Aug 05 Pricey summer programs at elite universities may not give students admissions edge By Kirk Carapezza, WGBH Many high school students are now enrolling in expensive pre-college summer courses they hope will catch the eye of admissions officers they’d like to impress. But some in the admissions departments say these courses don't give any extra weight. Continue reading
Jul 31 Watch 6:24 Can higher ed keep inmates from returning to prison after release? By PBS News Hour The phrase “school to prison pipeline” refers to the link between spending time in failing schools and landing time behind bars. A pilot program aims to rewrite that saying by creating a “prison to college” pipeline. Special correspondent for education… Continue watching
Jul 09 Watch 6:00 Why getting a college degree doesn’t always pay off By PBS News Hour Today college is seen as crucial for career success and prosperity. "Will College Pay Off?" is a new book by Peter Cappelli, and the answer, he suggests, is that it depends -- on the price tag, how fast a student… Continue watching
Jul 08 Why the Education Dept. dismissed a discrimination complaint against Harvard By Molly Boigon, WGBH The Education Department has dismissed a claim that Harvard shows bias against Asian-American applicants, because a similar lawsuit has already been filed in federal court. Continue reading
Jul 03 How Obama reversed course on federal college ratings By Josh Lederman, Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama dearly wanted to get the government in the business of rating colleges and universities based on value and affordability, promising a new system by 2015. Now that goal is shriveling under the weight of a… Continue reading
Jul 01 Why the government let many trade schools become diploma mills By Anne Flaherty, Associated Press WASHINGTON — How did trade schools go from being mom-and-pop shops that trained mechanics and hair stylists to making billions on Wall Street? And if the industry is as predatory as the Education Department and many lawmakers suggest, why didn't… Continue reading
Jun 29 How churches are trying to raise the college graduation rate By Kayleigh Skinner, The Hechinger Report “What we’re trying to do is move the needle to get as many people into education programs as possible,” said the organization’s associate director, Camy Sorge. “It’s really about, ‘How can we reach the most people?’”… Continue reading
Jun 22 As states cut student aid, dollars still flow to upper-income families By Meredith Kolodner Twelve states plus Washington, D.C., now spend more on merit-based aid than need-based aid, and many others have increased funding for scholarships based on academic achievement instead of need. Some states have cut financial aid for everybody, leaving hundreds of… Continue reading
Jun 16 Climbing walls aren’t driving the rise in college tuition By Kellie Woodhouse, Inside Higher Ed There’s not much Elizabeth Warren and Chris Christie agree on. But last week they struck a similar chord in speeches that knocked increasingly common and luxurious college amenities like climbing walls and lazy rivers. Such features, Warren said in a… Continue reading
Jun 15 Nonprofits step in to support college students who need it most By Laura M. Colarusso, The Hechinger Report Debbie Chen had always struggled with her schoolwork. So when she arrived at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Chen — whose parents never went to college — worried she might have trouble juggling her assignments and other campus activities. Continue reading