Student Union
- By Reuters
US to Cancel $6 Billion in Student Loans for 200,000 Defrauded Borrowers
The United States will cancel $6 billion in student loans for 200,000 borrowers who claimed they were defrauded by their colleges, the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden said.
A settlement agreement between the borrowers and the U.S. Department of Education was filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on Wednesday and must be approved by a federal judge.
Student debt cancellation has become a priority for many liberals and one that could shore up popularity with younger and more highly educated voters, who lean Democratic, before November's midterm congressional elections.
About 43 million Americans have federal student loan debt, according to educationdata.org.
The loans of those borrowers will be fully eliminated, and any payments they made will be refunded, according to the court filing of the settlement deal.
The lawsuit from borrowers had accused the administrations of Biden and former President Donald Trump of illegally delaying for years any action on the applications that borrowers had filed with the Education Department seeking debt relief.
In a statement on Thursday, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona described the settlement as "fair and equitable for all parties" and said it will deliver "billions of dollars of automatic relief" to the 200,000 borrowers.
The Project on Predatory Student Lending, which represents students across the U.S. in fighting against student debt, described the settlement as "momentous."
The Biden administration had previously approved $25 billion in student debt forgiveness for about 1.3 million borrowers.
The administration had been reluctant to unilaterally make an unprecedented cancellation of college debt owned by the U.S. government. The president had instead earlier asked Congress to pass a bill forgiving debt that he could sign.
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- By VOA News
Harvard's Chan School tells international students what to expect
Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health reaches out to international students by detailing the international student experience at the school.
Learn more about housing, life in Boston and more here.
- By Reuters
China unveils plan to build 'strong education nation' by 2035
China issued its first national action plan to build a "strong education nation" by 2035, which it said would help coordinate its education development, improve efficiencies in innovation and build a "strong country."
The plan, issued Sunday by the Communist Party's central committee and the State Council, aims to establish a "high quality education system" with accessibility and quality "among the best in the world."
The announcement was made after data on Friday showed China's population fell for a third consecutive year in 2024, with the number of deaths outpacing a slight increase in births, and experts cautioning that the downturn will worsen in the coming years.
High childcare and education costs have been a key factor for many young Chinese opting out of having children, at a time when many face uncertainty over their job prospects amid sluggish economic growth.
"By 2035, an education power will be built," the official Xinhua news agency said, adding that China would explore gradually expanding the scope of free education, increase "high-quality" undergraduate enrolment, expand postgraduate education, and raise the proportion of doctoral students.
The plan aims to promote "healthy growth and all-round development of students," making sure primary and secondary school students have at least two hours of physical activity daily, to effectively control the myopia, or nearsightedness, and obesity rates.
"Popularizing" mental health education and establishing a national student mental health monitoring and early warning system would also be implemented, it said.
It also aims to narrow the gap between urban and rural areas to improve the operating conditions of small-scale rural schools and improve the care system for children with disabilities and those belonging to agricultural migrant populations.
The plan also aims to steadily increase the supply of kindergarten places and the accessibility of preschool education.
- By VOA News
A look at financial aid options for international graduate students in US
The Open Notebook, a site focusing on educating journalists who cover science, has complied a list of U.S. graduate program financial aid information for international students.
- By VOA News
5 tips to help international students settle into US life
An article in Community College Daily looks at ways to support international students in and out of the classroom.
- By VOA News
Communications, value key in attracting international students, research finds
ICEF Monitor, which bills itself as "a dedicated market intelligence resource for the international education industry," takes a look at what matters to international students looking to study abroad.
