A walk across the 45-acre Fitchburg State University campus reveals no shortage of backpack-toting students hurrying to and from class. But wander even three-quarters of a mile from campus and the chances of spotting even one of the university's over 4,000 students drops dramatically. Leaders in both the city and university interested in reaping the economic and other benefits of close town-gown relationships have long asked how this could change. Now students are asking, too. Honors college students enrolled in economics professor Christa Marr's class, "Current Events and Service Learning" have focused on ways to recast Fitchburg as a "college town." Sentinel & Enterprise News

The team that led development of the new UW Bothell Cascadia College Campus Master Plan has won a 2018 University of Washington Distinguished Staff Award, the highest staff honor at the University. It's the first time in 15 years one of the awards has gone to UW Bothell staff. While many worked on the Campus Master Plan, the core team included Kelly Snyder, assistant vice chancellor of government and community relations; and Amy Van Dyke, director of physical planning and space management, UW Bothell Planning and Administration. The master plan to guide development of the campus for the next 20 years took effect in January. Bothell-Kenmore Reporter

Cushman & Wakefield's latest Student Accommodation Guide highlights trends in European markets and showcases those markets where student accommodation investment interest in increasing. The report shows that Purpose Built Accommodation has moved out of the shadow of 'alternative' real estate, and is forming a key component of real estate investor allocations across the globe. Among the fast-growing European markets highlighted in the report is Germany, which has the largest student population in Europe. To find out about the stats behind the European Student Accommodation success story, download the guide here. Cushman & Wakefield

Less that one week left to register for the ITGA 2018 ITGA City & University Relations Conference. To see the conference program, click here. To learn more about the silent auction, click here. Proceeds will go to the Buckeye Food Alliance, The Ohio State University's food pantry for students with food insecurity. Be sure to visit our exhibitor space! To learn more, click here. See you in Columbus!

Maryland's governor, Larry Hogan, said he plans to sign into law a new program that would cover the cost of tuition to the state's community colleges, according to The Washington Post. The legislation would provide up to $5,000 in scholarships to students whose families earn less than $125,000 a year and adults earning less than $90,000 annually. The scholarship would be last dollar, which means the state covers tuition only after other aid, like Pell Grants, is taken into consideration. Maryland would join a growing number of states, including California, Kentucky, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Tennessee, that have statewide tuition-free programs for college. Inside Higher Ed

Colleges and universities have long been cultural and economic engines for the towns and localities in which they're located. Even with the proverbial "town/gown" frictions, educational institutions still provide their regions with a solid feeling of legitimacy. In many instances, institutions of higher education have taken the initiative to provide students and families in their surrounding communities with special admission and financial aid incentives if they choose to attend. Click on the link below below to see some of the programs that are benefiting local residents. Forbes.com