Headline News

The president of Norwich University said he is departing the military school after more than three years on the job.  Mark Anarumo told VTDigger on Friday that he was leaving by “mutual” decision. Provost and Dean of the Faculty Karen Gaines will serve as acting president, according to Anarumo and an email that Gaines sent to members of the school community, which was obtained by VTDigger and confirmed by a person who works at the school.

The Education Department wants greater oversight over colleges and universities and the entities that oversee them, and it’s eyeing a number of ways to make that happen. With proposed changes to the rules for accreditation, distance education and some financial aid policies, the department is aiming to further reshape how the federal government holds colleges accountable and add additional consumer protections for students—building on the Biden administration’s efforts over the last three years.

Technology issues and limited time frames to complete the application seem to be plaguing college students and parents attempting to complete the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The Department of Education finally launched the form after months of delays but not without issues and confusion.
 
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports:  “The shaky launch has sparked heightened frustration from those seeking financial aid for their college education. It also prompted the Department of Education to issue a statement acknowledging “minor issues” during the application process.”
The FAFSA form is a critical component in the process used to award federal and institutional student aid.
 
Below is a sampling of media coverage from around the country:
 
Rollout of New FAFSA Causes Delays, Headaches for Maryland Students and College Financial Administrators
The Baltimore Sun (January 4, 2024)
 
Updated FAFSA Drops with Complications and Confusion
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (January 4, 2024)
 
The New FAFSA Is Here. Or Is It?
Inside Higher Ed (January 3, 2024)
 
‘Frustration All Around’: The FAFSA’s Rocky Rollout
The Chronicle of Higher Education (January 2, 2024)
 
FAFSA Rollout Off to a Rocky Start
The Washington Post (January 2, 2024)
 
What to Know About Changes to This Year’s FAFSA Application for College Students
Associated Press (January 2, 2024)
 
Why Families Applying for Financial Aid May Initially Have Trouble With the New FAFSA
CNN.com (January 2, 2024)
 
I Spent New Year’s Eve Trying to Do the FAFSA. It Didn’t Go Well.
The New York Times (January 1, 2024)
 
The New FAFSA Form for College Aid Is Out. Five Things to Know.
The Washington Post (December 31, 2023)
 
 
 
Your Government at Work: FAFSA Financial Aid Version - Editorial
The Wall Street Journal (January 3, 2024)
 
Internal Combustion – Commentary
Inside Higher Ed (January 3, 2024)
 
Congress’s College Financial Aid Fiasco – Editorial
The Wall Street Journal (December 21, 2023)
 

The U.S. Department of Education unveiled several regulatory proposals Tuesday around accreditation, distance education and state authorization ahead of policy negotiations next week. The proposals are in part intended to ensure that accreditors and state authorizing agencies are adequately monitoring the colleges under their purview, the Education Department said in an announcement. They’re also meant to make it easier for students to access federal financial aid.

A Jewish student’s nose is broken in a melee sparked by attempts to burn an Israeli flag. Messages declaring “Glory to our Martyrs” and “Divestment From Zionist Genocide Now” are projected onto the façade of a campus building. Jewish students huddle inside a campus library while protesters shouting “Free Palestine” bang on the glass walls. With each new headline and video snippet that goes viral, the pressure on colleges to respond forcefully and quickly to incidents of antisemitism is building. So too is the pressure to resist calls from politicians, donors, and alumni to crack down on protesters in ways that stifle protected speech.