“The U.S. Education Department has not approved any applications for student-loan forgiveness in cases of possible fraud since President Donald Trump took office, according to records sent to an Illinois senator.” More …
Education
Betsy DeVos Picked a Student Loan CEO to Run the Student Loan System
“When the Trump administration announced its pick to run the $1.3 trillion federal student loan system on Tuesday, there was one notable thing about the candidate that wasn’t mentioned in the press release: He’s the CEO of a private student loan company.” More …
Trump Administration 2018 Budget Swaps Heavy Cuts to Education for Focus on School Choice
“President Donald Trump’s budget for fiscal year 2018 beginning October 1 and released this past Tuesday contains some potentially bad news for the state of education in the United States. Under the guise of “refocusing” funding priorities, the budget proposes a 13 percent, or $9 billion, cut for the Department of Education. On the chopping block are programs such as public service student loan forgiveness. Supporting Instruction State Grants, and 21st Century Community Learning Centers. Despite these, and other rollbacks on spending for Kindergarten through 12th grade and higher education, the budget did reflect the Trump administration’s misplaced commitment to advancing one aspect of education—school choice—using mechanisms such as vouchers to help students access schools that best suit their needs.” More …
What a New Study on Vouchers Means for Trump’s Agenda
“The Trump administration has promoted private-school scholarships as a means of empowering families. But they may undermine a child’s academic success.” More …
Is There a Point to All This Cruelty from the Department of Education?
“While we’re on the subject of bad hiring in the executive branch, let’s not forget that Betsy DeVos, the Secretary of Education, was the single most obviously unqualified Cabinet nominee—Grizzlies!—in the history of the republic. On Thursday, from The Washington Post, we find that DeVos is finding ways to fulfill her life’s dream of destroying public education and monetizing all those bright shiny faces.” More …
Navient Lawsuit: What Student Loan Borrowers Need to Know
“Navient Corp., the nation’s largest student loan servicer, is facing three lawsuits alleging that it harmed student loan borrowers throughout the repayment process. It is alleged that Navient misallocated payments, steered struggling borrowers toward multiple forbearances instead of income-driven repayment plans, and provided unclear information about how to re-enroll in income-driven repayment plans and how to qualify for a co-signer release.” Article includes info on how to protect yourself if you have student loans.
U.S. Cost of Betsy DeVos’s Security Detail — Nearly $8 million Over 8 Months
“Federal marshals are protecting Education Secretary Betsy DeVos at a cost to her agency of nearly $8 million over nearly eight months, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.” More.
Betsy DeVos Undoes Student Loan Protections
“Trump’s education secretary wants to limit costs at a time when more than 1 million Americans are annually defaulting.” More.