On June 24th, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced that FAFSA (the free application for student aid) is about to get a whole lot easier. Right now, the application is monstrous, daunting, and the last thing I wanted to have to fill out when I was about to graduate from high school–seriously, I would’ve rather had more homework to do. (more…)

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of college funds. I’ve mentioned more then once that I had a college fund before I was born, thanks to my wonderful parents. I can’t imagine how different and debt-ridden my life would be without it. That’s why I was very excited to read today that 52 percent of parents are still–in spite of the economy–saving the same amount or more for their children’s future. (more…)

Times are strange. Don’t take my word for it, though. Let’s have a little education news rundown.

First, the good news: Arne Duncan, who is the Secretary of Education, has just announced an $18.5 million dollar plan to “enhance libraries in 57 low-income school districts across the United States” (from the press release). (more…)

Times are tough for everyone lately. Education, recently one of the only two growing industries–it has since lost this title, leaving health care lonely at the top–is being hit hard by budget cuts, deficits, and general re-allocation of funds. Is this a trickle-down effect, or are there more sinister forces at work here? By sinister forces, I mean, of course, the slow-brewed, new American anti-intellectualism over the last decade. (more…)

On April 7th, 2009, the journalism school at the University of Missouri made a bold move: they sent out an email to all incoming freshman telling them that, in addition to their other school supplies, they’ll be required to have an iPhone or iPod Touch. The requirement has since been changed to include other Internet-ready, portable gadgets–quashing brand-specific criticisms–but the debate rages on. (more…)

Loan forgiveness is a big deal in today’s job market. The idea that simply by putting in some hard work in the right place, students can get some or all of their loans forgiven is a big draw. Forgiveness programs in nursing, for example, influence many students’ decisions to go into the field. After finishing a nursing degree, graduates can take jobs with the state, and after a given amount of time, have a large portion of their loans forgiven. In today’s economic climate, students are concerned about whether or not forgiveness programs will remain intact. (more…)

At the commencement ceremony for Arizona State University, President Obama delivered quite a call to action:

“Did you study business? Go start a company or why not help our struggling non-profits find better, more effective ways to serve folks in need. Did you study nursing? Understaffed clinics and hospitals across this country are desperate for your help. You study education? Teach in a high-needs school where the kids really need you.” (more…)

The current economic climate has made it tough for recent graduates to find work. Rather than starting lucrative careers right out of school, many graduates are turning to internships to build their résumés. Who can blame them? Instead of taking whatever job comes along, these graduates are continuing their education and career training. There’s only one problem: Are there enough internships to go around? (more…)

President Obama’s new financial aid plan would make Pell grants an entitlement akin to Social Security and Medicare. While this sounds like a good idea in the wake of private lending/bank snafus, the near monopoly that the government would have in the financial aid market has some private lenders up in arms. (more…)

It’s part of any tightening budget: being honest about priorities. When there’s less money coming in, it just makes sense to, say, skip eating out. Imagine, though, that you’d been given money specifically to go out for dinner, and you used it to pay the electric bill instead. The original donor of your eating out funds might be a little upset that you used the money for something else, despite the urgency. This is the situation that a few colleges are facing, but it’s grant money–not walkin’ around money–that’s being reallocated, and the donors aren’t happy. (more…)