Higher Education News

The young company, until now known only for its massive open online courses, is seeking to help public institutions graduate students.

Recently, First Lady Michelle Obama delivered a passionate speech to 600 graduates and several thousand supporters at the historically black, Bowie State University (BSU) commencement ceremony, in Maryland.

After being awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Law from BSU, Mrs. Obama spoke to the graduates about their perseverance. She called upon a communal responsibility to serve and support others, making it very clear that our lives depend on the fight to educate ourselves and our youth for future generations to come.

“More than 150 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, more than 50 years after the end of ‘separate but equal,’ when it comes to getting an education, too many of our young people just can’t be bothered. Today, instead of walking miles every day to school, they’re sitting on couches for hours playing video games, watching TV. Instead of dreaming of being a teacher or a lawyer or a business leader, they’re fantasizing about being a baller or a rapper. Recognizing that there is still so much work to do the First Lady acknowledged that today, one in three African American students drop out of high school, and only one and five African Americans between the ages of 25 and 29 have received a college degree. The President has worked alongside Education Secretary Arne Duncan to help reverse this trend. Since the year 2000, the number of students attending “dropout” factories has been reduced by a million and the number of African American students enrolling in college has grown nearly 10%.

Citing abolitionist Frederick Douglas, First Lady Michelle Obama reiterated his point that “education means emancipation. It means light and liberty. It means the uplifting of the soul of man into the glorious light of the truth, the only light by which men can be free.” This is a message that helps to guide President Obama’s ambitious goal for America to have highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.

One of the summer interns in our office, a student at Howard University, had the opportunity to witness the First Lady’s speech and said it “more than just words. She encouraged young African American students, at all institutions to make education—educating ourselves and others in our community—a priority.”

The First Lady charged the 2013 graduating class to continue the legacy of Bowie State’s founders who viewed education as “freedom… political empowerment… [an opportunity] to articulate an informed opinion.” Both the President and the First Lady recognize that these graduates are the most recent examples of excellence.

Daion Stanford is a Junior Administration and Justice student at Howard University. She is currently a Summer Intern with the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans.

May 17 marked the 59th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education, which unanimously held that the segregation of children in public schools violated the Fourteenth Amendment. The court found that segregated schools were in violation because they provided unequal opportunities, negatively impacting poor and minority students relegated to under resourced schools.

This decision upheld the spirit of the Declaration of Independence and the founding principles of our country—that all individuals deserve an equal opportunity “…We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” notes the opening passage of the Declaration. “With certain unalienable Rights… Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness…” Fundamental to the quest of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is the chance to receive an excellent education—the foundation needed to achieve and succeed in our society.

Brown v. Board of Education was an attempt to correct the unfortunate inequalities that have existed since our country was founded centuries ago. Since then we have looked to cases like Brown and legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to level the playing field and recognize each of us not as black, brown, white or other but simply as Americans.

Since stepping into office President Obama has charged us all to work towards a country that is “more fair, more just, and more equal for every single child of God.” This has been recently evident in his “Preschool for All” proposal which calls on the Administration to partner with states in making access to high-quality early learning a reality for every four-year-old in America. A zip code should never predetermine the quality of any child’s educational opportunities. Yet studies show that children from low-income families are less likely to have access to high-quality early education, and less likely to enter school prepared to thrive in school.

Nearly 60 years since the Brown v. Board of Education decision, however, African American students continue to lack equal access to a high quality education and still lag far behind their white peers in reading and math proficiency, high school graduation rates, and college completion.

While much work has already been done to ensure all students, have a high quality education, there is still much more work to do and we are making improvements. A decade ago, 2.6 million students attended so-called, “dropout factories”. Today, there are a million fewer students attending these chronically failing schools.

At the President’s direction, The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans is working to uplift the promise of Brown and is eagerly supporting the president’s continued commitment to investing in African American students, and the institutions and the individuals that educate them.

For more information please visit: http://www.ed.gov/edblogs/whieeaa/

Andrew Edghill is a Senior Political Science student at Savannah State University. He is currently a Summer Intern with the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans.

As the national celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week has just reminded us, we must take time to continually acknowledge the many contributions from teachers to invest in our children, from cradle to career, to shape our country’s future as a global leader in education. Throughout the week, stakeholders, communities and schools found unique and meaningful ways to celebrate our nation’s top educators.

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) hosted a series of events, including a Google Hangout entitled, “Celebrating African American Teachers in the Classroom,” at Howard University in Washington, D.C. The panel, moderated by NBC anchor Tamron Hall, was comprised of African American educators from across the country and senior officials from the U.S. Department of Education. I had the pleasure of participating in this robust conversation, on topics ranging from quality early childhood education to effective partnerships with families, college readiness and the use of technology to support African American educational excellence.

This panel was notable not just for its use of social media to bring together a panel of passionate, well-informed education advocates, but because the entire panel of speakers was African American males, including two educators; Jemal Graham (7th-grade math—Eagle Academy for Young Men in Queens), and Wesley Baker (middle-school social studies—KIPP Truth Academy in Dallas), TX; two Department of Education officials including myself and Jim Shelton, assistant deputy secretary for innovation and improvement, and Dr. Ivory A. Toldson, Howard University, Department of Education.

Given that African American males only make up 2% of the teacher workforce, the participation of the two young male teachers spoke volumes—both about the importance of cultivating and supporting a workforce reflective of the students attending our nation’s public schools, about the work required to ensure we achieve that goal. The Administration will continue to partner with community leaders to improve teacher preparation programs and training a new generation of minority students, especially African American males, to teach in our nation’s public schools.

Dr. Toldson’s research counters a persistent myth about African American males, by showing that there are more than 600,000 more black men in college than in jail, and his work to strengthen the pipeline of minority male educators provided a framework for the panel to discuss some of the challenges and opportunities facing African American educators.

As teachers, Graham and Baker shared the creative ways they incorporate technology into their lessons and communication with parents and families.

Jim Shelton recognized that to be most effective, education funding must be targeted to programs and solutions that will serve the greatest number of students.

I stressed the importance of ensuring African American children have access to high quality early learning programs like those included in President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2014 budget request—including high-quality home visiting, child care, Early Head Start, Head Start and public preschool programs and services, for a total investment of over $90 billion over ten years.

While the panel could have continued for hours, what resonated the most was the fact that as a community, we must make a concerted effort to support our teachers and leaders, to volunteer, engage, contribute to efforts to ensure all of our children and youth have the skills and opportunities needed to succeed in the 21st century global workforce and build a stronger economy for American families.

Each of us must contribute if we are to meet President Obama’s ambitious goal of America again having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. Community groups and faith-based organizations have a pivotal role, stakeholders need to have proactive conversations at home and at school, and resources need to be shared and allocated widely to have the greatest impact, especially for those most in need of support. Only by working together can we eradicate the opportunity gap that persists for too many of our children, so that all students receive an education that prepares them for higher learning and high-demand careers in our fast-changing economy.

Great teachers make great classrooms. So don’t wait until next year’s Teachers Appreciation Week to thank a teacher—thank a teacher right now. Our future is in not just in their hands but in all of ours: what will you do?

David J. Johns is the Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans

A Georgetown University center's latest research finds more evidence that majors matter, and that those who earn graduate degrees fare best of all.

Campus health professionals treat a wide array of medical conditions but also see a broader role for their centers: promoting lifelong health habits.

This was originally posted on the White House Blog.

At a town hall meeting last week on school safety at the Classical Magnet School in Hartford, I got to hear firsthand how Connecticut is leading the nation in adopting common-sense solutions to reduce gun violence and improve school safety.

In the aftermath of the massacre at the Sandy Hook Elementary School last December, the courage and resilience of teachers, parents, children, and communities in the Newtown area has been nothing short of remarkable.

From Governor Dannel Malloy to state lawmakers to the members of the Sandy Hook Promise, the entire state worked together to pass comprehensive legislation to reduce gun violence.

Unlike here in Washington, Connecticut’s lawmakers didn’t defend the status quo or shrink from tackling difficult questions. With bipartisan support, they enacted a comprehensive law to help curb gun violence and mass shootings that does not infringe on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens to defend themselves and hunt.

Connecticut’s leaders have set an example of political courage that can teach a lot to Congress and the rest of the nation. At today’s town hall meeting, Governor Malloy talked about how he decided to press ahead for new gun violence prevention measures, despite fierce attacks from the NRA.

By contrast, in Washington, Congress has so far failed to take the sensible step of expanding the background check system to close loopholes that allow criminals and the mentally ill to buy guns.

Those loopholes make no sense—and 90 percent of the public backs expanding background checks. I hope that Congress soon takes up universal background checks again.

Both the state and federal government are lending a helping hand in the recovery of Newtown and surrounding communities affected by the violence at Sandy Hook. At today’s town hall, Governor Malloy and I announced two new grants to help in the recovery process.

Under Connecticut’s new Gun Violence Prevention and Children’s Safety Act, signed into law by Governor Malloy last month, Connecticut will provide $5 million to municipalities to boost school security.  State funding will go to schools with the most need—buildings with little or no security infrastructure in school districts that are struggling financially.

At the federal level, the U.S. Department of Education will provide a $1.3 million Project School Emergency Response to Violence (SERV) grant to the Newtown Public School District to assist the community in recovering from the shootings.

The Project SERV grant will help fund grief support groups for siblings who lost classmates, skill-based counseling for students suffering posttraumatic stress, security guards, an academic-booster summer session for students, and many other services.

Our efforts to assist the recovery of Newtown from this tragedy are only the beginning of the steps that our schools, communities, Congress, and our country must take to ensure our children grow up safe and free from fear.

Every community needs to appraise its values–and look at whether the community, parents, business leaders, faith-based leaders, political leaders, and schools are doing everything that they can to keep our nation’s children safe from harm.

This is a collective responsibility. None of us gets a pass. As a nation, we cannot “move on” and forget the pain and unbearable tragedy of 20 young children and six educators gunned down in an elementary school in a matter of minutes on December 14, 2012.

The students I talked with in Connecticut last week were bright, spirited, and eager to go on to college to get their degrees. They are the faces of the future. Our nation’s leaders, our parents and our educators owe it to them and to all our children to do everything in our power to make sure their dreams are not cut short by violence.

When it comes to repaying your federal student loans, there’s a lot to consider. But, by taking the time to understand the details of repayment, you can save yourself time and money. This should help you get started.

When do I begin repaying my federal student loans?

You don’t have to begin repaying most federal student loans until after you leave college or drop below half-time enrollment. Many federal student loans have a grace period. The grace period is a set period of time after you graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time enrollment before you must begin repaying your loan. The grace period gives you time to get financially settled and to select your repayment plan. Note that for most loans, interest will accrue during your grace period.

Your loan servicer or lender will provide you with a loan repayment schedule that states when your first payment is due, the number and frequency of payments, and the amount of each payment.

Whom do I pay?

The U.S. Department of Education uses several loan servicers to handle the billing and other services on federal student loans. Your loan servicer will work with you to choose a repayment plan and will assist you with other tasks related to your federal student loans. It is important to maintain contact with your loan servicer and keep your servicer informed of any changes to your address, email, or phone number.

How much do I need to pay?

Your bill will tell you how much to pay. Your payment (usually made monthly) depends on

• the type of loan you received,
• how much money you borrowed,
• the interest rate on your loan, and
• the repayment plan you choose.

You can use our repayment estimator to estimate your monthly payments under different repayment plans to determine which option is right for you. Just remember, if you would like to switch repayment plans, then you must contact your loan servicer.

What should I do if I’m having trouble making my student loan payments?

Contact your loan servicer as soon as possible. You may be able to change your repayment plan to one that will allow you to have a longer repayment period or to one that is based on your income. Also, ask your loan servicer about your options for a deferment or forbearance or loan consolidation.

Still have questions?

On the last Wednesday of each month at 5 p.m. Eastern time (ET), Federal Student Aid (@FAFSA) hosts #AskFAFSA Office Hours. This live Q&A session on Twitter gives you the opportunity to get your questions answered by the experts. This month, we’ll be focusing on student loan repayment. You can submit your questions and join the conversation using the hashtag #AskFAFSA. On Wednesday, May 29, at 5 p.m. ET, tune in during the live event for answers from our experts.

Keep in mind that your loan servicer is always the best place to go for assistance specific to your situation. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact your loan servicer.

Nicole Callahan is a new media analyst at the Department of Education’s office of Federal Student Aid.

Evelynn M. Hammonds, dean of Harvard College, authorized the searches to find the source of a news leak about a huge cheating scandal.

The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities said it planned to take no action on a complaint against Green River Community College.

A ruling the other way could have devoured most of the state's discretionary budget, resulting in less money, or none at all, for higher education.

Gene Powell, a University of Texas regent, says critics who see him as a politically driven micromanager are misunderstanding his motives.

As big names crowd into smaller classrooms via MOOCs, professors begin to wonder if their own teaching is at risk.

Each graduating class adds to the tradition, in whatever medium it chooses.

It’s been hard to come to terms with, but I need to face the facts: I’m not in college anymore. In fact, this spring marks two years since I graduated from college and went into repayment on my student loans. I know, not the most exciting thing in the world, but important. So while I don’t claim to be a student loan expert, I have learned a lot of lessons along the way, mostly through trial and error. In hopes that you won’t make the same mistakes I did, here are some things I wish I had known when I was graduating and getting ready to start repaying my student loans:

1. I should have kept track of what I was borrowing.

Let’s be real. When you take out student loans to help pay for college, it’s easy to forget that that money will eventually have to be paid back … with interest. The money just doesn’t seem real when you’re in college, and I didn’t do a good job of keeping track of what I was borrowing and how it was building up. When it was time to start repaying my loans, I was quite overwhelmed. I had different types of loans and different interest rates. When I did eventually see my loan balance, I was pretty surprised.

You can avoid this problem. Had I known there was a super easy way to keep track of how much you’ve borrowed in federal student loans, I would have been much better off. Just go to nslds.ed.gov, select “Financial Aid Review,” log in, and you can view all of your federal student loans in one place! How did I miss that?

2. I should have made interest payments while I was still in school.

If you’re anything like me, you probably consumed your fair share of instant noodles while trying to survive on a college student’s budget. Trust me, I get it. But one thing I really regret when it comes to my student loans is not paying interest while I was in school or during my grace period. Like I said, I was far from rich, but when I was in college, I did have a work-study job and waited tables on the side. I probably could have spared a few dollars each month to pay down some student loan interest. Remember, student loans are borrowed money that you have to repay with interest and more importantly, that interest may capitalize, or be added to your total balance. My advice: Even though you don’t have to, do yourself a favor and consider paying at least some of your student loan interest while you’re in school. It will save you money in the long run.

     3. I should have kept my loan servicer in the loop

If you’re getting ready to graduate or have graduated recently and haven’t heard from your loan servicer, make sure you check that your loan servicer has up-to-date contact info for you. When I graduated and moved into my first big-girl apartment, I forgot to change my address with my loan servicer. I found out that all of my student loan correspondence was going to my mom’s address. I hadn’t even thought to update my loan servicer with my new contact information. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Keep your servicer informed of address, email, and phone changes.

4. I should have figured out what my monthly loan payments were going to be BEFORE I went into repayment.

By the time my grace period was over, I had a decent idea of how much I had borrowed in total, but I had no idea what my monthly payments would be. I thought I was fine. I had started my new job and been paying rent and other bills for about six months. Then my grace period ended, and I got my first bill from my loan servicer. It was definitely an expense I hadn’t fully taken into account.

Don’t make the same mistake. Luckily for you, Federal Student Aid just launched a new repayment estimator that allows you to pull your federal student loan information in order to compare your monthly payments under different repayment options side by side. That way, you know what to expect and can budget accordingly … unlike me.

I’ll be the first to admit that this whole process can be a little overwhelming, especially when you’re new at it. But just remember, your loan servicer is there to help you. If you have questions or need advice, don’t hesitate to contact them.

Nicole Callahan is a new media analyst at the Department of Education’s office of Federal Student Aid.

Educational attainment has increased, but there are gaps by gender and by race, according to an annual report from the Education Department.

At least two colleges plan to create a "lecturer" classification for non-tenure-track instructors who teach 75 percent of a full-time professor's course load.

Students accused Dartmouth and Swarthmore Colleges and the Universities of California at Berkeley and of Southern California of violating federal laws.

In a mostly party-line vote, the chamber approved a Republican-backed measure that would prevent some interest rates from doubling on July 1.

The inspiration for Alma Miller to obtain her GED started with a simple statement from her youngest son: “Mom I challenge you to finish your GED.”

Attaining the GED would be no easy feat for this mother of four who dropped out of school when she was sixteen. Fortunately for Alma, her children stepped up and volunteered to tutor her in preparation for the exam.

Today, Alma Miller is a proud GED  recipient but most importantly, she’s an inspiration to her children, just as much as they are an inspiration to her.

Miller is one of eleven adult learners who recently met with Secretary Arne Duncan and Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education Brenda Dann-Messier at the Department of Education (ED) to share their stories and make recommendations on how ED can improve services offered to adult learners.

Dann-Messier acknowledged that these adults face many barriers to success in the labor market. Some of the barriers she cited were: a lack of a high school diploma, no postsecondary degree or training, and an inability to speak, read, and write English well.

Each of the adult learners at our recent meeting displayed a tremendous amount of courage in order to overcome the odds associated with returning to school as adults, but what is more laudable is the strength they found in their families and in support organizations.

“I was an honor roll student in high school, but I just kind of lost my way,” said Shamika Hall, the state vice-president for the Delaware Career Association.

Hall lost her sister to an act of senseless gun violence, a devastating tragedy that altered her life’s course. She credits her family and the James H. Grove Adult High School in Wilmington, Del., for helping her get back on track. Watch Hall tell her story below:

Click here for an alternate version of the video with an accessible player.

Secretary Duncan said that he was inspired by each of the adult learners resilience and tenacity. “It’s pretty remarkable to hear not just where you’ve been but how far you’ve come, and most importantly, where each of you are going,” he said.

Before the meeting concluded, Reuben Holguin, an ex-gang member and convicted felon, showed Secretary Duncan his inmate ID. He said that even though he acquired his GED, completed college courses and changed his life around, he will always carry his inmate ID with him to remind him just how far he’s come.

The adult learners who stopped by ED were in town to attend VALUEUSA’s National Adult Learner Leadership Institute, and Dann-Messier thanked VALUEUSA, the only national literacy organization governed and operated by current and former adult learners for helping to organize the meeting with Secretary Duncan.

This fall, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development will release the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). The goal of PIAAC is to assess and compare the basic skills and the broad range of competencies of adults ages 16-65 around the world. PIAAC covers 23 countries, including the United States. OECD will also release a country report specific to the U.S. to accompany the data release. The report will identify policy implications for improving the skills of adults in the U.S.

De’Rell Bonner works in ED’s Office of Communications and Outreach