White House Initiative Releases Financial Aid Guide for Hispanic Students

Posted on May 22, 2014May 19, 2017

The White House Initiative on Education Excellence for Hispanics released a new guide on financial aid today. Available in both Spanish and English, the guide consolidates and outlines existing resources in a culturally relevant way for Hispanic students. The guide aims to better support these students in their efforts to enroll in and pay for higher education. It includes recommendations for how to complete college application materials and the FAFSA form, and provides tips on choosing the right college and an overview of financing options. In addition, the guide includes resources for students who have been granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status and non-U.S. citizen students.

Access the guide on the Initiative’s web page. The guide will also be housed on the U.S. Department of Education’s new online resource page, Educational Resources for New Arrivals & DACA students.

U.S. Department of Education Announces $75 Million First in the World Competition

Posted on May 21, 2014

To spur innovation in higher education aimed at helping more students access and complete a college degree or credential, the U.S. Department of Education announced late last week the availability of $75 million in the First in the World (FITW) program. The grants will fund the development and testing of innovative approaches and strategies at colleges and universities that improve college attainment and make higher education more affordable for students and families.

The FITW competition aims to increase postsecondary access, affordability, and completion for underrepresented, underprepared, or low-income students at institutions across the country. Colleges and universities are invited to submit proposals addressing key priorities around boosting enrollment and attainment for those students, or minimizing gaps between these students and their peers; improving transfer rates between community college and four-year institutions; increasing enrollment and completion rates among underrepresented, underprepared, or low-income students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs; reducing time to completion; and/or increasing college affordability.

FITW is designed to spur a diverse array of innovative ideas and approaches in order to dramatically improve student learning and outcomes. Applications are available now and due by June 30th. All grants will be awarded by September 2014. The Department will post further information, including information about webinars and other technical assistance, on the FIPSE Web page.

ED Announces Plan College Ratings Timeframe

Posted on May 21, 2014

Today, the Department of Education (ED) announced a timeframe for rolling out the Administration’s proposed College Ratings system. In a post by Deputy Under Secretary Jamienne Studley entitled, “Making it Easier to Pick and Pay for College through Ratings“, the Administration announced that the college ratings system will be ready this Fall and a final version will be ready before the 2015-16 school year.

You can read the post here.