Government

The PATH to College Act, introduced earlier this month—and included in the House’s version of the Build Back Better Act—would make public transportation more accessible for students at community colleges and minority-serving institutions.

Borrowers will resume payments on federal student loans on Feb. 1, nearly two years after repayments were deferred due to the pandemic. The vast majority of borrowers say they won’t be ready to pay.

Stakeholders argue that there are more appropriate ways to hold for-profit institutions accountable than excluding their students from using the Build Back Better Act’s increase to the maximum Pell Grant.

Colleges and universities have spent over half of the funds designated by Congress to provide COVID-19 relief, according to Under Secretary James Kvaal.

More students who graduated in 2020 relied on private loans made by banks and other lenders to pay for their college education, with students in some states graduating with an average of over $40,000 in private loans.

Democrats’ big social spending plan would provide much-need federal financial aid to undocumented students—but only a fraction of them.

FAFSA verification can be a burden for students and institutions alike. College access advisers and financial aid administrators say data sharing and changing how the Education Department selects students for verification could provide relief.

Advocates say a comprehensive approach is required to address mental health challenges on college campuses, but more information is needed about what does and doesn’t work. Bipartisan legislation introduced in Congress aims to find that information out.