Hundreds of thousands of financial aid applications need to be fixed after latest calculation error
The U.S. Education Department says it discovered a calculation error in hundreds of thousands of student financial aid applications sent to colleges this month and will need to reprocess them, a blunder that follows a series of others and threatens further delays to this yearโs college applications.
Few community college students go on to earn 4-year degrees. Some states have found ways to help
Partnerships between two- and four-year colleges and universities could help more community college students go on to earn bachelorโs degrees, according to data released Thursday by U.S. Education Department.
The Biden administration says colleges must fight 'alarming rise' in antisemitism and Islamophobia
The Biden administration is warning U.S. schools and colleges that they must take immediate action to stop antisemitism and Islamophobia on their campuses, citing an โalarming riseโ in threats and harassment.
Biden administration is moving toward a narrower student loan relief targeting groups of borrowers
The Biden administration is moving toward a narrower student loan relief plan that would target specific groups of borrowers rather than a sweeping plan like the one the Supreme Court rejected by the Supreme Court.
US education chief considers new ways to discourage college admissions preference for kids of alumni
President Joe Bidenโs education chief says heโs open to using โwhatever leversโ are available โ including federal money โ to discourage colleges from giving preference to the children of alumni and donors.
Powerful storm kills 2 people and leaves 1.1 million without power in eastern US
At least two people have died, thousands of U.S. flights have been canceled and more than 1 million have lost power as destructively strong storms moved through the eastern U.S. Residents had been warned to stay indoors Monday.
Black lawmakers press Justice and Education Departments to investigate Florida's race curriculum
The Congressional Black Caucus is pushing the White House, Justice Department and the Department of Education to look into whether Florida school districts are violating federal discrimination law following changes to the state's Black history curriculum.
Affirmative action for white people? Legacy college admissions come under renewed scrutiny
In the wake of a Supreme Court decision that removes race from the admissions process, colleges are coming under renewed pressure to put an end to legacy preferences, the practice of favoring applicants with family ties to alumni.
Biden admin relaxes rules for student debt forgiveness
The Biden administration is moving forward with an overhaul of several student debt forgiveness programs, aiming to make it easier for borrowers to get cancellation if they are duped by their colleges or if they put in a decade of work as public servants.
Libertarian group sues to block student debt cancellation
A libertarian group in California filed a legal challenge to President Joe Bidenโs plan for student debt cancellation on Tuesday, calling it an illegal overreach that would increase state tax burdens for some Americans who get their debt forgiven.
US education chief seeks action to prevent school shootings
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona says he's ashamed the United States is "becoming desensitized to the murder of childrenโ and he's calling for action to prevent more lives from being lost in school shootings like the one in Uvalde, Texas.
Congressional Democrats condemn Abbott for not releasing billions in federal stimulus dollars intended for Texas public schools
School survey shows โcritical gapsโ for in-person learning
AdIn total, about 76% of elementary and middle schools were open for in-person or hybrid learning, while 24% offered remote learning only, according to the survey. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said the findings, while encouraging, also showed โcritical gapsโ for in-person learning, especially for students of color. In January, 38% of fourth graders were learning full-time in-person, compared with 28% of eighth graders, the survey found. Among fourth graders, almost half of white students were learning fully in-person, with just over one-quarter learning online. AdAmong students learning online, the survey found, the amount of time spent with a live teacher also varied greatly.
U.S. to erase $1 billion in debt for students defrauded by for-profit colleges
WASHINGTON โ Thousands of students defrauded by for-profit schools will have their federal loans fully erased, the Biden administration announced Thursday, reversing a Trump administration policy that had given them only partial relief. The change could lead to $1 billion in loans being canceled for 72,000 borrowers, all of whom attended for-profit schools, the Education Department said. The borrower defense to repayment program allows students to have their federal loans canceled if they were defrauded by their schools. The Obama administration had expanded the program aimed at helping students who attended for-profit colleges like Corinthian and ITT Technical Institute, which have shut down. The Education Department said a total of 343,331 applications for relief under borrower defense had been received as of Feb. 28.
Expanded testing part of Biden administration school plans
As part of that effort, first lady Jill Biden visited a school in New Hampshire on Wednesday. Also Wednesday, the Department of Health and Human Services announced $10 billion for states to support school COVID-19 testing programs. The Education Department said first lady Jill Biden will deliver opening remarks. The Education Department will begin making the money available this month. AdPresident Biden has ordered states to prioritize teachers in their vaccination plans, and the CDC has released guidelines to help schools reopen.
Biden, Harris and others to promote relief planโs benefits
President Joe Biden speaks about the COVID-19 relief package in the State Dining Room of the White House, Monday, March 15, 2021, in Washington. Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses have launched an ambitious tour this week to promote the $1.9 trillion plan as a way to battle the pandemic and boost the economy. โWe want to avoid a situation where people are unaware of what theyโre entitled to,โ Harris said at the culinary academy. โShots in arms and money in pockets,โ Biden said at the White House. After beginning the sales campaign with high-profile speeches, Biden will head to Pennsylvania on Tuesday and then join Harris in Georgia on Friday.
It's back to school for Jill Biden and new education chief
AdBiden and Cardona also visited a Pennsylvania middle school on Wednesday. To help nudge that along, Biden said Tuesday he is pushing states to administer at least one coronavirus vaccination to every teacher, school employee and child-care worker by the end of March. He said the presidentโs directive that teachers and school staff be vaccinated quickly will be โmy top priority.โLater Wednesday, Biden and Cardona visited Fort LeBoeuf Middle School in Waterford, Pennsylvania, where parents told them they appreciated that the school district had sought their opinion about reopening. She and Cardona also visited a robotics class at the middle school and a class for students who need or want a little extra push. Biden asked the teacher in the sensory room whether she had seen anxiety in children increasing because of the pandemic.
Biden's Cabinet half-empty after slow start in confirmations
Also pictured is Secretary of State Antony Blinken, second from right, and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, third from right. Among Bidenโs 23 nominees with Cabinet rank, just 13 have been confirmed by the Senate, or a little over half. On Tuesday, Biden's Cabinet was thrown into further uncertainty when his nominee to lead the White House budget office, Neera Tanden, withdrew from consideration after her nomination faced opposition from key senators on both sides of the aisle. That must change.โThe Biden administration has prioritized confirming those nominees who are key to national security, the economy and public health decisions. The Biden administration has not been completely hamstrung by the slow pace of confirmations, however.
Bidenโs Cabinet half-empty after slow start in confirmations
Also pictured is Secretary of State Antony Blinken, second from right, and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, third from right. Among Bidenโs 23 nominees with Cabinet rank, just 13 have been confirmed by the Senate, or a little over half. On Tuesday, Biden's cabinet was thrown into further uncertainty when his nominee to lead the White House budget office, Neera Tanden, withdrew from consideration after her nomination faced opposition from key senators on both sides of the aisle. That must change.โThe Biden administration has prioritized confirming those nominees who are key to national security, the economy and public health decisions. The Biden administration has not been completely hamstrung by the slow pace of confirmations, however.
Senate confirms Cardona as Biden's education secretary
FILE - In this Feb. 3, 2021, file photo, Education Secretary nominee Miguel Cardona testifies before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee during his confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. The Senate has confirmed him as Education Secretary on March 1. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, Pool, File)The Senate voted Monday to confirm Miguel Cardona as education secretary, clearing his way to lead President Joe Bidenโs effort to reopen the nationโs schools amid the coronavirus pandemic. AdCardona, who gained attention for his efforts to reopen schools in Connecticut, has vowed to make it his top priority to reopen schools. In an increasingly fractionalized world of education, Cardona has vowed to be a unifier.