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July 2025

Greetings,

We are thrilled this month to roll out a new look for MHEC as well as a brand new website! Our new logo embodies the gateway to learning through its clean, modern design. The book at the heart of the design symbolizes pursuit of knowledge while forming pathways that convey the journey of learning. The lines represent diverse opportunities and access to education, and subtly the book also shapes the letter "M," emphasizing our Midwestern focus. We are thrilled with the fresh, vibrant look!

This month several MHEC Commissioners and I attended the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) annual meeting in Washington, D.C. This was a terrific opportunity to reconnect with colleagues, compare notes, and hear about pressing issues, trends, and opportunities. U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon discussed what is ahead for the Department, and attendees shared their interest in and concern about the importance of retaining a federal role in data collection and dissemination.

The meeting also included informative sessions on issues rural areas are facing, best practices around transparency of postsecondary cost and affordability, and models that reflect the evolving role of higher education in workforce and economic development. I'm grateful to have partners like SHEEO as we navigate a rapidly changing landscape for higher education.

Read on to learn more about MHEC's latest report on promise programs in the Midwest, Commissioner reappointments, and more updates.

Susan G. Heegaard

President

LATEST NEWS

MHEC Issues New Report on College Promise Programs

For more than a decade, “college promise” programs have been sprouting up across the nation as a mechanism to address college affordability, increase enrollment and college completion rates, and reduce out-migration. College Promise Programs in the Midwest: Insights for Higher Education Leaders, a new report from the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) researched and written by scholar Laura Perna from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE), sheds new light on what these programs need to do to realize their promise.

The report grew out of requests from Midwestern state leaders to explore what contributes to the success and potential challenges of promise programs. Unlike traditional grant aid programs, college promise programs provide a clear, early guarantee for students who meet defined criteria that at least some of their costs of attending college – typically tuition – will be covered. By communicating “free tuition” without requiring students to first navigate complex admission and financial aid processes, well-designed promise programs can reduce uncertainty about affordability and encourage students to aspire to and enroll in college.

The new report details the distinguishing features of 132 college promise programs now in place in the 12 Midwestern states and identifies how programs can be designed and implemented to maximize desired outcomes.

Read the full report researched by Laura Perna, an internationally known researcher on college access and affordability who has been studying these programs since 2015.

FAFSA Completion Rates Declined in Most Midwest States Amid 2024 Rollout Issues

The latest update to MHEC's Interactive Dashboard shows that rates of completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) among high school seniors decreased in the Midwest from an average of 51% in 2023 to 46% in 2024, compared to a similar decline nationally from 54% to 47%. These declines coincided with the rollout of the revamped 2024-25 FAFSA, which was marked by technical issues, inaccurate aid estimates, and processing delays. State-level declines in the Midwest ranged from four to eight percentage points, though Indiana remained stable at 48%. Notably, the FAFSA completion rates in both Illinois and Indiana, where students are required to complete the FAFSA or submit a waiver to be eligible for a high school diploma, were above the 2024 national average.

This indicator measures the percentages of high school seniors who completed the FAFSA by June 30 of the specified year to obtain aid for the following academic year. The filing rates in 2024, for instance, represent the percentages of high school seniors in the class of 2024 who completed the FAFSA by June 30, 2024, to receive financial aid during the 2024-25 academic year. The dashboard also allows users to view the percentage of high school graduates who completed the FAFSA.

States Awarded Grants to Strengthen Distance Education

M-SARA member states have been awarded a total of nearly $58,000 in SARA State and Territory Grant funding. Each year, member states and territories that apply can receive up to $7,500 to support their responsibilities within SARA.

Regional compact directors, in coordination with NC-SARA, oversee the allocation of these dedicated resources, which originate from a collective pool of SARA revenue. Grant funds may be used to enhance digital infrastructure, improve data collection capabilities, and provide professional development or training opportunities.

These targeted investments help member states and territories maintain robust oversight, streamline processes for institutions and students, and strengthen the overall effectiveness of SARA across the Midwest region.

Highlights from the 2024 M-SARA Annual Meeting

The 2025 M-SARA Regional Steering Committee & State Portal Entity Meeting, held at the Big Ten Conference Center in Chicago in June, brought together an energetic mix of state leaders, institutions, and national organizations to discuss of distance education.

“This annual hybrid convening reaffirmed M-SARA’s role as a driver of equitable access, streamlined policy, and cross-state collaboration,” said Sara Appel, MHEC's director of M-SARA. “With participants from 11 Midwestern states and representation from NC-SARA, the State Authorization Network, and the Higher Learning Commission, the meeting underscored the power of a united regional approach. As institutions continue to expand their digital footprints, M-SARA remains a vital framework for ensuring high-quality, accessible distance education.”

Key highlights of the meeting included an address by MHEC president Susan Heegaard on the importance of regional leadership in shaping national frameworks for authorization and reciprocity, as well as presentations on federal compliance and legal vigilance. The group also approved formal goals to strengthen institutional communication, expand professional development opportunities, and take a more proactive role in coordinating with other regions to develop policy modification proposals for the 2026 cycle.

As distance education continues to grow and evolve, M-SARA’s 2025 Annual Meeting demonstrated once again that regional cooperation, thoughtful policy, and institutional partnership are key to ensuring students thrive no matter where they’re learning.

Reappointed Commissioners

MHEC Seeks Vice President for Policy and Research

MHEC seeks an accomplished, motivated, entrepreneurial leader to help the organization drive its strategic priorities. Reporting to the President, the Vice President for Policy and Research will oversee policy and research, providing visionary leadership across MHEC’s various platforms and means of serving its members. The new leader is an outstanding listener, quick learner, excellent communicator, and relationship builder. They have a natural ability to learn the key business drivers of their stakeholders as well as internal challenges and opportunities for their employees, while always putting customers first. View the job posting.

MHEC Bids Farewell to Deb Kidwell

MHEC bids a fond farewell to Deb Kidwell, who has served as Director of Technology Initiatives, Programs and Contracts, for the past three years. We wish her well in her next chapter!

Ohio Takes Action to Protect Students by Placing Guardrails on Online Program Managers

The Century Foundation | July 17, 2025

Risk and Resilience: CBOs identify financial threats to their institutions

Inside Higher Education | July 2, 2025

A Novel Approach: Tennessee Will Pair Direct-Admission Offers With Financial-Aid Estimates

The Chronicle of Higher Education | July 23, 2025