If you have purchased a dupe, or a duplicate of a premium item for a lower price, you may be part of the newest Generation Z trend of “ballin’ on a budget.” This rising popularity of purchasing dupes was kick-started by the TikTok trend of people sharing the dupes they bought.   According to a recent survey by Morning Consult, roughly half of Generation Z adults buy dupes. On TikTok, the hashtag #dupe has racked up over 6 billion views, demonstrating this generational trend of not needing the status symbols associated with brand names, but instead, liking products for their f...

Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is always challenging for students and their parents, but this year’s process may be even more daunting.  For the first time in more than 30 years, the U.S. Department of Education has revised the form to make it simpler and easier to apply. That new form, however, has revealed its share of glitches and issues for applicants.   “I've been in financial aid for 23 years and this is the most radical change in the FAFSA that we have seen in my experience,” said Sylvia Bustard, Kent State University’s direc...

Thirty years ago, Kent State University alumna Elizabeth Bartz had a big decision to make.   She had an excellent job in Washington, D.C., but was looking to move back home to Northeast Ohio. A 1980 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, Bartz earned her master’s degree in political science in 1982 and took part in Kent State’s Washington Program in National Issues.  ​​ Within a year of earning her master’s, Bartz began working for State and Federal Associates, a company that offered government relations services and eventually was put in charge of running t...