Higher Education

New data from the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development shows significant differences in average annual wages across the state, with several northwest Missouri counties ranking among the state's lowest-paid areas.

A request from lawmakers to create a method for determining state funding of public universities while keeping funding flat creates challenge for state officials.

Included in the budget is $4.2 billion for the K-12 public school foundation formula, more than $376 million in school transportation funding and $60 million for the state's private school voucher program.

The House this session passed a major overhaul of how the state funds higher education institutions. Critics say it created winners and losers among the state's universities.

An email sent to Northwest students on Feb. 16 provided an update to the pay rates of student employees on campus. Students will now make $15 an hour, up from the $10.30 they currently receive.

A bill now in the Iowa Legislature would allow community colleges to offer four-year bachelor's degree programs. Private colleges are opposed to the measure, saying such a move amounts to taxpayer-funded competition.

After providing more than $100 million in free plays to lure customers, FanDuel and DraftKings, the sports books dominating the state market, paid no taxes.

The Work College Consortium is a rare group of just nine colleges nationwide where every full-time student works as part of earning a degree. At Missouri's College of the Ozarks, that model is helping students graduate debt-free while gaining real-world experience, strong work habits and career-ready skills.

As job creation slowed through most of 2025, Midwestern college graduates — and those approaching graduation — describe a competitive, unusual job market that makes them question their self-worth.

The new rule caps loans for grad students in what the Department of Education considers "non-professional fields," which includes nursing.