswell out of rhythm. BC racked up 420 net total yards, to just 212 for UNC, as the Tar Heels averaged 1.4 yards per rush and had 13 total first downs. “The D-line played really well,” O’Brien said. “They probably played their best game.” It was just one game, but it showed how dangerous this Eagles team can be when everything is clicking. Boston College welcomes Pittsburgh (7-3, 3-3) to town next Saturday at 3 p.m. to close out the regular season . The Eagles have bigger goals, but this one served as a milestone as they know they’ll be playing into December. “We feel like we’ve left a couple weeks out there on the table,” center Drew Kendall said. “We just had to go out there and execute for a full 60 minutes, and that’s what we did today.” Get the latest Boston sports news Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox. Be civil. Be kind.
Tampa Bay (7-6) at Los Angeles Chargers (8-5) Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST, FOX BetMGM NFL odds: Chargers by 3. Against the spread: Buccaneers 8-5; Chargers 9-4. Series record: Chargers lead 8-4. Last meeting: Chargers beat Buccaneers 38-31 in Tampa, Fla., on Oct. 4, 2020. Last week: Buccaneers beat Las Vegas 28-13; Chargers lost to Kansas City 19-17. Buccaneers offense: overall (3), rush (8), pass (6), scoring (5). Buccaneers defense: overall (28), rush (11), pass (30), scoring (22). Chargers offense: overall (24), rush (19), pass (25), scoring (13). Chargers defense: overall (11), rush (T-14), pass (8), scoring (1). Turnover differential: Buccaneers minus-2; Chargers plus-11. QB Baker Mayfield is trying to lead Tampa Bay to a fourth consecutive NFC South title. He’s already matched a career-best for touchdown passes with 28, but also hasn’t done as good a job of taking care of the football as a year ago. He threw for 295 yards and three TDs in last week’s 15-point win over Las Vegas. He also turned the ball over three times in the first half to help the Raiders stay close until the fourth quarter. WR Quentin Johnston bounced back from a couple of tough performances to make five catches for 48 yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs. But inconsistency has been the defining trait of the slow start to Johnston’s NFL career, so being able to follow it up will be telling. The Chargers needed the 2023 first-round pick to step up with rookie Ladd McConkey sidelined because of knee and shoulder injuries last week. With McConkey's status to play Sunday uncertain, Johnston could be called on again. Chargers RB Kimani Vidal vs. Buccaneers LB Lavonte David. Vidal, a rookie from Troy, seems to have increased his standing in the Chargers’ backfield that definitely missed J.K. Dobbins (knee). Vidal had eight carries for 34 yards while playing 53% of the offensive snaps in Kansas City, more than starter Gus Edwards. The Chargers are going to stick to the run under coach Jim Harbaugh, which means the newcomer Vidal will have to outfox a 13-season veteran in David. At 34, David remains a force, making seven tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss and recovering a fumble against the Raiders. He is eight tackles away from his 11th season of triple-digit stops. Bucs S Antoine Winfield Jr. left last week’s game with a knee sprain and is expected to be sidelined a couple of weeks. Leading rusher Bucky Irving has a back injury that will be evaluated as the week progresses. ... Chargers QB Justin Herbert is dealing with a sprained left ankle, but doesn't believe it is as serious as the right high ankle sprain he sustained in Week 2 against Carolina. Herbert was able to play through that ailment, which should bode well for his availability. While the Chargers won eight of the first nine meetings between the franchises, Tampa Bay took the past three. ... This will be the Buccaneers’ third trip to Los Angeles and second to SoFi Stadium, where they lost 34-24 to the Rams in September 2021. The Bucs are 7-1 in December/January regular-season games going back to last season. They’re 19-5 in those games going back to 2020, the first of Tom Brady’s three years with Tampa Bay. ... WR Mike Evans needs 17 receptions and 426 yards over the next four games to finish with his 11th consecutive season with at least 60 catches and 1,000 yards receiving. ... Evans had seven receptions for 122 yards and a TD the previous time Tampa Bay faced the Chargers (Oct. 4, 2020). ... The Bucs have rushed for 100-plus yards in 10 of 13 games. That’s after doing it just nine times over 34 games the past two regular seasons. ... With leading rusher Bucky Irving sitting out most of last week’s game against Las Vegas with a back injury, starter Rachaad White took up the slack with 90 yards rushing on 17 attempts — both season highs. He also scored two TDs, one receiving. ... White’s rushing TD was the 14th for Tampa Bay. That’s more than the Bucs scored on the ground in 2022 (five) and 2023 (eight) combined. ... The Chargers have turned the ball over a league-low six times. The franchise record for fewest giveaways in a season is 15, which they did in 2006 and 2017. ... Herbert hasn’t thrown an interception in 11 straight games. That is tied with Brady for the longest streak in NFL history. Brady closed out the 2010 regular season for New England without being picked off after Week 5. ... S Derwin James Jr. has three tackles for loss and two sacks in his past three games. ... PK Cameron Dicker has made 65 of 66 field goals under 50 yards in his career, with his 98.5% success rate the best in league history. Dicker has made all 30 attempts inside of 50 yards at home. ... The Chargers defense allowed 17 of 31 third down conversions (54.8%) in two games against the Chiefs. They have held their other 11 opponents to 45 of 146 (30.8%). The Buccaneers find ways to play shootouts, with eight of their games seeing the winner score 30 or more points. The Chargers find ways to play grinding affairs, with only two of their games seeing the winner score 28 or more points. Whoever dictates the style of play will determine how much fantasy value comes out of this game. AP NFL:Revolutionizing Game Worlds: Supwrmicro Steps In