Posts Categorized: Student Aid

5/29 Is 529 Day

Wednesday is May 29 ... 5/29 ... and the folks behind 529 college savings plans are milking the connection for all it's worth. The College Savings Plans Network (CSPN) and various states have declared May 29 National “529 College Savings Day” in recognition of the the tax-advantaged investment plans named for Section 529 of the tax code and designed specifically to save for higher edu...

DC Shuttle: Grants Would Connect Schools, Employers, Colleges in STEM; U.S. Report Shows Degrees Rose

STEM education. On Thursday, Rep. Bill Foster (R-IL) introduced the 21st Century STEM Competitive Jobs Act, cosponsored by Representatives Joe Courtney (D-CT), Elizabeth Esty (D-CT), Joe Kennedy (D-MA), Jim Langevin (D-RI), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Gloria Negrete McLeod (D-CA), Jared Polis (D-CO), Tim Ryan (D-OH) and Louise Slaughter (D-NY). The bill would su...

DC Shuttle: Congress Hears Ed Regs Are “Costly, Vague, Complicated or Unnecessary” … Proposes More

Student loan interest rates. On Thursday, the House Education and the Workforce Committee approved legislation (H.R. 1911) by a vote of 24-13 that would tie the interest rate on federal student loans to market rates. The interest rates on Stafford Loans are set to double on July 1 to 6.8%. The bill, the Smarter Solutions for Students Act, would set the interest rate at the 10-year Treasury note ra...

DC Shuttle: Congress Scrutinizes Colleges’ Unrelated Biz Income; Takes Interest in Loan Rates

Rewriting K-12 law. On Tuesday, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing on state and local accountability systems for education. Chair John Kline (R-MN) outlined four Republican priorities for rewriting the nation’s K-12 education law, known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) or No Child Left Behind: restore local control, reduce the federal footpr...

DC Shuttle: Hearings on Financial Literacy, College Costs

Financial literacy hearing. On Wednesday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee's Subcommittee on Children and families held a hearing on financial literacy education for students. Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) told the Subcommittee that Americans owe more than they make and must have better financial literacy education. He added that better financial education would benefit the econo...

Challenged to a Dual (Enrollment, That Is)

In a first-ever convening of New England dual-credit programs, UConn Early College Experience and National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) will host a one-day conference on Wednesday, May 29 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Storrs, Conn.  For more information, please click here. Eight in 10 U.S. high schools reported that students were enrolled in “dual-credit&rdqu...

DC Shuttle: Congress Turns to Reauthorizing Higher Ed Act

Federal student aid. On Tuesday, the House Education and the Workforce Committee's Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training held a hearing on federal student aid programs. During the hearing, members and higher education experts discussed the upcoming reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, which is set to expire at the end of this year. Lawmakers explored the question of wheth...

DC Shuttle: Presidents Urge Immigration Reform; Report Notes Leveling Enrollment and Funding Cuts

Presidents' open immigration letter. On Tuesday, university presidents from Arizona State University, Cornell University and Miami Dade College sent a letter to the leadership of more than 1,200 institutions of higher education, calling on them to encourage immigration reform. The letter asked schools to hold events highlighting immigration reform as essential to innovation. The letter says highly...

NEBHE’s Tuition Break Continues Steady Growth with More Students and Programs

NEBHEs Regional Student Program (RSP), known as Tuition Break, provided more than $53 million in tuition savings this academic year to 9,338 participating students, according to the recently published 2012-13 Annual Report of the New England Regional Student Program (RSP). Highlights from the 2012-13 RSP Annual Report: The RSP provided more than $53 million in tuition savings to 9,338 p...

DC Shuttle: Preschool, Journal Access Get Boost … Before the Sequester?

Early childhood education. On Thursday, President Obama released the framework of his plan for the expansion of early childhood education. In his State of the Union Address on Tuesday, President Obama said "tonight, I propose working with states to make high-quality preschool available to every single child in America." The plan calls for home-visits to new mothers and fathers to teach parent...