Saturday, March 27, 2010

“Students at Utah universities, colleges asked to dig deeper (Deseret News)” plus 2

“Students at Utah universities, colleges asked to dig deeper (Deseret News)” plus 2





Students at Utah universities, colleges asked to dig deeper (Deseret News)

Posted: 26 Mar 2010 10:46 PM PDT

OREM — A statewide wave of tuition increases is hitting college students as universities and colleges look to cover multimillion-dollar budget shortfalls.

Last week, Weber State University approved a 4.5-percent resident tuition increase while Utah Valley University's board of trustees voted Thursday to increase tuition by 4.5 percent as well.

Trustees at Southern Utah University approved an 11 percent tuition increase Friday and Utah State University students face a 6 percent jump. University of Utah trustees plan to meet Monday to approve an estimated 8 percent increase. All the colleges in Utah are also proposing increases.

The increases must still be approved by the State Board of Regents, which is expected to announce a 1.5 percent "first-tier" tuition increase Thursday on top of the "second-tier" increases proposed by each university, making a 4.5 local tuition hike into a 6 percent rise.

First-tier tuition is the portion controlled at the state level, while each school controls second-tier tuition levels.

At UVU, administrators breathed a small sigh of relief after lawmakers cut less than was originally anticipated, university spokesman Chris Taylor said, but the university still faces a 12.5 percent budget shortfall even as enrollment grows.

"We feel pretty good about the amount of this increase, and we anticipate this may be among the lowest hikes in the state," he said. "That being said, we are always sensitive to the perspective of students. They shouldn't have to shoulder an undue burden."

Despite the double-digit increase at SUU, where students will face a $233 increase per semester rise, administrators say the increased revenue is needed to cover future plans, not to cover budget shortfalls.

"We're not using tuition increases to backfill budget needs," said SUU spokesman Dean O'Driscoll. "We're looking ahead to future goals."

And students support the increase, said SUU President Michael T. Benson.

"They recognize the importance of maintaining the unique experience here," he said.

On the UVU campus, students seemed to take the proposed increase in stride. Together, the state and institutional increases would amount to $104 per semester for in-state students at the school.

"A hundred dollars doesn't seem too much for an individual," junior Colby Beal said. "If it keeps going up it could get rough, but for now it's pretty reasonable."

Although she said the additional tuition would have an impact, freshman Ashley Winward noted it is worth it if it goes to educational purposes.

"It's important to support and maintain the standards of our education," she said.

UVU's Taylor said the $2.2 million from the tuition increase would cover only a fraction of this year's budget shortfall. The university has already made $8.5 million in cuts.

UVU Student Body President Trevor Tooke praised administrators and the Legislature for "preserving higher education" and called the increase "manageable and reasonable."

"This increase will help us move forward at a steady rate and also assist in accomplishing some very important student initiatives," he said.

e-mail: jsmith@desnews.com

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Colleges scramble to adjust as student loan overhaul nears passage (Washington Post)

Posted: 25 Mar 2010 09:00 PM PDT

The lending overhaul, which would eliminate a 1960s-era program that subsidizes banks and other providers of federally backed loans, was included in a health-care bill the Democratic-led Senate passed Thursday afternoon on a 56 to 43 vote. Democrats pushed the bill through the House hours later on a 220 to 207 vote, clearly it for President Obama's signature.

The legislation would save the federal government about $61 billion over 10 years, with more than half of the savings channeled into Pell Grants for needy students. More than 8 million students depend on those scholarships, a cornerstone of financial aid. For that reason, many higher education leaders support the overhaul.

Key to the savings is a speedy transition. By July 1, universities that participate in federal lending must have their financial aid systems wired into the Education Department's direct lending program. In recent years, more than half of postsecondary schools opted for the private lenders over the government's 17-year-old program. But the landscape for a market that accounts for about $95 billion a year in loans is rapidly shifting.

As of March 18, federal data show, 2,462 schools, or nearly 48 percent of the nationwide total, were "direct loan ready." About 2,094, or 40 percent, were in transition or had taken steps to prepare for it. About 600 had taken no steps toward a transition or were inactive.

Among Washington area schools moving toward a switch, officials said, are the University of Maryland and the University of Virginia.

"This isn't an easy transition," said Justin Draeger, vice president for public policy for the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. "But I think colleges and universities are going to do everything they can to ensure that students have an uninterrupted supply of loans this year. Now it's crunch time. It's going to take some resources, some time, some outreach to students."

Republicans denounced the lending overhaul as a needless government takeover and opposed the bill en masse.

"We want students to have as many lending options as possible," said Steve Wymer, a spokesman for Republicans on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. "To make the federal government, the Department of Education, a monopoly bank is not the best thing for students."

Some aid administrators whose schools have converted said the transition was painless. It involved, they said, computer system adjustments and making sure that student borrowers submit a new promissory note.

"The process is very simple," Walter O'Neill, assistant vice president for financial aid at Roosevelt University in Chicago, said Thursday. "I can't even come up with an example of a hiccup."

Anthony Erwin, senior director for university financial aid and scholarships at Northeastern University in Boston, said that he had encountered "overly burdensome" rules and regulations in some past contacts with the federal government but that the university's move to direct lending in 2008 went off without a hitch -- "an absolutely different experience."

Some administrators said they remain partial to private lending but are resigned to dealing with the government.

"In any large operation," said Robert M. Shireman, a deputy undersecretary of education who helps oversee financial aid, "there's going to be room for improvement, reducing errors and making sure everybody's getting the care and attention they need."

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

University's first summer school programme (The Hindu)

Posted: 27 Mar 2010 02:57 PM PDT

University's first summer school programme

Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI: Anna University – Tiruchi has announced its first summer school programme focussing on current developments in Biological Sciences, Nanotechnology and Pharmaceutical Technology for teachers handling these subjects and related disciplines in Indian universities, institutes and colleges, from April 5 to 18.

Experts drawn from academic and research institutes and industries will constitute the resource personnel. Each participant has to come prepared to present a seminar in an area of interest or specialisation during the course.

Last date March 29

Intending participants are expected to send in their applications by March 29. Selection will be intimated immediately on receipt of application and confirmation will be received from participants on March 30.

The completed application form, which can be downloaded from the university website: www.tau.edu.in/SUMMERSCHOO.pdf, must be labelled 'Application for 1 {+s} {+t} Summer School' and sent to K. Ruckmani, Professor and Head/ Chief Coordinator, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Anna University – Tiruchi, 620024.

For additional information, contact the Co-Coordinators S. Lakshmana Prabu (9750550965) or P. Senthamil Selvan (9944444266). Information can also be obtained at 0431 2407978 or through email: sspharma.aut@gmail.com.

Printer friendly page Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)