Bill seeks to bolster HBCU student national security opportunities
U.S. Sens. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) recently detailed the HBCU National Security Innovation Act, which seeks to connect Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) students to the defense industry and private sector national security and innovation programs.
The bill stipulates, among other provisions, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering establish activities that include outreach and technical assistance to better connect historically Black colleges and universities and minority serving institutions to the programs of the Defense
Innovation Unit and its associated programs.
Douglas Clark – Homeland Preparedness News
Meharry Medical College Gifts Students $10,000
Meharry’s 956 students each reportedly received the gift — money provided through federal COVID-19 relief funds in the CARES Act sent to higher education institutions to go directly to students in the form of financial aid.
The act allotted a total of $14 billion to assist schools in handling the financial strain of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as to assist students with academic debts and clearing tuition costs. Meharry received a $20 million grant to be used in part to bolster its medical curriculum with virtual simulation and telemedicine training. The generous student gifts utilized about $9.6 million of those funds.
Angelina Velasquez – Yahoo! News
HBCUs Fuel the American Middle Class
Three major findings of the report:
The “move into middle class+ mobility rate” accounts for more movement between socioeconomic classes than other popular mobility rates used to measure American students’ upward mobility.
HBCUs serve more economically disenfranchised students than most U.S. institutions. The percentage of HBCUs that educate low-income students in comparison to the nationwide average is nearly 30% higher. When compared to other institutional types, HBCUs’ average access rate is more than twice that of all institutions nationwide and five times that of “Ivy Plus” institutions. These access rates reflect the fact that more than 70% of HBCU students are Pell Grant-eligible, and 39% are first-generation college students.
On average and across institution type, when it comes to mobility rates HBCUs outperform all other categories and are double the national rate, being the primary post-secondary driver for moving Black Americans from poverty to the middle class.
United Negro College Fund
Howard University men’s basketball team signs NIL deal
The players will receive a specified dollar amount up front to split evenly and will then have opportunities individually to earn more money through incentives with the company by bringing in new clients or employees.
The co-owners of the business, Nick Friedman and Omar Soliman, grew up in the Washington, D.C., area attending Howard University homecoming events. Friedman played on the Howard intramural club basketball team, so this endorsement hit home for the company.
Tom VanHaaren – ESPN
Texas A&M Central Texas is recognized as a Hispanic Serving Institution
A Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), is defined as a higher education institution with at least 25 percent Hispanic students and a high overall percentage of students receiving need-based federal financial aid.
Texas A&M – Central Texas is now eligible for additional resources through federal grants due to their new classification, according to the university.
Education Department Addresses Student Loan Forgiveness
Targeted loan forgiveness includes U.S. Department of Education efforts concerning automated disability discharge, borrower defense to repayment discharge, and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) waiver. The PSLF waiver allows payments made in the FFEL program and in any repayment plan to count toward PSLF, if the borrowers consolidate their loans and/or file a PSLF form through October 31, 2022.
Finally, Richard Cordray discussed the U.S. Department of Educations regarding the restart of repayment of federal student loans in February 2022. These include direct and indirect communications to borrowers, making it easier for borrowers to renew or sign up for auto-debit, and encouraging struggling borrowers to sign up for income-driven repayment.
