INSIDER
Students can now apply for federal college aid. Officials hope for a smoother rollout this year
Read full article: Students can now apply for federal college aid. Officials hope for a smoother rollout this yearThe federal FAFSA form used to apply for college financial aid opened to high school seniors across the nation on Thursday, a year after a disastrous rollout by the Biden administration delayed the application for months.
Biden hosts formal ceremony to celebrate federal support for Hispanic-serving institutions
Read full article: Biden hosts formal ceremony to celebrate federal support for Hispanic-serving institutionsPresident Joe Biden hosted a formal ceremony Wednesday to publicly celebrate his executive order establishing an initiative to increase funding for Hispanic-serving institutions.
Biden tries again at student loan cancellation, this time for those with financial hardships
Read full article: Biden tries again at student loan cancellation, this time for those with financial hardshipsThe Biden administration is moving ahead with a new path to student loan cancellation for Americans who face steep medical bills, child care costs and other types of financial hardship that prevent them from repaying their loans.
Missouri, Kansas judges temporarily halt much of President Biden's student debt forgiveness plan
Read full article: Missouri, Kansas judges temporarily halt much of President Biden's student debt forgiveness planFederal judges in Kansas and Missouri have together blocked much of a Biden administration student loan repayment plan that provides a faster path to cancellation and lower monthly payments for millions of borrowers.
Most US students are recovering from pandemic-era setbacks, but millions are making up little ground
Read full article: Most US students are recovering from pandemic-era setbacks, but millions are making up little groundAmerica’s schools have just started making progress toward getting students back on track after they fell behind by historic margins during the pandemic.
Biden’s new Title IX rules protect LGBTQ+ students, but avoid addressing transgender athletes
Read full article: Biden’s new Title IX rules protect LGBTQ+ students, but avoid addressing transgender athletesThe rights of LGBTQ+ students will be protected by federal law and victims of campus sexual assault will gain new safeguards under new rules from the Biden administration.
Biden promotes 'life-changing' student loan relief in Wisconsin as he rallies younger voters
Read full article: Biden promotes 'life-changing' student loan relief in Wisconsin as he rallies younger votersPresident Joe Biden says student loan relief will empower Americans to pursue their dreams without the burden of debt.
President Joe Biden will unveil his new plan to give student loan relief to many new borrowers
Read full article: President Joe Biden will unveil his new plan to give student loan relief to many new borrowersPresident Joe Biden will announce a significant new plan next week to cancel federal student loan debt for new categories of borrowers.
'Frozen in time.' Kamala Harris tours bloodstained building where 2018 Parkland massacre happened
Read full article: 'Frozen in time.' Kamala Harris tours bloodstained building where 2018 Parkland massacre happenedVice President Kamala Harris toured the bloodstained classroom building where the 2018 Parkland high school massacre happened.
Hundreds of thousands of financial aid applications need to be fixed after latest calculation error
Read full article: Hundreds of thousands of financial aid applications need to be fixed after latest calculation errorThe 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 year’s college applications.
Education Department starts sending financial aid data to colleges after months of delays
Read full article: Education Department starts sending financial aid data to colleges after months of delaysAfter months of delays and technical hiccups, some colleges and universities have started to receive federal data they need to put together financial aid offers for incoming students.
‘Like sitting ducks’: Education secretary tours Parkland school shooting site, speaks with victims
Read full article: ‘Like sitting ducks’: Education secretary tours Parkland school shooting site, speaks with victimsNext month will mark six years since the tragic 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, when a shooter armed with an AR-15 style rifle shot and killed 17 staff and students, injuring another 17.
Biden withholds $2M from student loan servicers after companies bungled billing statements
Read full article: Biden withholds $2M from student loan servicers after companies bungled billing statementsThe Biden administration is docking more than $2 million in payments to student loan servicers that failed to send billing statements on time after the end of a coronavirus pandemic payment freeze.
Columbia, Cornell and other colleges face US inquiries over alleged antisemitism and Islamophobia
Read full article: Columbia, Cornell and other colleges face US inquiries over alleged antisemitism and IslamophobiaThe federal government has opened civil rights investigations at seven schools and universities over allegations of antisemitism or Islamophobia since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.
Black and Latino students lack access to certified teachers and advanced classes, US data shows
Read full article: Black and Latino students lack access to certified teachers and advanced classes, US data showsAmerica’s Black and Latino students were at a disadvantage in nearly every measure of education opportunity in the 2020-21 school year.
Few community college students go on to earn 4-year degrees. Some states have found ways to help
Read full article: Few community college students go on to earn 4-year degrees. Some states have found ways to helpPartnerships between two- and four-year colleges and universities could help more community college students go on to earn bachelor’s degrees, according to data released Thursday by U.S. Education Department.
Biden and Jill Biden hand out books and candy while hosting thousands for rainy trick or treating
Read full article: Biden and Jill Biden hand out books and candy while hosting thousands for rainy trick or treatingBooks were about as abundant as candy at a trick-or-treating event that President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden hosted at the White House on the eve of Halloween.
Biden administration is moving toward a narrower student loan relief targeting groups of borrowers
Read full article: Biden administration is moving toward a narrower student loan relief targeting groups of borrowersThe 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.
Colleges should step up diversity efforts after affirmative action ruling, the government says
Read full article: Colleges should step up diversity efforts after affirmative action ruling, the government saysThe Biden administration is asking America’s colleges to step up their efforts to make campuses more racially diverse.
New rule will cut federal money to college programs that leave grads with high debt, low pay
Read full article: New rule will cut federal money to college programs that leave grads with high debt, low payA new federal rule threatens to cut federal money to college programs that consistently leave graduates with low pay or unaffordable debt.
US education chief considers new ways to discourage college admissions preference for kids of alumni
Read full article: US education chief considers new ways to discourage college admissions preference for kids of alumniPresident Joe Biden’s education chief says he’s open to using “whatever levers” are available — including federal money — 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
Read full article: Powerful storm kills 2 people and leaves 1.1 million without power in eastern USAt 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 move through the eastern U.S. Residents were warned to stay indoors Monday and prepare for the worst.
Conservative groups sue to block Biden plan canceling $39 billion in student loans
Read full article: Conservative groups sue to block Biden plan canceling $39 billion in student loansTwo conservative groups are asking a federal court to block the Biden administration’s plan to cancel $39 billion in student loans for more than 800,000 borrowers.
Black lawmakers press Justice and Education Departments to investigate Florida's race curriculum
Read full article: Black lawmakers press Justice and Education Departments to investigate Florida's race curriculumThe 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
Read full article: Affirmative action for white people? Legacy college admissions come under renewed scrutinyIn 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.
DeSantis sues Biden administration over university accreditations linked to funding
Read full article: DeSantis sues Biden administration over university accreditations linked to fundingGov. Ron DeSantis announced a new state lawsuit filed on Thursday in Fort Lauderdale is meant to weaken the power that accrediting agencies have over the state’s public colleges and universities.
DeSantis sues Biden administration over university accrediting system
Read full article: DeSantis sues Biden administration over university accrediting systemFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis says the state is suing the Biden administration and U.S. Department of Education over accreditation agencies that control federal aid for students.
New rule targets college programs that leave grads with low income, high debt
Read full article: New rule targets college programs that leave grads with low income, high debtCollege programs that leave graduates underpaid or buried in loans would be cut off from federal money under a proposal issued by the Biden administration on Wednesday.
U.S. education secretary visits Miami-Dade schools, criticizes Florida’s new legislation
Read full article: U.S. education secretary visits Miami-Dade schools, criticizes Florida’s new legislationU.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona visited schools on Thursday in Miami-Dade County and spoke out against Florida legislation that affects public education.
US would bar full ban on trans athletes but allow exceptions
Read full article: US would bar full ban on trans athletes but allow exceptionsA new rule proposed by the Biden administration would prevent schools and colleges from enacting outright bans on transgender athletes, but it would allow certain exceptions to promote fairness or reduce injuries.
High court to rule on Biden student loan cancellation plan
Read full article: High court to rule on Biden student loan cancellation planThe Supreme Court says the Biden administration program to cancel student loans will remain blocked for now, but the justices have agreed to take up the case in late winter.
Biden admin relaxes rules for student debt forgiveness
Read full article: Biden admin relaxes rules for student debt forgivenessThe 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.
Here's how you can apply for student loan forgiveness
Read full article: Here's how you can apply for student loan forgivenessPresident Joe Biden has officially kicked off the application process for his student debt cancellation program, opening the door for millions of Americans to apply for up to $20,000 in forgiveness.
Small business group files suit over Biden student loan plan
Read full article: Small business group files suit over Biden student loan planA small business advocacy group has filed a new lawsuit seeking to block the Biden administration’s efforts to forgive student loan debt for tens of millions of Americans.
Libertarian group sues to block student debt cancellation
Read full article: Libertarian group sues to block student debt cancellationA libertarian group in California filed a legal challenge to President Joe Biden’s 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.
After cancellation, Dems look to reduce future student debt
Read full article: After cancellation, Dems look to reduce future student debtHouse Democrats are proposing new legislation that would increase federal student aid, lower interest rates on loans and take other steps to make college more affordable.
Montana defies order on transgender birth certificates
Read full article: Montana defies order on transgender birth certificatesJust hours after a Montana judge blocked health officials from enforcing a state rule that would prevent transgender people from changing the gender on their birth certificate, the Republican-run state said it would defy the order.
Legality of student loan plan relies on pandemic, 2003 law
Read full article: Legality of student loan plan relies on pandemic, 2003 lawThe Biden administration is tying its authority to cancel student debt to the coronavirus pandemic and to a 2003 law aimed at providing help to members of the military.
Jill Biden on teaching as first lady: 'Knew I could do both'
Read full article: Jill Biden on teaching as first lady: 'Knew I could do both'Jill Biden says she didn't doubt that she could keep teaching as first lady and overcame skepticism that she could handle both jobs by instructing her staff to “figure it out.”.
Jill Biden, education chief to kick off summer learning tour
Read full article: Jill Biden, education chief to kick off summer learning tourJill Biden and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona are kicking off a summer learning tour this week with stops in Connecticut, Georgia and Michigan over two days.
LGBTQ students would get new protections under Biden plan
Read full article: LGBTQ students would get new protections under Biden planThe rights of LGBTQ students would become enshrined in federal law and victims of campus sexual assault would gain new protections under new rules proposed by the Biden administration.
Debt wiped for Corinthian students as bigger decisions loom
Read full article: Debt wiped for Corinthian students as bigger decisions loomPresident Joe Biden hasn't made a decision yet on how he'll handle the student loan debt issue, but his administration is trying to bring closure to one of the most notorious cases of fraud in American higher education.
US education chief seeks action to prevent school shootings
Read full article: US education chief seeks action to prevent school shootingsEducation Secretary Miguel Cardona says he's ashamed the United States is "becoming desensitized to the murder of children” and he's calling for action to prevent more lives from being lost in school shootings like the one in Uvalde, Texas.
EXPLAINER: Biden extends student loan freeze through August
Read full article: EXPLAINER: Biden extends student loan freeze through AugustThe Biden administration has announced that federal student loan payments will remain paused through Aug. 31, extending a freeze that began in 2020 but was set to end after this month.
White House to extend student loan pause through August
Read full article: White House to extend student loan pause through AugustThe Biden administration plans to freeze federal student loan payments through Aug. 31, extending a moratorium that has allowed millions of Americans to postpone payments during the coronavirus pandemic.
US education secretary to Florida LGBTQ kids: Got your back
Read full article: US education secretary to Florida LGBTQ kids: Got your backIn another clash between the Biden administration and Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona has spoke with LGBTQ students in Florida.
Bomb-threatened Black schools eligible for security grants
Read full article: Bomb-threatened Black schools eligible for security grantsVice President Kamala Harris is set to announce that historically Black colleges and universities that recently received bomb threats are eligible for federal campus security grants.
With US aid money, schools put bigger focus on mental health
Read full article: With US aid money, schools put bigger focus on mental healthSchools across the U.S. are using portions of the windfall of federal coronavirus relief money to quickly expand their capacity to address students’ struggles with mental health.
Feds urge schools to provide COVID-19 shots, info for kids
Read full article: Feds urge schools to provide COVID-19 shots, info for kidsThe Biden administration is encouraging local school districts to host clinics to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to kids and information to parents on the benefits of the shots.
EXPLAINER: What's behind changes in student loan forgiveness
Read full article: EXPLAINER: What's behind changes in student loan forgivenessA student debt forgiveness program with notoriously complex eligibility rules is getting an overhaul from the Biden administration, with the intent of extending debt relief to thousands of public workers.
The Latest: Alaska Gov: Biden’s vaccine order 'un-American'
Read full article: The Latest: Alaska Gov: Biden’s vaccine order 'un-American'Alaska Gov_ Mike Dunleavy said President Joe Biden’s effort to require millions of U_S_ workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 is “ill conceived, divisive, and un-American.”.
State mask bans face federal civil rights inquiries
Read full article: State mask bans face federal civil rights inquiriesThe Education Department says it’s investigating five Republican-led states that have banned or limited mask requirements in schools, saying the policies could amount to discrimination against students with disabilities or health conditions.
Loan forgiveness offered to more former ITT Tech students
Read full article: Loan forgiveness offered to more former ITT Tech studentsThe Education Department has announced it will forgive student debt for more than 100,000 borrowers who attended colleges in the now-defunct ITT Technical Institute chain but left before graduating.
Pandemic windfall for US schools has few strings attached
Read full article: Pandemic windfall for US schools has few strings attachedThe Biden administration says the historic amount of federal pandemic aid flowing to the nation's K-12 schools presents a moment for reimagining all aspects of American education.
US to erase student debt for those with severe disabilities
Read full article: US to erase student debt for those with severe disabilitiesThe Biden administration says it will automatically erase student loan debt for more than 300,000 Americans with disabilities that leave them unable to earn significant incomes.
States banning mask mandates could face civil rights probes
Read full article: States banning mask mandates could face civil rights probesPresident Joe Biden has ordered his Education secretary to explore possible legal action against states that have blocked school mask mandates and other public health measures meant to protect students.
Biden admin backs Texas, Florida districts on mask mandates
Read full article: Biden admin backs Texas, Florida districts on mask mandatesPresident Joe Biden’s administration is offering its full-throated support for local cities and school boards in Texas and Florida that are defying orders by their Republican governors that prohibit mask-wearing mandates in schools.
Pause on student loan payments extended through January
Read full article: Pause on student loan payments extended through JanuaryThe Biden administration has announced that federal student loan payments will remain suspended through January 2022, extending a pause that was scheduled to expire next month.
Loan relief approved for more for-profit college students
Read full article: Loan relief approved for more for-profit college studentsThe U.S. Education Department has announced it will forgive student loans for more than 1,800 borrowers who attended for-profit colleges that made false recruiting claims.
Overhaul makes it easier for aspiring teachers to get grants
Read full article: Overhaul makes it easier for aspiring teachers to get grantsThe U.S. Education Department is loosening the rules around a grant program that’s meant to help aspiring teachers pay for college but has actually left many stuck with debt.
Puerto Rico to receive nearly $4B in US pandemic funds
Read full article: Puerto Rico to receive nearly $4B in US pandemic fundsU.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona says Puerto Rico will receive nearly $4 billion in federal education pandemic relief funds to help boost the U.S. territory’s fight against COVID-19.
Loan relief granted to defrauded for-profit college students
Read full article: Loan relief granted to defrauded for-profit college studentsThe U.S. Education Department says it's erasing student debt for thousands of borrowers who attended a for-profit college chain that exaggerated its graduates’ success in finding jobs.
Education Department reviewing campus sex assault rules
Read full article: Education Department reviewing campus sex assault rulesThe Education Department is taking the next step to revise federal rules around campus sexual assault, paving the way for an overhaul of a polarizing Trump-era policy that President Joe Biden has vowed to reverse.
US eases student loan relief for those with disabilities
Read full article: US eases student loan relief for those with disabilitiesThe action targets a loan forgiveness program that aims to help people with disabilities but that critics say carries overly burdensome rules. After being granted loan forgiveness, borrowers are required to submit documentation of their earnings for three years. Another 41,000 who had debt reinstated over paperwork issues will again get loan forgiveness, amounting to a combined $1.3 billion. Student Defense, a Washington legal group, said the action helps a small fraction of borrowers eligible for the program. Advocates estimate that nearly 70% of eligible borrowers have not received loan forgiveness and hold an estimated $14 billion in student debt.