New Education Plan Around the Corner?
In what looks like a last-chance effort, Sen. Lamar Alexander is pushing to get the Higher Education Act reauthorized before his term is over, preferably within the next year. The Republican from Tennessee laid out three goals with the act:
- Reduce the number of questions on the FAFSA from 108 to 25 or less
- Automatically enroll students who borrow federal loans in one of two repayment plans — one percentage based and one with a fixed amount
- Create a new accountability system for colleges based on the rate of loan repayment, broken down by each program the college offers
The push for reauthorization has garnered bipartisan support, but there is still work to be done on both sides.
Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education
Racism Accusations Span Decades and Affect Governorship
Virginia’s governor, Ralph Northam, has been the center of accusations of racism after his 1984 yearbook has been made public. In the yearbook, a picture of two people — one wearing blackface and one wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood — appear on the page with Northam’s name and headshot. Beyond affecting his current position, the photos bring attention to his alma mater’s stance on racism and the inclusion of these photos in yearbooks, even in 1984. The yearbook contains racist comments and photos, as does his undergraduate yearbook. Paired with the recent issues from Silent Sam, the conversation about racism in higher education continues.
Source: Inside Higher Ed
Real Life Applications of Marketing Analysis
Over 100 million people watch the Super Bowl, and unlike other television programs, most of them stick around for the commercials. But what makes a good commercial and why does it matter? The MBA students at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management have developed a framework — ADPLAN — that breaks ads into six parts: attention, distinction, positioning, linkage, amplification and net equity. Students then grade each add on an “A” through “F” scale, showing just how important marketing and advertising is in real life.
Source: Poets & Quants
Housing Still an Issue for Students
Community college students face some obstacles that may transfer with them when they continue on to four-year institutions. One of those is homelessness. Almost half of the students enrolled in a community college have experienced insecurity in housing and 12% have experienced homelessness. In comparison, 36% of four-year university students have experienced housing insecurity and 9% have experienced homelessness. A pilot program in Massachusetts provided 20 students with a dorm room at a public university, along with meals, snacks and support programs. There are age and family restrictions on the students, but they are allowed to stay through school breaks under this state-funded program.
Source: Education Dive