In this week's roundup:
Borrowers react to student loan forgiveness, institutions confront a housing crisis, and DACA gains more protection from the Biden Administration.
August 25-31
- Reactions from borrowers to the recent student loan forgiveness plan have varied since last week’s announcement. Some are pleased, as their debt will shrink dramatically, while others want the federal government to provide more relief or focus on future affordability.
- The Biden Administration took steps to protect DACA from legal challenges. Additionally, President Biden called on Congress to prevent roadblocks on the path to citizenship for Dreamers. The new rule will take effect on October 31.
- The Department of Education will add questions about sex, race and ethnicity on the FAFSA during the 2023-24 academic year. The new questions will be voluntary and will serve as a test ahead of the 2024-25 FAFSA.
- The Centers for Disease Control added a webpage addressing monkeypox on college campuses. The webpage includes sections for students, staff and administrators about how to reduce transmission of and stigma around monkeypox.
- A survey on “intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” received a very low number of responses among students and employees at Florida’s public universities. The survey, administered in April, was completed by 2% of students and 12% of faculty.
- The University of California-Berkeley is one of many institutions nationwide facing a housing crisis where dorm space is limited and off-campus housing is less affordable. Chancellor Carol T. Christ acknowledged the crisis and its impact on low-income families.
- Senator Elizabeth Warren praised the Biden Administration’s student debt forgiveness proposal yet pointed to the issue of college cost. Warren and other Democrats have several bills in the works.
- Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy urged higher education administrators to hire more counselors and provide more mental health support for students. Mental health is one of the top reasons students consider dropping out, making support an important tool for retention.
- A new bill targets institutions with endowments of $1 billion or more to cover up to 75% of students’ tuition regardless of income. Institutions in this category include Harvard, Yale and the University of Texas.
- Cal State Fullerton is reframing their Chicana and Chicano Studies Department to be more inclusive and focus on storytelling and social justice. The Latinx Lab is funded by a $1.2 million grant from the Mellon Foundation and launches this fall.
