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Monday, January 3, 2011

161. MVCAP fyi

See free MVCAP e-books on college admissions and financial aid for sharing, printing, and downloading at our online resource library: http://issuu.com/mvcap

1. Congress Targets Spending, by Patrick O'Connor and Janet Hook - http://on.wsj.com/eOVkTc - WSJ.com

"Republicans aren't proposing an across-the-board cut on the government, so some departments could see deeper cuts than others. The top targets could be programs whose budgets saw a jump under Democrats, like foreign aid and Pell Grants for middle-income college students."

2. Study less, earn more--at least in the beginning, by Michael Vasquez - http://t.co/Q2ciV5a via @miamiherald

"What the numbers say: Bachelor's degree recipients from the state's 11 public universities earned an average starting salary of $36,552 in 2009. Meanwhile, those who received associate in science degrees from Florida community colleges earned an average of $47,708 -- a difference of $11,000 more per year."

3. Cuomo Names Developers of a Student Loan Center, by Kareem Fahim - http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/01/nyregion/01student.html?_r=1

"Mr. Cuomo said Friday that $13 million in settlements paid by dozens of colleges and lenders in the case would be used to finance a national student loan center, to help young borrowers and their parents navigate the complexities of the college lending process."

4. Winter break is high season for dropouts, by Alan Tripp - http://voices.washingtonpost.com/college-inc/2010/12/winter_break_is_high_season_fo.html

"Their reasons are many. Students are naturally likely to reassess their college choices and careers at the end of their first semester. Also, and not surprisingly, our coaches have found that freshmen at traditional colleges returning home for their first extended break can have heightened feelings of homesickness. Other students have second thoughts after underestimating the rigors of college and how to balance those with everyday life.
Whatever the reason, these students will join the 800,000 each year who begin a bachelor's program yet never graduate. When 40 percent of our college students fail to graduate, there's a crisis -- one that impacts their lives, the lives of those around them and a country quickly falling behind."

5. Delaying College to Fill in the Gaps, by Sue Shellenbarger - http://on.wsj.com/hVPfkp - WSJ.com

"Gap-year activities range from doing volunteer work or taking classes, to working for pay, traveling or tackling outdoor adventures."

6. For-Profit Colleges Charging More While Doing Less for Poorest, by John Lauerman - Bloomberg http://t.co/DNSz190 via @BloombergNow

"The industry, including Washington Post Co.’s Kaplan University, has tripled enrollment to 1.8 million in the past decade by pouring billions of dollars into marketing and recruiting, offering flexible online classes and outfitting more-modern campuses while states slash funding for
for community colleges. As much as 90 percent of revenue at each for-profit college comes from federal student aid.
Today, one in seven minority students attends a for-profit college, as does one in four poor students who receive federal Pell grants for low-income families, according to the U.S. Department of Education and an industry group."

7. College grade inflation feared as GPAs gradually rise, by Diane Smith http://t.co/RzpAudV

"Rojstaczer, who has been tracking GPAs for years, lists his finding on gradeinflation.com--a website with links to GPA data. His findings were also presented in a research paper that was published in March. Rojstaczer said the average GPA nationwide at all schools has gone from 2.93 during the 1991-92 academic year to 3.11 in 2006-07."

8. Universities Are Challenged as Demographics Shift, by Reeve Hamilton and Jon Marcus - http://nyti.ms/hganF7

"Although the changing demographics of college campuses may be grabbing the headlines, the more compelling issue is how the growing number of minority students presents serious social and academic challenges for financially strapped universities, even as the schools are under pressure to boost graduation rates.
Nationally, 52 percent of Hispanic students and 58 percent of black students are unable to earn a bachelor’s degree in six years, compared with 40 percent of white students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics."

9. Study: TRIO Programs May Ease College Racial Gaps, But Parent Support Still Needed, by Sarah D. Sparks - http://t.co/C2JjW5o

"In fact, adolescent interventions brought the college-going rates of low-income Hispanic and black students up to the level of middle-income white students. "Upward Bound and Talent Search are examples of adolescent intervention programs that can benefit African-American and Hispanic students immensely when properly implemented," Ms. Walsh concludes.
The downside? The programs still do not make up for family support and resources in the college-planning process, a critical intent of the programs."


"With 529 plans fluctuating, financial-aid budgets getting slashed and tuition rising at an alarming rate, the landscape of college financing is changing fast. Fortunately, you still have options. Here are the best college finance tips for 2011."

11. High School Counselors Lack Training in College Admissions, by Caralee Adams - http://t.co/2T3hZA5

"High school counselors, particularly those in poorer urban and rural districts, often don't have the training needed to help students navigate the college admission system. And this can hinder access to higher education for first-generation, minority students, says Patrick O'Connor, past president of the National Association for College Admission Counseling in an recent op-ed essay that appeared in Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.
While 466 colleges offer training for school counselors, fewer than 45 of these programs offer a course showing future counselors how to help students and families select, apply, and pay for college, writes O'Connor."

12. Applying Early Decision: 6 Things to Do When You're Deferred, by Lynn O'Shaughnessy - http://t.co/VfRBYzp

"A dear friend of mine’s son recently learned that the University of Chicago had deferred his application and he was devastated. Here, however, are six things that you can do to boost your chances of still getting into your dream school:"



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