Paying for College: LinkedIn Honorees Offer New Ideas for a New Age

The 120 movers and shakers included on LinkedIn's 2016 list of Next Wave honorees hail from a variety of industries but share a common goal. Their objective? To tackle some of the globe's most critical issues by rethinking business-as-usual. Professionals selected for the list are dedicated to transforming the way people live, learn, and even play. Just as important, they have cultivated the strong professional networks they'll need to support their innovations. The Next Wave list, curated annually, recognized 10 individuals for their contributions to education in 2016. Three of those honorees--including NACAC Board Director Zakiya Smith--have focused their attention on college affordability. The issue, they say, is central to preserving equality of opportunity. "To have a middle class life, more and more you need some type of postsecondary credential," Smith said. "People are realizing that, but it's paired with a frustration because in many cases they feel like (higher education) is out of their reach financially." This article takes a look at what Smith and her fellow Next Wave honorees are doing to make college more affordable for the next generation of students.