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Elizabeth Warren focuses on college debt; Congress must join the debate

Boston Globe - Editorial

May 18, 2013

Congress has a number of mechanisms to address an untenable student-loan situation, starting with requiring colleges to provide students with more information on the details and implications of the loans they’ll be taking out. Meanwhile, stricter scrutiny of higher-ed institutions — by both loan applicants and loan approvers — might prompt some students to reject the entreaties of disreputable or low-quality institutions. Warren deserves credit for jump-starting a debate with implications for millions of students, thousands of institutions, and the future of the US economy. Now, Congress needs to follow through.

Ohio Republicans Seek to Tie Tuition Rates to Students’ Voter Registrations

Chronicle of Highe Education

May 17, 2013

Republicans in the Ohio House of Representatives have included an amendment in the state budget that would make students eligible for in-state tuition rates if universities continue to provide them with documents that allow them to register to vote in Ohio. Supporters say it seeks to streamline tuition and voting standards. But critics say it is designed to penalize universities that make it easier for students to vote, since students traditionally vote disproportionately for Democratic candidates.

House Panel Approves Market Approach to Student-Loan Interest Rates

Chronicle of Higher Education

May 17, 2013

With interest rates on some federal student loans set to double in just over six weeks, and members of Congress and President Obama scrambling to avert the increase, on Thursday the House education committee passed HR 1911. The bill would switch to a market-based formula for setting rates, similar to the president's budget proposal for 2014. Two Democrats joined all Republicans on the committee in approving the measure.

Why Private Schools Are Dying Out

The Atlantic - Commentary

May 16, 2013

Private education as we have known it is on its way out, at both the K-12 and postsecondary levels. At the very least, it's headed for dramatic shrinkage, save for a handful of places and circumstances, to be replaced by a very different set of institutional, governance, financing, and education-delivery mechanisms.

Transforming Young Lives in a Cynical Age

Huffington Post - Opinion Piece

May 16, 2013

John Petillo, president, Sacred Heart University, writes: Almost 160 years ago, John Henry Newman in his work, "The Idea of a University," observed: "If then a practical end must be assigned to a University course, I say it is that of training good members of society." Some 160 years later, the world is a much different place, but that goal is as relevant now as it was then. And a liberal arts education succeeds in doing that. I have seen proof.

College Enrollment Fell by 2.3 Percent This Spring, Report Says

Chronicle of Higher Education

May 16, 2013

A report released on Thursday by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center describes declines in every sector but four-year, private nonprofit institutions, whose spring-2013 enrollment grew by half a percentage point compared with the previous year. Four-year, for-profit institutions saw the sharpest enrollment decline, with a fall of 8.7 percent.

The Ultimate Absurdity of College Rankings

Huffington Post - Opinion Piece

May 16, 2013

Bill Destler, president, Rochester Institute of Technology, writes:  Attempts to evaluate the quality of colleges and universities should start with the mission of the institution and evaluate the institution's success in achieving that mission (this, in fact, is what accrediting agencies do). In such a process, a community college could well achieve as high a rating as an Ivy League school, and students could choose to go where their educational needs are best matched. Unfortunately, no published ranking scheme has taken this approach.

House takes up student loan fix

Associated Press

May 16, 2013

Reaching Students Early

Inside Higher Ed

May 16, 2013

College-going rates could go up significantly if students in high school received counseling as freshmen, and not just when they are juniors and seniors, a new study from the National Association for College Admission Counseling says. The impact may be greatest on those in groups less likely than others to go to college. According to the report, only 18 percent of ninth-grade students - regardless of type of school or their school’s four-year college-going rate - had discussed college with a counselor.

Texas Posts College-Comparison Web Site for Prospective Students

Chronicle of Higher Education

May 15, 2013

Texas has opened a Web site, Compare College TX, which allows users to compare the state's public universities and community colleges on a range of measures, including how long it takes students, on average, to earn a degree; the average tuition and fees; and the average wages of graduates by degree level. Texas is also teaming up with the College Measures Web site to provide more-specific information on the earnings of graduates of particular degree programs.