U.S. Department of Education
Arkansas Awarded $25M in Federal Grants to Strengthen Literacy Instruction
Arkansas is the only state in the country to receive multiple grants. read more >
Education Department Says It Will Release Billions In Remaining Withheld Grant Money for Schools
President Donald Trump's administration had suspended more than $6 billion in funding on July 1, as part of a review to ensure spending aligned with the White House’s priorities. read more >
by Associated Press -
Arkansas Tech Receives $2.7M in Federal Grants to Advance Student Support
Arkansas Tech University has landed $2.7 million in federal funding to support first-generation and low-income students. read more >
Trump Gives Schools a Deadline to End DEI Programs or Risk Losing Federal Money
In a memo to education institutions, the Education Department gave an ultimatum to stop using “racial preferences” as a factor in admissions, financial aid, hiring or other areas within 14 days, or lose their eligibility for federal money. read more >
by Associated Press -
Students Can Now Apply for Federal College Aid. Officials Hope for a Smoother Rollout This Year
The federal FAFSA form used to apply for college financial aid opened to high school seniors across the nation on Thursday, a year after a disastrous rollout by the Biden administration delayed the application for months. read more >
by Associated Press -
Lyon College Awarded $1.95M to Establish Thriving Scot Program
The five-year initiative aims to support first-year students through residential learning communities (RLCs) and enhanced data infrastructure, in hopes of improving academic performance and retention. read more >
ADE Receives $3.6M to Support Educators in Improving Student Learning
This $3.6 million grant aims to support educators to deliver effective instruction to struggling learners. read more >
Smartphones & Students (Editorial)
Bipartisan legislation that would study smartphones’ effects on students can’t come too soon. read more >
Arkansas Tech Gets $6.1M Grant for College Readiness Program
The grant will fund mentoring, tutoring, test preparation and other educational services to a cohort of students for seven years. read more >
State Gets $1.1M Grant for Career-Focused High School Programs
The grant aims to build the capacity of the state's education and workforce systems to partner with businesses and industries. read more >
Some Americans Will Get Their Student Loans Canceled in February as Biden Accelerates New Plan
Republicans in Congress tried unsuccessfully to block the new repayment plan through legislation and a resolution last year. read more >
by Scott Carroll -
Biden Withholds $2M From Student Loan Servicers After Companies Bungled Billing Statements
The Education Department said Friday it will withhold payments from Aidvantage, EdFinancial and Nelnet for failing to meet their contractual obligations. The servicers failed to send timely statements to more than 750,000 borrowers in the first month of repayment, the agency said. read more >
by Associated Press -
Biden is Trying Again on Student Loan Forgiveness. Here’s Where the Process Stands
Meanwhile, federal student loan borrowers began making payments again this month after a three-year-plus pause due to the pandemic. read more >
by Associated Press -
SoFi Bank Sues to Block Biden’s Student Loan Payment Pause
The bank says its federal student loan refinancing business has suffered because borrowers have little incentive to refinance while payments and interest remain on hold. read more >
by Associated Press -
$1.6M Grant to Support Low-Income Students at UCA
The new five-year program, called Bear Life, aims to decrease the achievement gap in retention and persistence rates for low-income students. read more >
Feds Propose ‘Student Loan Safety Net’ Alongside Forgiveness
If it's finalized, the proposal would give a major overhaul to income-driven repayment plans — one of several payment options offered by the federal government. read more >
by Associated Press -
Pandemic Cited as Student Math Scores Plummet
Among fourth graders, 36% were proficient in math compared with 41% in 2019. In Arkansas, the results were even worse. read more >
Arkansas Tech Gets $2.7M to Continue Upward Bound Program
The grants will fund math, science and other education programs for high school students with barriers to higher education. read more >
$61M Helped HBCUs in Arkansas Survive COVID
Three of the four historically Black colleges and universities in Arkansas that received nearly $61 million through the federal American Rescue Plan say the money has been critical to surviving the pandemic amid challenges unique to institutions like theirs. read more >
HBCUs in Arkansas Get $61M from American Rescue Plan
Schools are required to use half the money to provide direct financial relief to students. read more >
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