As lawmakers consider two different bills that would overhaul the tax code, several changes on the table could affect Americans who are paying for college. The House version of the bill would eliminate some tax benefits for those with college costs, but the Senate version would mostly leave them untouched. The goal is to have a final bill on President Trump's desk by the end of the year. http://money.cnn.com/2017/11/15/pf/college/tax-reform-paying-for-college/index.html 846FD41C-AFA2-4E15-A477-7CE305A14F54 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 00:00:00 -0600 An American student from Princeton University was arrested in Iran and has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges he was spying for the United States, an Iranian judiciary official said on Sunday, an action bound to aggravate relations between the two countries. The arrest and sentencing of the American, Xiyue Wang, a graduate student in history, was announced months after he had vanished in Iran, where he was doing research for a doctoral thesis. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/16/world/middleeast/iran-rouhani-brother-arrest-united-states-nuclear.html 88A48B93-5870-450C-9C3B-A454B3479DBF Sun, 16 Jul 2017 08:29:52 -0500 The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga fired a reporter this week at WUTC, the National Public Radio affiliate, after local lawmakers complained about how she reported on a state transgender bathroom bill. Jacqui Helbert, 32, reported and produced the story for WUTC, which followed a group of Cleveland High School students as they traveled to the state capital March 7 to meet with Sen. Mike Bell, R-Riceville, and Rep. Kevin Brooks, R-Cleveland, about the legislation. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2017/mar/24/utc-fires-reporter-over-bathroom-bill-reporting-after-local-lawmaker-complaints/419440/ CE3D7BB1-BC85-4001-8747-573D7EAFEA0D Fri, 24 Mar 2017 15:58:32 -0500 In the wake of Donald Trump's election, many colleges and universities vowed to become "sanctuary campuses" for students in the country illegally. The matter will take on a special urgency in the event that soon-to-be President Trump repeals the executive-ordered Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which "deferred" the enforcement of immigration laws for those who came here as children. The practical consequences of a "sanctuary campus" policy remain murky (as is often the case when college administrators take direction from student protesters). Will openly harboring illegal aliens jeopardize colleges' federal funding, for instance? In an age of funding-backed executive overreach puppeteering campus policy, it would be dangerous to assume otherwise. http://www.weeklystandard.com/sanctuary-campuses-invite-a-federal-standoff/article/2005593 4E66F704-BE05-426C-A2D3-DDAF5B5289D1 Wed, 30 Nov 2016 08:29:51 -0600 Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) said Monday he plans to investigate college students voting in his state to ensure they follow the law. "Casting ballots in two different states is voter fraud, which is why Maine law requires anyone voting here to establish residency here," the governor’s statement said. "We welcome college students establishing residency in our great state, as long as they follow all laws that regulate voting, motor vehicles and taxes. We cannot tolerate voter fraud in our state." "After the election, we will do everything we can that is allowed under state and federal law to verify college students who voted here are following Maine law, which is clearly displayed on the Secretary of State’s website," it concluded, after listing residency requirements for voters. https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/paul-lepage-investigate-student-voter-fraud BAB3692E-4E6D-4183-B6E0-337CF03DE271 Mon, 7 Nov 2016 08:34:53 -0600 The GAC program, which can cost students $10,000 a year or more, has emerged as one of many avenues in Asia used to exploit weaknesses in the U.S. college admissions process. The website for the GAC program promises universities "highly skilled international students," and some schools award college credit for classes taken at GAC centers. But interviews with some students who attended GAC centers call the program’s integrity into question. One now attending the University of California, Los Angeles, said a GAC administrator in China let him practice answering almost half the questions that would appear on the actual ACT about a week before the exam was given. http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/higher-education/students-teachers-claim-cheating-in-act-program-20160730 14DEE659-9138-41C3-A22E-56C37B1D6818 Sat, 30 Jul 2016 08:34:17 -0500 Scandals can cost universities thousands of applicants, but exactly how many interested students a school loses may depend on how widely the incident is covered in the media, according to a new working paper from Harvard Business School. The analysis discovered that a school should prepare for a steep drop in applicants if it’s involved in a scandal that ends up being detailed in a lengthy magazine article or covered by The New York Times. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/college-scandals-applications_us_577e6ac1e4b0344d514e1bf9?utm_hp_ref=college 18B41D7A-0EE9-434D-9554-2B02A0D8DB8B Fri, 8 Jul 2016 11:25:09 -0500 One was about to enter business school. Another brought an international outlook to the halls of Berkeley. And the last, while being a U.S. citizen, claimed Dhaka as home. All three died in Dhaka during Friday’s brutal terrorist attack at a popular restaurant in the Bangladeshi capital. Officials at the University of California at Berkeley and Emory University in Atlanta confirmed Saturday that they had lost students in the attack. Abinta Kabir and Faraaz Hossain were enrolled as undergraduates at Emory’s Oxford College, and Tarishi Jain was studying economics at the San Francisco-area school. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/indian-berkeley-student-among-the-dead-in-bangladesh-attack/2016/07/02/3d3b53ba-4060-11e6-9e16-4cf01a41decb_story.html A0E7F7BB-27CE-4B6D-B5DD-DDC1569CA57A Sat, 2 Jul 2016 09:45:11 -0500 College students are the latest target of fraud schemes. The Better Business Bureau warns scammers are calling students, pretending to be the IRS, in order to get their money. "They recognize college students are under stress and may be confused about finances and financial obligations," said Greg Dunn of Better Business Bureau Hawaii. Last year, scammers stole $26 million out of unsuspecting students using this fraud. The so-called "federal student tax" doesn’t even exist. http://khon2.com/2016/06/06/college-students-latest-target-for-fraud-schemes/ 1A8D40E7-577A-4AD1-8C19-C3EE389C28E0 Mon, 6 Jun 2016 08:01:42 -0500 The University of California has disadvantaged resident students with its recent emphasis on recruiting applicants from out of state and overseas, leading to a drop in the number of Californians enrolled at UC. That was the highly critical conclusion of a state audit released Tuesday -- and a direct rebuke of the university’s long-standing assertion that it has used extra fees paid by nonresident students to make up for recession-era budget cuts and underwrite thousands of slots for Californians that the state no longer supports. The broad and blistering report also found that academic standards were lowered for thousands of nonresident admissions and that UC has not developed an actual cost of instruction to guide decisions about tuition. It slammed the university for not seeking further budget savings before pursuing the new enrollment strategy, and questioned some spending choices, including high executive compensation and a low-interest home loan program for faculty and senior administrators. UC sharply and summarily dismissed the audit’s findings and most of its recommendations, including a suggestion that the Legislature limit the percentage of nonresident students UC can enroll. In an unprecedented move, the university released its own report disputing characterizations of its admissions policies and finances. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article68782827.html 3A36691F-D901-4D49-8917-E7E61FEF3515 Tue, 29 Mar 2016 08:20:22 -0500 U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today asked U.S. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez why the labor department is moving forward with its proposed "Overtime" rule "which colleges say could raise tuition by $1000 per student." At this morning’s hearing on the FY17 budget request for the labor department, Senator Alexander said to Secretary Perez, "If the president is going to go around, and I’m going to go around, and all of us are going to go around saying ‘we want to keep college costs down,’ how can you justify an overtime rule that might raise the cost of college by one thousand dollars per student?" http://www.help.senate.gov/chair/newsroom/press/alexander-obama-labor-rule-will-increase-tuition-on-one-tenn-campus-1000-per-student 6BD507D0-3A80-47B6-AC0F-C1744C551F33 Thu, 17 Mar 2016 08:01:55 -0500 The Supreme Court on Monday turned away an appeal that sought to make it easier to erase student loans in bankruptcy, sidestepping an issue that has become a focal point for consumer advocates and lawmakers as millions of borrowers fall behind on their payments.The court, in a brief written order, said it wouldn’t consider an appeal by an unemployed Wisconsin man who owes more than $260,000 in student-loan debt from business and law school. Mark Tetzlaff, 57 years old, said in court papers his alcoholism, depression and criminal record have prevented him from finding a job and repaying his debt. He also twice failed the bar exam. http://www.wsj.com/articles/supreme-court-denies-appeal-on-student-loan-erasure-1452527286 525531F3-CBAF-4B82-A2D8-428AFE061FF1 Mon, 11 Jan 2016 08:59:46 -0600 When it comes to graduation rates, some colleges are finding that small campaigns can lead to big improvements. Only 59 percent of the students who enrolled at a four-year institution in 2007 graduated with a degree by 2013, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s national six-year graduation rate. There are many reasons why the remaining 41 percent didn’t. A sliver of that population, however, is being held back by much less insurmountable problems, such as a small financial hold or a single missing course. A handful of colleges making an effort to solve one particular problem -- getting students who are eligible to but for some reason don’t apply for graduation -- are seeing a measurable jump in their graduation rates. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/12/09/using-data-driven-advising-colleges-find-more-students-eligible-graduate?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=1093a31c03-DNU20151209&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-1093a31c03-198624309 EBAA9D69-BBFE-4BE3-854C-9E4A00E577BA Wed, 9 Dec 2015 09:36:29 -0600 The president of the University of Maryland is recommending that Byrd Stadium be renamed, saying the segregationist legacy of the long-honored alumnus and former college leader does not align with the university’s mission. Wallace Loh announced to the U-Md. campus community Monday afternoon that he believes the new name should be Maryland Stadium. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2015/12/07/university-of-maryland-president-recommends-changing-name-of-byrd-stadium-citing-legacy-of-racism/ 7C6DA53B-F23F-4C8B-83D2-05167F51A904 Mon, 7 Dec 2015 08:46:33 -0600 Besides talking about improvements to business sales, showing off the Apple Watch in store, and stating that a "global solution is coming shortly" for promoting Apple Music in stores, Angela Ahrendts (Apple Sr. VP of Retail and Online Stores) used her own personal experience with her children to introduce a new Apple Watch sales tactic. Ahrendts told employees that the Apple Watch is "the greatest back to school item this year" as it can be used in the classroom without a teacher seeing, unlike with a larger iPhone. "I don't think the teachers have caught on to the Watch yet," Ahrendts said, adding that retail staff should tell students to "jump on it before the teachers do." http://9to5mac.com/2015/08/24/angela-ahrendts-as-back-to-school-gift-apple-watch-will-let-students-peek-at-small-screen/ 7F2EA313-B3DF-4669-9542-8AAFF952D69D Mon, 24 Aug 2015 14:28:51 -0500 LSU is planning to open its doors on successive Fridays this fall so sixth-graders from public middle schools in Baton Rouge can get a taste of what college is like in hopes that they will later pursue higher education. New East Baton Rouge Parish Superintendent Warren Drake and LSU Chancellor and President F. King Alexander agreed in principle to the visits during a recent face-to-face meeting, but the details are still being worked out. http://theadvocate.com/home/13039055-125/lsus-king-superintendent-drake-work 03EB5592-FDF1-4A1D-91E3-6A5AEFD6F1D1 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 15:12:33 -0500 Parents have plenty of things to worry about when they send their kids off to college: money, physical safety, their happiness, empty-nest syndrome, their future. Do they now have to worry about identity theft and data security, too? http://www.cio.com/article/2945418/security-and-privacy/how-higher-education-deals-with-security-threats.html DDBBE006-84D9-4189-95D7-4C5E584EA633 Wed, 8 Jul 2015 15:13:18 -0500 Of the 3.6 million students who entered college for the first time in fall 2008, over one third (37.2 percent) transferred to a different institution at least once within six years. Of these, almost half changed their institution more than once (45 percent). Counting multiple moves, the students made 2.4 million transitions from one institution to another from 2008 to 2014. http://nscresearchcenter.org/signaturereport9/#ExecutiveSummary C81E020F-C05B-4B8F-A5D1-38F9AA458FEB Mon, 6 Jul 2015 15:13:47 -0500 Most universities lose money on tech transfer. A 2013 Brookings Institution report estimated that 84 percent of university tech transfer offices lose money. http://legacy.idahostatesman.com/techtransfer/index.html C31779CB-342F-4B6E-BAD6-000ACEC4C88D Thu, 25 Jun 2015 15:14:40 -0500 The average cost of tuition and fees at a private, non-profit, four-year university this school year was $31,231---up sharply from $1,832 in 1971-1972 (in current dollars). At public, four-year schools, tuition and fees cost about $9,139 this year. In the 1971 school year, they added up to less than $500 in current dollars, according to the College Board. http://www.cnbc.com/2015/06/16/why-college-costs-are-so-high-and-rising.html 76F8E92C-95DE-4279-A858-05D5DA57E305 Tue, 16 Jun 2015 15:15:07 -0500 Fewer than 10 percent of 3,118 high school students invited to sign up for a new online program after their applications were rejected for regular admission to the University of Florida have accepted the offer. http://www.gainesville.com/article/20150526/ARTICLES/150529750/1183?Title=UF-online-program-struggles-to-gain-acceptance 5BBB492D-ED2E-435F-A582-83A00E01EF60 Tue, 26 May 2015 15:16:13 -0500 The director of Marquette University's Gender and Sexuality Resource Center is no longer employed by the university, the Marquette Wire is reporting. The move comes after the university quickly removed a mural on campus that had generated outcry over the weekend because of its subject: a woman on the FBI's most wanted list who was convicted in a New Jersey state trooper's 1973 murder, escaped prison and fled to Cuba. http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/marquette-parts-way-with-director-of-center-after-flap-over-mural-b99503760z1-304346341.html 42C2DDA7-F01C-4DFC-A0F0-1941BFBFB597 Tue, 19 May 2015 15:17:32 -0500 Research findings released today suggest that teacher preparation programs with higher overall National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) ratings produce graduates who are no more or less effective at raising student test scores. Classroom teachers working in North Carolina who graduated from programs that meet NCTQ's standards were more effective at raising students' test scores in 15 out of 124 comparisons, less effective in 5 comparisons, and no different in 104 comparisons. http://northcarolina.edu/?q=news/2015/05/unc-study-examines-nctqs-ratings-teacher-preparation-programs-and-measures-nc-teacher 027D5745-A068-4A44-96C5-16E924C92BC2 Thu, 14 May 2015 15:18:16 -0500 Most states are spending less per student at public higher education institutions now than they did before the recession, according to a report released Wednesday by the liberal-leaning Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). Forty-seven states are spending less on each student than they did before 2008. The only states not spending less are Alaska, North Dakota and Wyoming, the 26-page report said. http://thehill.com/policy/finance/241757-states-cut-higher-education-spending-per-student D8B2D996-6F69-472C-A263-C5E76829D6A4 Wed, 13 May 2015 15:19:05 -0500