DC Shuttle ...
Senate Banking hearing on student loan servicing. The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection held a hearing on the difficulties for student loan borrowers. The hearing focused on loan servicers and how borrowers and veterans negotiate repayment. Senators and witnesses said that action should be taken agai...
The Finance Authority of Maine, Massachusetts Department of Higher Education and the Rhode Island Higher Education Assistance Authorityhave been selected through a competitive RFP process to participate in the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) Redesigning Student Aid in New England (Redesigning Aid) project, funded by Lumina Foundation.
NEBHE will help project participants redesign an...
DC Shuttle ...
Bill to eliminate tax on education technology. Rep. Diane Black (R-TN) is forging a bipartisan coalition to promote a new proposal for permanent elimination of tariffs on certain electronic learning devices used in schools and homes. She is sponsoring the "ETeach" proposal (H.R. 4748) that would make permanent an exception for learning devices that was temporarily backed in 2004.
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May 29 is upon us. May 29 (5/29) has been designated a day to raise public awareness about the benefits of a 529 college savings plan—the tax-advantaged investment plans named for Section 529 of the tax code and designed specifically to save for higher education expenses.
Administrators of 529 plans throughout the U.S. have scheduled special activities for the day. Events and activities in ...
Comings and Goings ...
Vermont State Colleges (VSC) Chancellor Tim Donovan announced he will step down on Dec. 31, six months before the end of his contract. He served as chancellor for five years and previously led the Community College of Vermont. Separately, the VSC board elected Martha O'Connor of Brattleboro to succeed Gary Moore as its chair.
UMaine President Paul Ferguson announced ...
DC Shuttle ...
Public comments and report find flaws in "gainful employment" proposal. The period for public comment closes today, and many comments collected regarding the administration's gainful employment proposal claim the rule is flawed and will end up hurting students. Now, a report by Charles River Associates says the economic effects of the proposed rule are harmful. The report claims th...
Comings and Goings ...
Southern Vermont College (SVC) President Karen Gross announced that she will step down in October after eight years as president of the Bennington, Vt. college, to return to Washington, D.C., where she spent 2012 working at the U.S. Department of Education. (Gross said she was not certain the department would be her specific return target.) A new SVC president is expected t...
DC Shuttle ...
Ed Dept. announces grants to increase college completion. The U.S. Department of Education announced the First in the World campaign, with $75 million worth of grants to fund the development and testing of innovative approaches and strategies at colleges and universities that improve college attainment and make higher education more affordable. The Education Department will award g...
Revised Sept. 8, 2014
State Capital Notes ...
Maine lawmakers on April 16 finished the second session of the 126th Maine Legislature. The session was marked by a record number of vetoes by Gov. Paul LePage who in many instances broke with his own party in rejecting legislation. Lawmakers returned on May 1 to take up 48 vetoes cast by the governor. They sustained 33 of the 48 vetoes, and overrod...
DC Shuttle ...
Democrats introduce student loan refinancing bill in Senate. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) introduced a bill, the Bank on Students Loan Fairness Act, which would allow former students with high interest rates to refinance their student loans at much lower rates. The legislation aligns with a major Democratic election year interest: college affordability. Democrats are taking on stud...
DC Shuttle ...
Senate Banking hearing on student loan servicing. The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection held a hearing on the difficulties for student loan borrowers. The hearing focused on loan servicers and how borrowers and veterans negotiate repayment. Senators and witnesses said that action should be taken agai... 
Revised Sept. 8, 2014
State Capital Notes ...
Maine lawmakers on April 16 finished the second session of the 126th Maine Legislature. The session was marked by a record number of vetoes by Gov. Paul LePage who in many instances broke with his own party in rejecting legislation. Lawmakers returned on May 1 to take up 48 vetoes cast by the governor. They sustained 33 of the 48 vetoes, and overrod...