Colorado Democrats are seeking to pass a bill to lower tuition rates for undocumented immigrants who reside here, says Yahoo! News. In the past, they’ve had to pay three times the resident rate, the same as out-of-state residents. Proponents want find an equitable and fair way for undocumented immigrants who grew up here to pursue higher education because they believe all students in Colorado deserve a fair shot at higher education. But the bill brings up more questions than answers. An undocumented immigrant’s status is fluid depending on individual circumstances, and whether there are immediate family members who are American citizens either by birth or naturalization. There are no laws prohibiting secondary schools from admitting undocumented students, and every school has its own admission policies…
…Read MorePodcast Series: Innovations in Education
Explore the full series of eCampus News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.
Watch: Best eReader for under $100
eReaders are some of this year’s hottest gifts. And good news: they have dropped way down in price. But in the battle for Best E-reader for Under $100, which one comes out the winner? Asks Yahoo! News. The basic model Kindle, the Nook Simple Touch, and the Kobo Touch all share a few traits other than a reasonable price. They all feature 6-inch screens, 2 GB of storage, Wi-Fi for downloading books, and good readability. But a few differentiating factors may tip the balance…
…Read MoreColorado professor named science envoy by Secretary of State
The University of Colorado-Boulder announced on Monday that longtime professor Bernard Amadei has been appointed by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as one of three new science envoys, Yahoo! News reports. Here are the details:
* Clinton named the three new science envoys at a meeting last week, mentioning Amadei’s work with Engineers Without Borders, stating that the U.S. is looking to strengthen its “ability to engage diplomatically” and build scientific partnerships to address global challenges.
* Amadei has been on the CU-Boulder faculty in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering for 30 years, the university reported. His specialty is rock mechanics and engineering geology……Read More
Ohio college students the targets of relentless campaigning
With all the campaign coverage on the news and online in the final run-up to Election Day, turning off the TV and computer and taking a walk is almost the only way to avoid it, says Ryan Hurley, a Yahoo! News contributor. Of course, even that’s not true if you live in uptown Cincinnati, which has the distinction not only of being located in a swing state, but that of being located in a pivotal swing county within Ohio on top of that. Think you’ve got Obama and Romney’s favorite talking points pretty well memorized after a few months of campaigning? Spend a day in Ohio, and you’ll have every bit of dirt, every talking point, and every gaffe by each candidate memorized by sunset. I’m a 21-year-old student at the University of Cincinnati, and the relentless campaigning by both sides has turned my everyday walk to class into a gauntlet run of student activist groups and voter registration advocates trying to push their agendas. It’s become more frustrating than when I lived back home in Columbus and my family had to take a prerecorded phone call about the elections every half hour. UC’s beautiful urban campus has been turned into a veritable battleground…
…Read MoreTo keep college graduates around, offer local tax breaks
As a student at the University of South Alabama, that I will have no option but to relocate after graduation is troubling, says David Loeser for Yahoo! News. According to the Alabama Department of Revenue, the state has an income tax rate of 5 percent and a sales tax rate of 10 percent, with an average income of $36,000. It is very difficult for any graduating student who financed their education using loans to build financial momentum. There is a simple, long-term solution benefiting graduates, all local government organizations, and local communities in Mobile: All graduating students in the state of Alabama should be issued a minimal five-year income tax exemption, and any student who graduates with a 3.5 GPA or greater can earn a 10-year exemption. Even better, the state of Alabama should match the amount of savings up to $10,000 per year for the entire length of exemption. The exemption should be issued in reimbursement twice per year. Everyone benefits from this solution. Students will pay off loans, purchase property and settle themselves into their profession in Mobile and Alabama. The state would benefit from property tax, possible business tax and future income tax…
…Read MoreMicrosoft Windows 8 release preview available for download
The final test version of Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system is available for download Yahoo! News reports. The Release Preview build of Windows 8 features new apps, richer experiences, tens of thousands of refinements and a touch-friendly Adobe Flash Player in Internet Explorer 10.
“We’re thrilled to be at this milestone with the Windows 8 Release Preview,” said Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows and Windows Live Division at Microsoft, marking the operating system’s final stage of development before being rolled out to PC and tablet manufacturers.
Microsoft released the previous Windows 8 Consumer Preview build of the operating system (OS) back in February. The OS was downloaded more than 1 million times in the first 24 hours and has since become the company’s most tested operating system of all time. Since then, Microsoft has made a number of improvements to refine the Windows 8 experience…
Son of mogul receives full ride to UCLA despite dad’s fortune
The debate over America’s love-hate relationship with higher education has increased a notch with news that an expensive full-ride scholarship to UCLA has been awarded to a teenager who hardly needs the cash: Justin Combs, Calvin Wolf for Yahoo! News reports. Combs is the son of hip-hop mogul Sean Combs (Diddy, P. Diddy, Puff Daddy, etc.), and received a $54,000 per annum football scholarship, reported the day after his high school graduation on May 24 by Britain’s Daily Mail. The editorial staff of The Week are all over the debate, with proponents and critics of wealthy kids receiving merit scholarships arguing over various issues, including whether or not the funds come from taxpayer sources or private donors. While Justin Combs certainly put in lots of hard work to land his scholarship and may well be deserving of it, his lack of financial need does highlight an important issue that has been gnawing at the financial efficiency of higher education: Should rich kids get scholarships at all and instead follow the mantra success is its own reward? Basically, is it right to reward poor, working-class and lower-middle-class teens for their efforts while expecting their wealthier peers to labor simply on the merits?
…Read MorePennsylvania colleges to host big-name commencement speakers
Pennsylvania colleges have a long history of high-profile commencement address speakers, Yahoo! News reports. The University of Pennsylvania has hosted speakers such as President Gerald Ford, Oscar winner Denzel Washington and U2 front man Bono. Comedian Bill Cosby has delivered commencement speeches at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Mellon University and his alma mater, Temple University. Last year, West Chester University landed Dr. Oz. Here is who is on tape for this year: Education reformer Geoffrey Canada will be the speaker at the University of Pennsylvania’s 256th Commencement on May 14. Canada, who is president and CEO of Harlem Children’s Zone, was featured in Davis Guggenheim’s 2010 documentary “Waiting for Superman…”
…Read MoreFirst person: The top 10 benefits of getting my degree online
If you’re interested in earning a degree, attending an online college can be a practical and cost-effective way to go. I returned to school in 2008, seven years after receiving my bachelor’s, and a year and a half later I’d earned my master’s degree without ever setting foot inside a classroom, says Zoe Bauer for Yahoo! News. While online learning isn’t for everyone, I loved everything about my experience, and I’ll definitely go that route if I return to school in the future. From the perspective of someone who’s been there and done that, here are the top 10 benefits of earning a degree online…
…Read MoreCommunity college students mistakenly placed in remedial courses
Recent studies conducted by the Community College Research Center at Columbia University found that about 25 percent of students at community colleges are mistakenly assigned to remedial courses when they could actually be successful in college-level courses, says Andrea Hayes for Yahoo! News. Most community colleges place students based on the scores they receive on a placement test administered at the college – usually the College Board’s Accuplacer or the ACT’s Compass. The studies conducted showed that placing students based upon their high school grade point average would be just as effective, if not more, at determining the appropriate courses for students. While remedial courses are optional at some colleges, they are mandatory at many. These courses do not earn students any college credit even though the student has to pay tuition for them. Having to take remedial courses also lengthens the amount of time a student must spend taking courses toward a degree…
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