Many state-funded community colleges will likely face midyear budget cuts, according to a survey conducted by Stephen Katsinas, director of the Education Policy Center in the College of Education at the University of Alabama and Terrence Tollefson, professor emeritus in the department of educational leadership and policy analysis at East Tennessee State University. The survey found that 18 of 28 states with community college funding formulas did not generate enough revenue to finance their programs. Additionally, state appropriations to community colleges dropped 5.15 percent between the 2006-2007 school year and the 2007-2008. Appropriations to flagship universities fell 1.76 percent and regional universities fell 3.7 percent in that time period. These cuts are expected to have the greatest impact on schools with occupational, vocational and technical programs . The survey may not fully represent the extent of the community college funding deficiency because the majority of states responded before the market collapse in September.
A California appeals court overturned a lower court ruling that Californians with learning disabilities, as defined by the state of California, are eligible for extra time when taking the MCAT in a decision last week, according to Inside Higher Ed. The court ruled that Californians must now be eligible for extended time based on the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. The Association of American Medical Colleges, which administers the MCAT, claimed that the test's fairness would be compromised if time extensions were given according to standards that vary from state to state.
The student loan company Goal Financial and New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo have reached a settlement concerning the company's alleged deceptive marketing strategies, The New York Times reported Monday. Goal Financial had allegedly sent mailings that resembled those of the federal government, and the company used gifts such as iPods to attract borrowers. Cuomo's office also uncovered evidence of inappropriate connections between Goal Financial and college financial aid departments, in which Goal offered various perks to officials willing to steer students towards using Goal as a lender. Goal has agreed to conform to a new marketing code of conduct and to contribute $350,000 to a state fund used to educate students about financial aid. Goal is the ninth lender to agree to this code of conduct, which includes restrictions on contact with financial aid offices. Seven other lending companies have contributed more than $1.4 million to the same financial aid education fund, according to The Times. The agreements aims to prevent companies from using misleading tactics and prizes to lure borrowers, and forces lenders to provide information to students and parents that allows them to compare borrowing options, Cuomo told The Times.
