StudentNation

StudentNation is a program of the Nation Fund for Independent Journalism and is made possible through generous funding from the Puffin Foundation. StudentNation focuses on first-person accounts from student activists, organizers, and journalists and has helped launch the careers of contributors to The New York TimesVoxBusiness InsiderTeen Vogue, the Guardian, and more. If you’re a student and you have an article idea, please send pitches and questions to [email protected]

Harry S. Truman looks over a campaign poster urging people to register to vote.

How the Truman Scholarship Became the Right’s Latest Battleground How the Truman Scholarship Became the Right’s Latest Battleground

As Republican pressure on education mounts, the fight over the scholarship reveals a broader effort to turn public service into a test of political loyalty.

Jul 11, 2025 / StudentNation / Thai Loyd

Protesters gather outside of USAID headquarters in Washington, DC.

Defunded by Trump, a Sri Lankan Project Confronts the Problem It Tried to Solve Defunded by Trump, a Sri Lankan Project Confronts the Problem It Tried to Solve

Staff at Media Empowerment for a Democratic Sri Lanka never expected their small initiative to become the target of the kind of fake news it had actively worked to fight against.

Jul 9, 2025 / StudentNation / Uma Fox

Donald Trump stops in the White House Cross Hall to listen to the band at the conclusion of a “One, Big, Beautiful” event.

How Republicans’ Endowment Tax Will Hurt Higher Education How Republicans’ Endowment Tax Will Hurt Higher Education

As the Trump administration escalates its campaign to reshape education, a provision in the “Big Beautiful Bill” will raise the tax on select private colleges’ endowments.

Jul 7, 2025 / StudentNation / Owen Dahlkamp

Members of the University of Oregon Student Workers during its historic strike.

Inside One of the Largest Student Worker Strikes Ever Inside One of the Largest Student Worker Strikes Ever

Around 4,000 members of the University of Oregon Student Workers went on strike in April, winning the first contract that covers every undergraduate worker at a public university....

Jul 1, 2025 / StudentNation / Andrew Berka

Living With Fracture: A Conversation With Sarah Aziza

Living With Fracture: A Conversation With Sarah Aziza Living With Fracture: A Conversation With Sarah Aziza

The Hollow Half is not simply a memoir of personal recovery or an account of Palestinian political history. It’s an exploration of fragmentation.

Jun 26, 2025 / Q&A / Lara-Nour Walton

Afghan female students arrive for their lessons at a madrassa, or an Islamic school, on the outskirts of Mazar-i-Sharif on April 8, 2025.

With Trump’s New Travel Ban, 2 Afghan Sisters Wait in Limbo With Trump’s New Travel Ban, 2 Afghan Sisters Wait in Limbo

Split by the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s education in Afghanistan, the sisters hoped to reunite in the US. But new travel limits could jeopardize their plans.

Jun 24, 2025 / StudentNation / Cecile McWilliams

Thousands of people gather on No Kings Day to protest Trump, his administration, and ICE activities in Los Angeles, California.

From the City to the Suburbs, First-Time Protesters Are Showing Up From the City to the Suburbs, First-Time Protesters Are Showing Up

Here’s how the protests against President Trump and increased ICE raids have affected communities and galvanized residents in and around Los Angeles, California.

Jun 18, 2025 / StudentNation / Rani Chor and Zoya Alam

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks to the media after the House narrowly passed a bill forwarding President Donald Trump’s agenda.

Young People Have the Most to Lose From Trump’s Budget Bill Young People Have the Most to Lose From Trump’s Budget Bill

The proposed “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” will slow the progress of the next generation for years to come. Here are three of the biggest consequences.

Jun 16, 2025 / StudentNation / Jazmin Kay

People in Chicago protesting against recent ICE raids and President Trump.

“Every Single Day I Pray”: Young People Protest ICE in Chicago “Every Single Day I Pray”: Young People Protest ICE in Chicago

Thousands of protesters marched in Chicago against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in their city and President Trump’s deployment of troops in Los Angeles.

Jun 13, 2025 / StudentNation / Ava Menkes

Donald Trump signs executive orders relating to higher education institutions, alongside US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon.

Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” Would Be a Disaster for Student Loan Borrowers Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” Would Be a Disaster for Student Loan Borrowers

The proposed budget cuts would hurt millions of Americans, as the typical borrower with a college degree will see their student loan payments spike more than $2,928 per year.

Jun 11, 2025 / StudentNation / Ángel Rentería

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