Student Union
US Relief Package Includes Help for Students

About $40 billion has been included for higher education and student loan relief in the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill signed into law by President Joe Biden on Thursday.
Any federal student debt forgiven after December 31, 2020, and before January 1, 2026, will not be taxed as income, as it was prior to this legislation.
"While the new stimulus package includes tax-free forgiveness of student loans, it does not ultimately solve the problem of student loan debt in the country," Steve Muszynski, student loan expert and founder and CEO of Splash Financial, said in an email statement.
Bipartisanship "is essential for tackling the problem of student loans, and as delinquencies on student loan repayments remain at an all-time high," he said.
This is the largest federal allocation for institutions of higher education since the onset of the pandemic last March. Colleges and universities received about $14 billion last March as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act's Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. As part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, colleges and universities received an additional $23 billion in December.
At least 50% of the funds must go to students directly for emergency financial aid, the bill says, though it is up to each college to distribute the aid. The funds from this legislation may be used for tuition, as well as emergency costs such as health care, housing, food, mental health care and child care, according to The Wall Street Journal.
It is unclear for now whether international students or those in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program will be eligible for aid from their institutions. However, some of the emergency aid goes outside student loans.
In previous rounds of COVID-19 relief bills, students who are claimed as dependents have not qualified for stimulus payments. This may change for some under new guidelines. Payments totaling $1,400 per household member now include adult dependents, though that money will go to the taxpayer and not the student. This will be the third batch of checks sent out to qualifying Americans since the start of the pandemic.
Other facets of the legislation include unemployment benefits that continue the $300-per-week payments through September 6. Additionally, tens of billions of dollars will be allocated to coronavirus testing and contact tracing, increasing the size of the public health workforce and funding vaccination distribution.
Biden signed the bill Thursday, a day earlier than the White House had planned and a day after the legislation passed through Congress.
Sophia Solano contributed to this report.
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Trump administration opens antisemitism inquiries at 5 colleges, including Columbia and Berkeley

The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.
It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.
In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.
Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.
Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.
"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.
An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."
House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."
Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.
Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.
The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.
"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."
- By VOA News
STEM, business top subjects for international students

The Times of India breaks down the most popular subjects for international students to study in the U.S.
STEM and business lead the pack. Read the full story here. (January 2025)
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Safety and visa difficulties among misconceptions about US colleges

U.S. News & World report addresses some of the misconceptions about U.S. colleges and universities, including the difficulty of getting a visa.
Read the full story here. (January 2025)
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Work opportunities help draw international students to US schools

US News & World Report details the three top factors in foreign students' decision to study in the U.S. They include research opportunities and the reputation of U.S. degrees. Read the full story here. (December 2024)
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British student talks about her culture shock in Ohio

A British student who did a year abroad at Bowling Green State University in Ohio talks about adjusting to life in America in a TikTok video, Newsweek magazine reports.
Among the biggest surprises? Portion sizes, jaywalking laws and dorm room beds.
Read the full story here. (December 2024)