Hundreds of thousands of financial aid applications need to be fixed after latest calculation error
The U.S. Education Department says it discovered a calculation error in hundreds of thousands of student financial aid applications sent to colleges this month and will need to reprocess them, a blunder that follows a series of others and threatens further delays to this year’s college applications.
‘Like sitting ducks’: Education secretary tours Parkland school shooting site, speaks with victims
Next month will mark six years since the tragic 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, when a shooter armed with an AR-15 style rifle shot and killed 17 staff and students, injuring another 17.
Few community college students go on to earn 4-year degrees. Some states have found ways to help
Partnerships between two- and four-year colleges and universities could help more community college students go on to earn bachelor’s degrees, according to data released Thursday by U.S. Education Department.
Biden administration is moving toward a narrower student loan relief targeting groups of borrowers
The Biden administration is moving toward a narrower student loan relief plan that would target specific groups of borrowers rather than a sweeping plan like the one the Supreme Court rejected by the Supreme Court.
US education chief considers new ways to discourage college admissions preference for kids of alumni
President Joe Biden’s education chief says he’s open to using “whatever levers” are available — including federal money — to discourage colleges from giving preference to the children of alumni and donors.
Powerful storm kills 2 people and leaves 1.1 million without power in eastern US
At least two people have died, thousands of U.S. flights have been canceled and more than 1 million have lost power as destructively strong storms move through the eastern U.S. Residents were warned to stay indoors Monday and prepare for the worst.
Black lawmakers press Justice and Education Departments to investigate Florida's race curriculum
The Congressional Black Caucus is pushing the White House, Justice Department and the Department of Education to look into whether Florida school districts are violating federal discrimination law following changes to the state's Black history curriculum.
Affirmative action for white people? Legacy college admissions come under renewed scrutiny
In the wake of a Supreme Court decision that removes race from the admissions process, colleges are coming under renewed pressure to put an end to legacy preferences, the practice of favoring applicants with family ties to alumni.
Biden admin relaxes rules for student debt forgiveness
The Biden administration is moving forward with an overhaul of several student debt forgiveness programs, aiming to make it easier for borrowers to get cancellation if they are duped by their colleges or if they put in a decade of work as public servants.
Libertarian group sues to block student debt cancellation
A libertarian group in California filed a legal challenge to President Joe Biden’s plan for student debt cancellation on Tuesday, calling it an illegal overreach that would increase state tax burdens for some Americans who get their debt forgiven.
US eases student loan relief for those with disabilities
The action targets a loan forgiveness program that aims to help people with disabilities but that critics say carries overly burdensome rules. After being granted loan forgiveness, borrowers are required to submit documentation of their earnings for three years. Another 41,000 who had debt reinstated over paperwork issues will again get loan forgiveness, amounting to a combined $1.3 billion. Student Defense, a Washington legal group, said the action helps a small fraction of borrowers eligible for the program. Advocates estimate that nearly 70% of eligible borrowers have not received loan forgiveness and hold an estimated $14 billion in student debt.
School survey shows 'critical gaps' for in-person learning
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said the findings, while encouraging, also showed “critical gaps” for in-person learning, especially for students of color. In January, 38% of fourth graders were learning full-time in-person, compared with 28% of eighth graders, the survey found. Among fourth graders, almost half of white students were learning fully in-person, with just over one-quarter learning online. Just 42% of those with disabilities and 34% learning English were enrolled in full-time classroom learning, compared with 38% of all students. AdAmong students learning online, the survey found, the amount of time spent with a live teacher also varied greatly.
Students who got partial loan relief to see full discharge
WASHINGTON – Thousands of students defrauded by for-profit schools will have their federal loans fully erased, the Biden administration announced Thursday, reversing a Trump administration policy that had given them only partial relief. The change could lead to $1 billion in loans being canceled for 72,000 borrowers, all of whom attended for-profit schools, the Education Department said. The borrower defense to repayment program allows students to have their federal loans canceled if they were defrauded by their schools. The Education Department said a total of 343,331 applications for relief under borrower defense had been received as of Feb. 28. Sen. Patty Murray, who heads the Senate committee overseeing education, said DeVos used “faulty math” to deny student full relief.
Expanded testing part of Biden administration school plans
“The time is now, and schools must act immediately to get students safely back into school buildings,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said Wednesday. As part of that effort, first lady Jill Biden visited a school in New Hampshire on Wednesday. Also Wednesday, the Department of Health and Human Services announced $10 billion for states to support school COVID-19 testing programs. That could mean paying teachers and other staff to keep school going through the summer or continuing remote learning to supplement school days. President Biden has ordered states to prioritize teachers in their vaccination plans, and the CDC has released guidelines to help schools reopen.
The road show begins: VP Harris, Jill Biden promote aid plan
President Joe Biden speaks about the COVID-19 relief package in the State Dining Room of the White House, Monday, March 15, 2021, in Washington. Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses have launched an ambitious tour this week to promote the $1.9 trillion plan as a way to battle the pandemic and boost the economy. “We want to avoid a situation where people are unaware of what they’re entitled to,” Harris said at the culinary academy. “Shots in arms and money in pockets,” Biden said at the White House. And he mocked Biden's talk of Americans working toward merely being able to gather in small groups by July 4th as “bizarre.”The Biden plan cleared Congress without any backing from Republicans, despite polling that found broad public support.
It's back to school for Jill Biden and new education chief
AdBiden and Cardona also visited a Pennsylvania middle school on Wednesday. To help nudge that along, Biden said Tuesday he is pushing states to administer at least one coronavirus vaccination to every teacher, school employee and child-care worker by the end of March. He said the president’s directive that teachers and school staff be vaccinated quickly will be “my top priority.”Later Wednesday, Biden and Cardona visited Fort LeBoeuf Middle School in Waterford, Pennsylvania, where parents told them they appreciated that the school district had sought their opinion about reopening. She and Cardona also visited a robotics class at the middle school and a class for students who need or want a little extra push. Biden asked the teacher in the sensory room whether she had seen anxiety in children increasing because of the pandemic.
Biden's Cabinet half-empty after slow start in confirmations
Also pictured is Secretary of State Antony Blinken, second from right, and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, third from right. Among Biden’s 23 nominees with Cabinet rank, just 13 have been confirmed by the Senate, or a little over half. On Tuesday, Biden's Cabinet was thrown into further uncertainty when his nominee to lead the White House budget office, Neera Tanden, withdrew from consideration after her nomination faced opposition from key senators on both sides of the aisle. That must change.”The Biden administration has prioritized confirming those nominees who are key to national security, the economy and public health decisions. The Biden administration has not been completely hamstrung by the slow pace of confirmations, however.
Biden's Cabinet half-empty after slow start in confirmations
Also pictured is Secretary of State Antony Blinken, second from right, and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, third from right. Among Biden’s 23 nominees with Cabinet rank, just 13 have been confirmed by the Senate, or a little over half. On Tuesday, Biden's cabinet was thrown into further uncertainty when his nominee to lead the White House budget office, Neera Tanden, withdrew from consideration after her nomination faced opposition from key senators on both sides of the aisle. That must change.”The Biden administration has prioritized confirming those nominees who are key to national security, the economy and public health decisions. The Biden administration has not been completely hamstrung by the slow pace of confirmations, however.