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]

Marijuana Could Be Legal in Half of US States After the 2024 Election Marijuana Could Be Legal in Half of US States After the 2024 Election

Florida’s Amendment 3 would legalize recreational cannabis, along with similar ballot proposals in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska.

Oct 29, 2024 / StudentNation / Cameron Driggers

Signs lie in the grass during a rally celebrating National School Choice Week.

These 3 States Could Use Millions in Public School Funding for Private Schools These 3 States Could Use Millions in Public School Funding for Private Schools

In Colorado, Kentucky, and Nebraska, referendums on “school choice” are on the ballot in the 2024 election.

Oct 28, 2024 / StudentNation / Owen Dahlkamp

The Student Loan Crisis Is a National Emergency. We Should Treat It Like One.

The Student Loan Crisis Is a National Emergency. We Should Treat It Like One. The Student Loan Crisis Is a National Emergency. We Should Treat It Like One.

A year after the payment pause, a report from the SDCC reveals the failures of the student loan system. Cancellation is not just a financial necessity—it’s a moral imperative.

Oct 24, 2024 / StudentNation / Sabrina Cereceres

Pine Street Inn, New England’s largest homeless services organization, cohosted a voter registration drive to encourage voting among people experiencing homelessness.

The Hidden Barriers to Voting While Unhoused The Hidden Barriers to Voting While Unhoused

Turnout is low among people experiencing homelessness–a result of restrictive registration laws, political disaffection, and the misconception that they’re not allowed to vote.

Oct 23, 2024 / StudentNation / Maggie Grether

Abortion rights demonstrators march during a protest in New York.

New York’s Proposed Equal Rights Amendment Is the Most Inclusive Yet New York’s Proposed Equal Rights Amendment Is the Most Inclusive Yet

Over 20 states already have a version of the ERA, but Prop 1 would also prohibit reproductive discrimination and codify abortion access in the state.

Oct 22, 2024 / StudentNation / Nikole Rajgor

The Future of Rent Control Is on the Ballot in California

The Future of Rent Control Is on the Ballot in California The Future of Rent Control Is on the Ballot in California

Proposition 33 could overturn the controversial Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, which has limited rent control policies in the state for decades.

Oct 21, 2024 / StudentNation / Amber X. Chen and Maggie Grether

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather and take to the streets.

Cornell Championed “Free Expression.” Then It Rolled Out Protest Restrictions. Cornell Championed “Free Expression.” Then It Rolled Out Protest Restrictions.

The university’s overhauled expressive activity policy has been criticized by both pro-Palestine advocates and student and faculty governing bodies.

Oct 18, 2024 / StudentNation / Gabriel Muñoz

Postdocs and academic researchers at UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory welcome new members to the union.

Grad Students Are Unionizing in Droves. Can Postdocs Lead the Next Wave? Grad Students Are Unionizing in Droves. Can Postdocs Lead the Next Wave?

Postdoctoral fellows are vital to universities—running labs, training students, and writing grants—while being overworked and lacking adequate job protections.

Oct 16, 2024 / StudentNation / Marie-Rose Sheinerman

Pro-Palestine student protest

What’s Next for the Pro-Palestine Student Movement? What’s Next for the Pro-Palestine Student Movement?

“We are not just going to let campus life start as normal."

Oct 14, 2024 / StudentNation / Urvi Kumbhat and Sophie Bandarkar

AI Is Taking Over College Admissions

AI Is Taking Over College Admissions AI Is Taking Over College Admissions

For many high school students, artificial intelligence only heightens the anxieties around applying to college. How much of their application will be read by a human?

Oct 11, 2024 / StudentNation / Marium Zahra

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