A Generation is Hobbled by Student Debt (New York Times, May 13, 2012)
Ninety-four percent of students who earn a bachelor’s degree borrow to pay for higher education – up from 45 percent in 1993, according to an analysis by The New York Times of the latest data from the Department of Education. ..”If one is not thinking about where this is headed over the next two or three years, you are just completely missing the warning signs,” said Rajeev V. Date, deputy director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the federal watchdog created after the financial crisis.”
Food Banks Confront Hunger at Community Colleges (Boston Globe, May 12, 2012)
“A lot of students don’t do too well on tests simply because they’re not eating right. But students who eat well can test well,’’ said Stephenson Aman, Bunker Hill’s 27-year-old student government president, who “grabbed some carrots and potatoes and a little yogurt, but not too much’’ for himself from the food bank.
Higher Education is Great Investment by Mary Grant, President of Mass. College of Liberal Arts (Berkshire Eagle, May 5, 2012)
The current national discourse pits the liberal arts against the sciences and professional programs; rather than embracing them as the center of a well rounded education. The fields of science, math, engineering, and technology are deeply rooted in the liberal arts. These fields demand creativity, curiosity, problem solving, and the ability to communicate outcomes and possibilities.