In case you are wondering whether I am scouring the news world for information on the higher education scene, for material for this blog, I am not. Faculty Senate Presidents are on a news roundup service and some of what you see in these posts are my gleanings from a much more voluminous batch of news.
Unemployment and Education
Unemployment in the U.S. for those with a bachelor’s degree is 4.5%, for those with and associates it is 8%, for those with a high school diploma it is 10% and for those without a high school diploma it is 13%. For more details see this article: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110728/OPINION03/307280061/College-completion-brings-brighter-future
The U.S. President and the Collage Presidents
A couple of weeks ago, 120 student-body presidents (Universities) sent a letter to the president and Congressional leaders urging them to “find the common ground necessary to put our fiscal house in order.” “While you may disagree over which party shoulders more blame for our current situation, one thing is certain—young people will shoulder the consequences of gridlock during a time that requires bold action,” the letter reads. “Your decisions will determine what kind of country we will inherit. So please hear us clearly: It is time to put the politics aside. It is time to put the parties aside.” President Obama actually met with a group of them a few days ago. http://chronicle.com/article/With-Debt-Deal-Elusive-Obama/128410/
Pell Grants as a Pay Check?
One organization is advocating for Pell Grant money to be given to students as a bi-weekly paycheck. Check out this article for more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/07/28/pilot_program_looks_at_distributing_pell_grants_as_paycheck
Financial Aid and Research Funds after August 2nd?
So what happens to financial aid and federal research funds if the government defaults? The department of education is not sure and no one knows either what the upcoming cuts will mean, after this default situation is past. This article touches on the higher education ramifications of the national debt crisis: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/07/27/what_will_happen_to_student_aid_if_debt_limit_is_reached
