President pushes ahead with a new student debt relief plan
More than 20 million low-income Americans stand to benefit from the enhanced income-driven student loan repayment program announced on 22 August.
This is United States President Joe Biden’s latest response to the 30 June decision of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) which held that the debt-relief plan announced over a year ago, in August 2022, lacked legislative authority and was therefore unconstitutional.
Australia scraps pandemic visa for international students
The Australian government has announced that it will stop issuing Pandemic Event visas from February 2024. This will impact international students and temporary workers who are looking for alternative options to stay in the country. The visa, introduced during the peak of the pandemic, allowed students to stay in Australia for an additional 12 months if their visas expired.
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UK visitor, and student visas to cost more from October 4
The British government has revealed its plan to increase visa fees, which will take effect on October 4th. Under the new fee structure, a visit visa for stays of fewer than six months will incur an additional charge of GBP 15. This change will also affect student visas, making them GBP 127 more expensive for applicants from various countries, including India. The adjustments come after legislation was presented in Parliament last Friday.
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GREAT Scholarship: Eligibility, how to apply, and more
GREAT Scholarship is given to individuals who want to pursue higher studies in the UK. More than 200 scholarships are awarded every year. A minimum amount of £10,000 is given to candidates chosen.
Individuals who come from India, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Turkey are eligible for this scholarship. The chosen postgraduate program should begin in September. Indians are given the most number of scholarships.
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California State hiking tuition fees 33 percent over five years
California State University, the biggest four-year system in the US, has approved a major tuition fee hike – 33 percent over the next five years – in what its leaders called an essential move to keep up with costs.
As protesters gathered outside the CSU offices just south of Los Angeles, and after hours of pleading inside, the CSU trustees voted 9-0 for the 23-campus system’s first tuition increase in more than a decade.
“The tuition increase,” CSU’s chief financial officer, Steve Relyea, told the trustees, “is essential to provide the CSU with the financial stability it needs to continue to serve students today and in the future.”
To learn more: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/california-state-hiking-tuition-fees-33-cent-over-five-years
SUNY Expands Academic Support Program
The State University of New York system will bring an academic support program for low-income students, developed in the City University of New York system, to 25 of its campuses this upcoming spring, SUNY chancellor John B. King Jr. announced at a recent system Board of Trustees meeting.
The model, called Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP), and a similar support model for students earning bachelor’s degrees, known as Accelerate, Complete, Engage (ACE), have been replicated in seven states since ASAP’s founding in 2007. These programs focus on comprehensive wraparound supports, including robust, personalized academic advising and covering various expenses, including tuition and fees after state and federal financial aid, public transit, and textbooks.
To learn more: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2023/09/13/suny-expands-its-asap-program
Harvard newspaper editorial board says word limit in applications hurts people of 'marginalized' backgrounds
The editorial board of the Harvard Crimson, Harvard University’s school newspaper, warned that limiting the word count of application essay questions could disproportionately harm people of certain backgrounds.
The Harvard Crimson lamented an overhaul to the format of its Ivy League school’s application process in a Tuesday editorial headlined, "Let’s Talk About Harvard’s Brand New College Application."
The board wrote that "with the end of race-based affirmative action in university admissions, applicants are facing an added uncertainty: the extent to which their diverse backgrounds can factor into their essays, and in turn, their admissions."
To learn more: https://www.foxnews.com/media/harvard-newspaper-editorial-board-says-word-limit-applications-hurts-people-marginalized-backgrounds
Princeton expands its commitment to research and education in quantum science and engineering
Princeton University is expanding its commitment to quantum science and engineering research and education, with plans for a new building, a new graduate program, and a broader leadership structure for its initiative. These expanded programs, along with the ongoing recruitment of top faculty, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers, reflect the University’s recognition of the transformative potential of quantum science and technology to benefit society in the decades ahead.
To learn more: https://www.princeton.edu/news/2023/09/12/princeton-expands-its-commitment-research-and-education-quantum-science-and
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