2024 Podcast (All Newsroom Sizes) Winners

About the Winners:

One of the things higher education beat reporters often write about is how hard it is for students and their parents to navigate the many complexities of college. Helping them is the purpose of College Uncovered, a national NPR podcast produced jointly by The Hechinger Report and GBH Boston.

College Uncovered pulls back the ivy to show how college really works, from admission to financial aid to fast-moving trends that affect consumers. It explains, clearly and simply, little-known facts, such as how much colleges give back in discounts and financial aid and how to tell if a college might close — an increasing concern to people in the application process. All of this helps families make better decisions, using accessible comparisons and plain-spoken experts.

Comments From the Judges:

“These podcast episodes were soooo well done. Interesting, told stories, used really good experts. I especially liked the one about how universities say tuition is one thing but then give everyone a discount. It is a complicated subject but was understandable. I also like the episode about [college] closings and could really feel for those two sisters.”

“They were also full of interesting tidbits, for example, I learned there are 428 colleges and universities where not a single incoming freshman pays the full price! I thought the reporters/producers did a nice job of finding a variety of people to provide perspectives on how some colleges’ funding woes are affecting both those schools and their students. I was particularly impressed with their ability to find students who attended a school that closed and then went to another school that closed. It showed how challenging it can be to trust what colleges are telling you.”

Photo credit: The Hechinger Report & GBH Boston