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Section: Blogs/Opinion

New Reality: Where College Is Free

Three states and one city have enacted measures in the past two years. And lawmakers in several other places across the country are considering similar programs. More than 30,000 Tennesseans and 7,000 Oregonians have gone to community college tuition free already. Students in New York and San Francisco are set to start on the same […]

May 19, 2017

Power of MOOCs Unleashed

The technological development the world has witnessed in the past decade has forced us to rethink ways in which we offer education-related services. MOOCs – Massive Open Online Course – have been particularly interesting as students all over the world – and irrespective of financial background – can freely gain access to perspectives offered by […]

May 18, 2017

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Starting Fresh

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos stated during a speech in Salt Lake City on Tuesday that instead of reauthorizing the Higher Education Act, lawmakers should consider a “fresh start.” Yes, Congress should consider alternatives to the Higher Education Act, which authorizes all federal higher education spending such as student loans and grants. Enacted in 1965 […]

May 16, 2017

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Are For-Profits Living Up to Promises?

Soon after the presidential election, Donald Trump settled lawsuits challenging the now-defunct Trump University for fraud. He paid out $25 million in restitution to former students and in fines for violating New York State education laws. These lawsuits join with other claims against for-profit post-secondary education companies that make flashy and inviting claims to students […]

May 12, 2017

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The Pell Grant Disaster

Last month, president Trump released his soft budget outline.According to the budget blueprint, the US Department of Education will receive a 13.5 percent cut in funding, ultimately reducing the amount of financial aid that the department can provide. This will no doubt affect the financial reward for the pell grant, for which many youth rely […]

May 11, 2017

Battle for Year-Round Pell Is Not Over

When Congress voted to restore year-round Pell in the 2017 omnibus budget, some declared victory. Students can now use these funds over summer terms and potentially accelerate degree completion. While this was a definite win, the fight to keep the Pell program well-funded to meet the ever-growing needs of today’s student continues and the list […]

May 9, 2017

Should G.I. Bill Be Expanded?

The Johnson City Press, Tennessee — U.S. Rep. Phil Roe, R-Johnson City, recently told the Kingsport Times-News he believes it’s time to expand education benefits for military veterans. The 1st District congressman chairs the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, which is drafting legislation to amend what has become known as the G.I. Bill. “We need […]

May 5, 2017

GI Benefits: Use Them or Lose Them

Attending college for the first time can be stressful, and is especially true for veterans once they have been discharged from military service. If you are a veteran and at a loss of what to do now that you have completed military service, you might want to consider higher education. You may feel that the […]

May 4, 2017

Thanks, Obama, for Paying Taxes

So much has already been said about Barack Obama’s speaking fees. So much — except for the one thing that should actually matter. Barack and Michelle Obama are residents of Washington, D.C., which means they are subject to District of Columbia income taxes. Those top out at 8.95%. They will, of course, also be subject […]

May 2, 2017

Unintended Consequences

I spent four years at a private university in New York and, to the surprise of no one, it was not free. Associating the word “free” with college seems like an oxymoron. Has anyone even seen the price of a textbook? (Luckily, as a journalism major, I avoided spending hundreds of dollars a semester on […]

April 28, 2017

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Improve Veterans Care

Our country strongly supports our solders and sailors on active duty and in the Reserve. All of these men and women will become American service veterans after their service. Montana has the second-highest per capita veterans in the U.S. In World War II, Montana had the highest casualties per capita of any state in the […]

April 27, 2017

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Pell Grant Cuts Will Harm Students

Last week, the White House revealed how the Trump administration will cut $18 billion from the federal budget while boosting defense spending by $30 billion — that is, by cutting a variety of educational programs, including taking $3.9 billion from the Pell grant program that helps low-income, high-achievers afford tuition. This decision, coupled with the […]

April 25, 2017

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Failing Our Students

The ink had hardly dried on Trump’s executive order promising continued support for HBCUs when he dropped his ‘skinny budget’ in March. Those paying attention to its fine print, i.e. 1.5 pages on education, noticed Trump’s true intentions for public education, especially Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). Trump proposes a 13 percent decline in funding to […]

April 21, 2017

Showing DeVos a Thing or Two

Florida International University had the rare opportunity this month to inform, and possibly influence, education policy and funding at the national level when U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos visited FIU and other educational institutions in South Florida. DeVos chose to visit FIU because she’s aware of the positive things that we are accomplishing through collaboration, […]

April 20, 2017

Who Gets Pell Grants and Why It Matters

The Pell Grant program provides federal financial aid for low-income college students across the country. The program is a vital resource to students in pursuit of higher education. Investments in the program need to be protected, not cut, to ensure that low-income students continue to have a pathway through college and into the middle class. […]

April 18, 2017

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The Fine Print on Free College

New York state has passed legislation that would create the largest experiment in the country to offer free tuition at two- and four-year colleges. The Excelsior Scholarship, approved over the weekend as part of the state budget, would cover full-time students in the State University of New York system, which totals 64 campuses and 1.3 […]

April 14, 2017

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Grateful for Lottery Aid

It’s been well reported in recent years that a college education, or, at a minimum, some career-specific training after high school is going to become mandatory for the kinds of jobs that pay a livable wage. To a large extent, this is already the case, and study after study indicates that this trend is only […]

April 13, 2017

Not So “Free”

It’s been interesting to listen to the debate over Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to give students from middle-class families free tuition at SUNY schools. As is the case with many discussions these days, people tend to spout off about it without really educating themselves as to the issues at play. Many seemed to think it […]

April 11, 2017