Federal student loan payment freeze is extended until May
SPECTRUM LOCAL NEWS — As we gear up to enter the new year, tens of millions of Americans are expecting some relief. President Joe Biden announced last week that he’s extending the pause on student loan payments through May 1. The loan forbearance, which started in March 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, was set to…
Read More about Federal student loan payment freeze is extended until MayCollege enrollment declines for fourth semester in a row
INSIDE HIGHER ED — Enrollments continued to fall nationwide despite a full in-person return to campus last semester for many colleges and universities, the latest data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center show. Total enrollment—which includes undergraduate and graduate students—dropped by 2.7 percent in fall 2021 compared with fall 2020, according to the clearinghouse report. Since the…
Read More about College enrollment declines for fourth semester in a rowLaw suit claims 14 universities violated antitrust law in financial aid collaboration
ABA JOURNAL — Nine elite universities sometimes consider applicants’ ability to pay tuition during the admissions process, which means that the schools should not be entitled to an antitrust exemption that allows them to collaborate on financial aid formulas, a federal lawsuit has alleged. The antitrust lawsuit, filed Jan. 9, targets top schools that use a shared…
Read More about Law suit claims 14 universities violated antitrust law in financial aid collaborationHBCU graduates face barriers when applying to graduate programs
SPECTRUM NEWS — You can do everything right and still be denied acceptance into your dream school. Rejection can feel like a punch to the face. For some students wanting to continue their education, a high-ranking GPA and standout resume are not enough. Alina Connie finds power behind her paintbrushes. “It’s what keeps me creative. It’s what…
Read More about HBCU graduates face barriers when applying to graduate programsOmicron variant forces colleges to rethink COVID-19 plans
AP NEWS — Facing rising infections and a new COVID-19 variant, colleges across the U.S. have once again been thwarted in seeking a move to normalcy and are starting to require booster shots, extend mask mandates, limit social gatherings and, in some cases, revert to online classes. The threat of the omicron variant comes as a gut…
Read More about Omicron variant forces colleges to rethink COVID-19 plansHow colleges are responding to rising COVID-19 cases
INSIDE HIGHER ED — Middlebury moves all classes and final exams online; Cornell cancels all student gatherings; Penn calls off indoor social events; Tulane reinstates mask mandate; Rochester bans holiday parties; more colleges require booster shots. Colleges continue to respond to increases in the number of students getting coronavirus. Responses range from moving all classes and final exams…
Read More about How colleges are responding to rising COVID-19 casesHarvard University drops standardized test mandate for undergraduate programs
BLOOMBERG — Harvard College is dropping its requirement for SAT or ACT scores for future applicants as young as those currently in 8th grade. “Students who do not submit standardized test scores will not be disadvantaged in their application process,” William Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions and financial aid at the Ivy League school, said Thursday in an…
Read More about Harvard University drops standardized test mandate for undergraduate programsFederal student loan payments set to resume in February 2022
YAHOO!NEWS — President Biden is set to allow payments on student loans to resume, just as expanded child tax credits end, potentially putting millions of Americans in a financial bind just as COVID-19 cases are rising. Democrats passed the expanded child tax credit as part of their pandemic relief bill in March, resulting in a $300 monthly…
Read More about Federal student loan payments set to resume in February 2022How interest rate hikes will affect student loan borrowers
CNBC — The borrowing costs for student loans could get more expensive soon. With the economy recovering from the pandemic and inflation a growing concern, the Federal Reserve is looking at raising interest rates three times in 2022. Those increases will impact both federal and private student loan borrowers. Here’s what you need to know.
Read More about How interest rate hikes will affect student loan borrowersMore colleges remove loans from student aid packages to combat student debt
THE WASHINGTON POST — Ohio State University and Smith College are the latest institutions to try to spare another generation of undergraduates from shouldering an all-too-common burden: student debt. Starting next fall, the schools will take loans out of their financial packages and instead pour philanthropic dollars into more grant aid for undergraduates. The decision…
Read More about More colleges remove loans from student aid packages to combat student debt