Voters Want Federal Action on High School Reform, According to New National Poll

/PRNewswire/ -- Improving the quality of public high schools through the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is a voting issue for over eight in ten voters, according to a new national poll released today by the Alliance for Excellent Education. Additionally, over half of voters say that their decision to vote for a current elected official in the 2010 congressional elections will be affected if Congress takes no action to reform the law currently known as the No Child Left Behind Act.

"The Alliance commissioned this bipartisan poll to gain insight into Americans' views of the public education system," said Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia. "The overwhelming takeaway from the poll is that Americans are concerned about the growing problems with the nation's high schools and they want President Obama and the Congress to act--this year--to improve them."

According to the poll, voters see a clear connection between the nation's ability to educate its students and its ability to compete, but believe that the nation's public high schools currently do a poor job of preparing students for success. For example, two thirds of voters believe that a high dropout rate has a lot of impact on the nation's economy (69 percent) and America's ability to compete in the global economy (65 percent). However, nearly seven in ten voters (69 percent) say that a diploma from America's public high schools does not prepare graduates to get a good-paying job, while less than half of voters believe that a high school diploma prepares graduates to succeed in college.

"The poor state of the economy has gotten most of the headlines going into the congressional election cycle, but, as our poll shows, voters are keenly aware of how a poor education system hampers the economy's ability to operate at full speed," said Wise.

According to the poll, voters want President Obama, the U.S. Congress, and the nation's governors to pay more attention to the nation's public high schools. Nearly half of voters (49 percent) think President Obama is not paying enough attention to public high schools while majorities of voters say that Republicans in Congress (62 percent) and Democrats in Congress (58 percent) are not paying enough attention to the state of public high schools in the United States.

"The belief that the president and the Congress are not paying enough attention to the nation's public high schools crosses party lines," said Celinda Lake, president of Lake Research Partners, one of the firms that conducted the poll. "This finding is significant during a time when large segments of the voting public are polarized going into the congressional elections."

One way the federal government could act to improve high schools is through the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), currently known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Overall, more than half (52 percent) of the nation's voters believe NCLB has done a fair or poor job for public schools in their community. The demand for change to NCLB is much clearer, with over three quarters of voters wanting Congress to change NCLB to improve the quality of public high schools this year. Only 11 percent believe it should stay the way it is now.

"NCLB was groundbreaking when it was signed into law," said Wise. "But almost ten years later it's a compact disc in an iPod world--useful but in desperate need of an upgrade. By reauthorizing ESEA, the Congress can address the aspects of NCLB that time, experience, and research have shown need to be significantly improved or updated while doing more to help ensure that every student graduates from high school prepared for college and a career."

According to the poll, voters overwhelmingly agree, with nearly eight in ten saying it is personally important to them that Congress change ESEA to improve the quality of public high schools and three quarters (74 percent) saying that it is important for Congress to act this year.

"Incumbents and challengers alike have been looking for an issue that speaks to both Republicans and Democrats in the upcoming congressional elections," said Christine Matthews, president of Bellwether Research and Consulting. "This poll finds that solid majorities of Democrats (86 percent), Republicans (70 percent), and Independents (69 percent) say it is personally important to them for Congress to change ESEA to improve public high schools."

Voters are clear that bipartisanship is important but should not hold up ESEA reauthorization. In fact, two thirds of voters (66 percent) would be more likely to support a candidate who calls for Democrats and Republicans to work together, but add that passage of ESEA should not be delayed if both parties cannot reach agreement.

"As congressional incumbents head into the final months of their session as well as heated elections, this poll shows that the public will reward them for action while many will punish them for inaction," said Wise.

Lake Research Partners and Bellwether Research and Consulting designed and administered this survey in a bipartisan manner for the Alliance for Excellent Education. The survey was conducted via telephone by professional interviewers and reached a total of one thousand likely voters nationwide. The survey was conducted June 15-23, 2010.

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College-Bound Students Take Note: July 1 Brings New, Lower Student Loan Interest Rates

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Here’s news that 19 million people signing up for college classes this fall may want to hear: if you’re considering student loans to help foot the tuition bill, you may qualify for lower interest rates.

For the 2010-2011 academic year, rates on need-based federal Stafford student loans will decline from 5.6 percent to 4.5 percent, says Sallie Mae, the nation’s leading saving, planning and paying for college company. As a result, if you borrow $5,500 and pay off in the standard 10 years after graduation, you can save an estimated $350—enough for a semester’s worth of books or a month’s car payment. Rates on non-need-based federal Stafford loans remain 6.8 percent.

To qualify for federal student loans, you must first fill out the government’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as the FAFSA.

Keep in mind that the maximum amount you can borrow in federal Stafford loans varies between $5,500 and $7,500 for undergraduate students, depending on your year in college. To qualify, you also need to attend school at least half-time. Another change beginning July 1: federal Stafford loans will come directly from the U.S. Department of Education.

Sallie Mae’s Smart Option Student Loan also has lower interest rates for upcoming academic year, ranging between 2.88 percent and 10.25 percent for degree- seeking students, based on today’s LIBOR index. A customer’s actual interest rate depends on credit history and whether a cosigner applies, among other factors and will reset periodically based upon future changes in the LIBOR index. In addition, the company recently eliminated disbursement fees and added an on-time payment award. This private loan from Sallie Mae is available to help you fill the gap between the school’s cost of attendance and your other financial aid.

With Sallie Mae’s Smart Option Student Loan, students pay interest while in school, graduate with less debt, and pay off their loans faster, saving more than 50 percent in finance charges over the life of their loan. A typical freshman borrowing $10,000 makes payments of principal and interest for only seven years after graduation rather than 15 years. The customer saves approximately $8,800—compared to other private student loan alternatives in which no payments are made until after graduation. For more information, visit www.SallieMae.com/loansmart.

Sallie Mae advises families to follow the 1-2-3 approach to paying for college: first maximize scholarships and grants, along with savings and income. Second, explore federal student loans. Third, fill any gap with a pay-interest-as-you-go private education loan.

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Obama's stimulus bill includes huge student aid investments

(ARA) - The Obama administration has set forth an extensive bill designed to get the economy out of the recession and moving again. This $70 billion bill has a large portion directed towards students and investing in their education.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. David Obey (D-Wisc.) said, "Our short-term task is to try to prevent the loss of millions of jobs and get our economy moving. The long-term task is to make the needed investments that restore the ability of average middle income families to increase their income and build a decent future for their children." The financing for continuing education will help people get the skills and knowledge they need to get jobs in the future, thus boosting the economy.

According to the summary of the bill released by the House Appropriations Committee, the bill would provide the following additional funding for student aid.

* Pell Grants: $15.6 billion to increase the maximum Pell Grant by $500, from $4,850 to $5,350 for the 2009-2010 academic year.

* Federal Work-Study: $490 million to support undergraduate and graduate students who work.

* Student Loan Limit Increase: Increased limits on unsubsidized Stafford loans by $2,000.

* Student Aid Administration: $50 million to help the Department of Education administer surging student aid programs while navigating the changing student loan environment.

The bill also provides funding that will benefit higher education institutions, including:

* $20 billion for school renovation and modernization, including technology upgrades and energy efficiency improvements: $14 billion for K-12 and $6 billion for higher education.

* $1 billion for 21st century classrooms, including computer and science labs and teacher technology training.

* $79 billion in state fiscal relief to prevent cutbacks to key services, including $39 billion to local school districts and public colleges and universities distributed through existing state and federal formulas, $15 billion to states as bonus grants as a reward for meeting key performance measures, and $25 billion to states for other high-priority needs such as public safety and other critical services, which may include education.

"These kinds of incentives from the government don't come along very often," says Janet Hill, financial aid and education counselor at ClassesAndCareers.com, a free online education service. "If people have been thinking of going back to school, now would be the time to do it. If they are hurting financially, they can easily get the money they need to get a degree." These benefits are set to expire after the 2010-2011 school year and are available for campus and online colleges.

Thanks to a growing number of online education options, degree-seekers can take advantage of President Obama's stimulus bill without leaving their jobs. Sites like ClassesAndCareers.com have helped nearly 500,000 degree-seekers get their stimulus money and enroll in online universities.

"We help people learn how to take advantage of this bill," says Hill. "All they have to do is visit our form and fill it out. We guide them through the rest."

Anyone interested in going back to school can visit www.OnlineSchools247.com to see if they qualify. They simply fill out the form and an education advisor will help them get their share of the stimulus money and find the best degree program for them. Or, call directly at (888) 361-6349.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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National Alliance for Public Charter Schools Hails Appropriations Conference Agreement

/PRNewswire/ -- National Alliance for Public Charter Schools President and CEO Nelson Smith issued the following statement on the Senate-House Conference agreement approved last night that will fund the U.S. Department of Education and the federal charter school programs for Fiscal Year 2010:

"The Conference Report agreed upon last night includes a $40 million increase over the current fiscal year funding for the federal charter school programs and marks a significant down-payment on President Obama's promise to double federal charter support during his term. It also includes significant innovations sought by the Administration and the Alliance that will speed the deployment of our highest-performing models to communities that need them the most.

"For the first time the Secretary of Education will now be able to reserve a portion of Charter School Program (CSP) funding for direct grants that support the replication and expansion of successful charter school models. This authority will give new hope to students in need of better options by putting high-achieving new schools in their communities. At the same time, the appropriations will continue to support the creation of innovative new schools by providing ample start-up and implementation funding to be distributed through state education agencies.

"We applaud Congress and the Administration for insisting that states use these new funds not just to start more charter schools, but to create high-quality schools that have the freedom to operate and are held accountable for results. This is the approach strongly advocated by the National Alliance and charter leaders in the states. Chairman Obey, Chairman Inouye, Chairman Miller, Chairman Harkin, and the Administration have worked to include these quality assurances in the bill, and we appreciate their efforts. They have put the needs of students above all else in this appropriations process."

This year's Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies bill includes $256 million for the federal charter school programs, the highest amount ever appropriated and a $40 million increase over FY2009. The total includes $50 million that can be directly competed by the U.S. Department of Education to support the replication and expansion of successful charter models; over $23 million to support the Credit Enhancement for Charter School Facilities Program and the State Facilities Incentive Grants; and up to $10 million dollars to support National Activities grants to further develop a sound infrastructure of support for high quality charter schools.

Additionally, $10 million dollars was included in the U.S. Department of Education FY2010 appropriation to support planning grants for the Administration's Promise Neighborhoods Initiative, a new program (in collaboration with the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Choice Neighborhoods Initiative) inspired by the Harlem Children's Zone. The Conference agreement also includes $400 million dollars for the Teacher Incentive Fund, a $303 million increase from FY2009, providing strong new support for performance-based teacher compensation programs.

Congress must now approve this package and send it to the President for his signature before the current Continuing Resolution funding the U.S. Department of Education and other federal departments and agencies expires on December 18th.

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Sallie Mae Assists Students with Loan Repayment

(BUSINESS WIRE)--As the date approaches for thousands of new college graduates to begin repaying their student loans, Sallie Mae offers a full range of repayment plans to help customers manage their higher education bill.

New for this year is income-based repayment (IBR) which enables federal student loan customers experiencing financial challenges to cap their monthly student loan payment at 15 percent of their discretionary income. IBR may be particularly helpful to new college graduates unable to find employment at a level they expected or for those who have accumulated higher-than-average federal loan balances through their undergraduate and graduate programs.

After 25 years, customers who qualify for IBR and who have not repaid their entire loan balance may be eligible for loan forgiveness, which would discharge the remaining loan balance. To find out more information about eligibility, customers can visit www.SallieMae.com/IBR and watch a video as well as download Sallie Mae’s IBR worksheet. Customers may apply online by logging in to their Sallie Mae online account and downloading a personalized application.

The company offers several other payment plans including fixed monthly payments of principal and interest over a 10-year repayment term, graduated repayment and extended repayment, which lowers the monthly payment amount by extending the repayment term. For more information about repayment plans, visit www.SallieMae.com/repayment.

Customers may change repayment plans at any time, and they may prepay at any time without penalty. Sallie Mae’s repayment calculator, available at www.SallieMae.com/RepaymentCalculator, enables customers to compare programs, including IBR, by calculating estimated monthly payment amount, length of time to pay off, and total finance charges paid over the life of the loan. This tool helps customers select the payment option that is best for their unique circumstance.

Sallie Mae makes every effort to help customers achieve success in paying off their student loans. Heather, a resident of Bailey, Colo., was one such customer. After graduating with a master’s degree in social work from the University of Kansas, unexpected medical bills and challenges in establishing a fledgling therapy practice caused her to get behind in her student loans. Sallie Mae contacted her to assist, and by early 2009, Heather was able to pay her education loan bill in full.

Today, she is proudly immersed in her own private practice, giving support and encouragement to people when they need it the most. “Extending a helping hand to someone in need can make all the difference,” says Heather. “It was this same kind of support that I received from Sallie Mae at a time when I really needed it.”

Automatic debit helps customers stay on track with payments and maintain a healthy post-college credit history. With automatic debit, monthly student loan payments are electronically deducted from a checking or savings account, saving time and stamps.

Upromise by Sallie Mae may also help customers pay down their student loans faster. Upromise is a free service that enables members to earn rewards from eligible purchases from participating companies that can be used to pay down their eligible student loan balances.

For example, if a freshman who borrowed the maximum Stafford loans available each year for four years of college used Upromise and earned $100 a year in rewards throughout college and during loan repayment, he would have applied nearly $2,000 in rewards toward his student loan balance.* Visit www.SallieMae.com/upromise to learn more about how to join and pay down a Sallie Mae-serviced student loan faster.

SLM Corporation (NYSE: SLM), commonly known as Sallie Mae, is the nation’s leading provider of saving, planning and paying for education programs. Through its subsidiaries, the company manages $192 billion in education loans and serves 10 million student and parent customers. Through its Upromise affiliates, the company also manages more than $21 billion in 529 college-savings plans, and is a major, private source of college funding contributions in America with 11 million members and more than $500 million in member rewards. Sallie Mae and its subsidiaries offer debt management services as well as business and technical products to a range of business clients, including higher education institutions, student loan guarantors and state and federal agencies. More information is available at www.salliemae.com. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.

* $100 per year savings amount is not typical. Individual savings will vary depending on spending habits and level of engagement in Upromise. Active members earn contributions by using the Upromise credit card and doing things such as making eligible online and offline purchases with our partners and inviting friends and family to pass on their contributions. Saving example assumes all of the following: 4 unsubsidized Stafford loans borrowed in years 1 - 4 of school totaling $19,000 ($3,500 in year 1; $4,500 in year 2; $5,500 in year 3; $5,500 in year 4) with 2 equal disbursements per year, the customer is saving in his/her Upromise account the amount listed above on an annual basis beginning with the first Stafford Loan disbursement, a fixed interest rate of 6.8%, a 45 month in-school period, a 6 month grace period, a 10 year repayment period and a Standard Repayment Account. Postponement of payments, late fees, prepayments, Upromise program changes, change in repayment schedule including extension of repayment terms or change in school term may impact actual amounts displayed. Terms and conditions apply. Visit www.SallieMae.com/upromise. Access to Upromise is not limited to Sallie Mae customers.

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Updated Federal Guidelines for 2009 H1N1 Influenza in Schools Offer Many Options

Updated federal guidelines offer state and local public health and school officials a range of options for responding to 2009 H1N1 influenza in schools, depending on how severe the flu may be in their communities. The guidance says officials should balance the risk of flu in their communities with the disruption that school dismissals will cause in education and the wider community.

The guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was announced today at a joint news conference by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, and CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H.

The school guidance is a part of a broader national framework to respond to novel H1N1 influenza, which includes encouraging people to be vaccinated against the virus and to take other actions to avoid infection. The CDC anticipates more illness after the school year starts, because flu typically is transmitted more easily in the fall and winter.

``We’re going to continue to do everything possible to keep our children – and all Americans – healthy and safe this fall,’’ Secretary Sebelius said. ``But all Americans also have a part to play. The best way to prevent the spread of flu is vaccination. A seasonal flu vaccine is ready to go, and we should have one for the 2009 H1N1 flu by mid-October.’’

“The federal government continues to coordinate closely with state and local governments, school districts and the private sector on H1N1 preparation as we head into the fall flu season—and the upcoming school year,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Readiness for H1N1 is a shared responsibility, and the guidance released today provides communities with the tools they need to protect the health of their students and teachers.”

For an outbreak similar in severity to the spring 2009 H1N1 infection, the guidelines recommend basic good hygiene, such as hand washing. In addition, students or staff members with flu-like illness (showing symptoms of flu) should stay home at least 24 hours after fever symptoms have ended.

“We can all work to keep our children healthy now by practicing prevention, close monitoring, and using common sense,” Secretary Duncan said. “We hope no schools have to close. But if they do, we need to make sure that children keep learning.”

The guidelines also recommend schools have plans in place to deal with possible infection. For instance, people with flu-like illness should be sent to a room away from other people until they can be sent home. Schools should have plans for continuing the education of students who are at home, through phone calls, homework packets, Internet lessons and other approaches. And schools should have contingency plans to fill important positions such as school nurses.

If H1N1 flu causes higher rates of severe illness, hospitalizations and deaths, school officials could add to or intensify their responses, the guidelines say. Under these conditions, the guidelines advise parents to check their children every morning for illness, and keep the children home if they have a fever.

In addition, schools could begin actively screening students upon arrival and sending ill students home immediately. If one family member is ill, students should stay home for five days from the day the illness develops, the guidelines say.

“Influenza can be unpredictable, so preparation and planning are key,” said Dr. Frieden. “We can't stop the tide of flu, but we can reduce the number of people who become very ill by preparing well and acting effectively.”

For more information visit www.flu.gov.

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UGA to host conference on state/federal roles in education policy May 1

Nearly 100 state policymakers, school administrators and University of Georgia faculty will gather to hear about and discuss how the nation’s new Congress and administration may re-shape the federal role in education policy at a Friday, May 1 conference hosted by the UGA College of Education.

The conference, titled, Changing Horses or Paddling Harder? Reconsidering the State/Federal Relationship in Education Policy, will feature faculty and student research that critically examinesthe programs and policiesof the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (currently the No Child Left Behind Act).

UGA Regents Professor Jeremy Kilpatrick, one of the nation’s most renowned scholars in mathematics education and keynote speaker at the conference, will deliver a luncheon address titled, “Education Policy in Transition: The White Papers Project of the National Academies.”

Over the past year, Kilpatrick has co-chaired a committee on mathematics and science education for the National Academies’ “Education Policy White Papers Project,” an initiative to help policymakers in the new administration and Congress better understand key education issues and help them create more effective policies by providing them with independent, research-based information.

Kimberly Robinson, an associate professor at Emory University Law School, will open the conference with an address titled, “A New Theory of Education Federalism: How Collaborative Federalism Would Reinvent the Federal Role in Ensuring Equal Educational Opportunity.”

Robinson teaches education law and policy, and civil procedure and has extensive litigation experience from her work for the Office of the General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Education and Hogan & Hartson, L.L.P., in Washington, D.C.

Elizabeth DeBray-Pelot, an associate professor and associate director of UGA’s Georgia Education Policy and Evaluation Center, will follow with an address titled, “Reflections on Congress, the New Administration, and the Institutional Environment.”

The conference also will include three panels of UGA education faculty and students which will provide multiple perspectives on a range of topics including the impact of No Child Left Behind, federal legislation and the needs of subgroups, and policy design and resource allocation.

The conference, which will be held from 8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Rooms K-L at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education, is sponsored by EPEC in conjunction with the Georgia Assessment Center, the Learning and Performance Support Laboratory and the Center for Latino Achievement and Success in Education, all based in the UGA College of Education.

It is the second statewide spring conference on education policy hosted by EPEC. The center also hosted its first State of the State of Education Conference last fall.

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Nation's Second Largest Student Loan Guarantor Backs President Obama's Student Financial Aid Proposal

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The California Student Aid Commission, the nation's second largest guarantor of student loans, during a meeting on April 16, 2009, endorsed President Barack Obama's plan to reform student financial aid.

"The President's plan would end existing subsidized loan programs with the removal of banking institutions from the Federal Student Loan Program. This action provides an unprecedented opportunity to redirect billions of dollars in profits to benefit students," said Commission Chair Barry Keene. "That would make thousands more students eligible for the financial aid for the education they need to advance in this struggling economy. Given the cutbacks at the state level to our colleges and universities, the President's proposal couldn't come at a better time."

According to the Congressional Budget Office, replacing subsidized loans made by private banks with direct government lending would save $94 billion over the next decade. Under the Obama plan, a portion of those funds would be used to expand Pell grants for California's most needy students.

President Obama's Education Secretary Arne Duncan said, "It's great to have an ally in the lending community who recognizes the larger payoff to society from sending more young people to college. Under this proposal, everybody wins - taxpayers, students and the lending community."

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Sallie Mae Originates Loans under Federal Solution

BUSINESS WIRE --SLM Corporation (NYSE:SLM), commonly known as Sallie Mae, today issued the following statement regarding implementation of the U.S. Department of Education’s loan participation purchase program authorized under the “Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008”:

We are the first company to receive funds under the U.S. Department of Education’s new program that guarantees there will not be a shortage of federal student loans this year. Sallie Mae is actively reaching out to students and colleges to make sure that every student at every college has access to federal student loans.

We also stand ready to continue working with Congress and the Administration to bolster the long-term health of the student lending program.

Sallie Mae was approved to participate in this program on Aug. 14. An initial funding request was made on Aug. 15, and the company received funding in three business days. Sallie Mae estimates that it will originate $20 billion or more in federal Stafford and PLUS loans eligible for participation in the Department of Education’s program this academic year.

SLM Corporation (NYSE: SLM), commonly known as Sallie Mae, is the nation’s leading provider of saving- and paying-for-college programs. The company manages nearly $172 billion in education loans and serves 10 million student and parent customers. Through its Upromise affiliates, the company also manages more than $19 billion in 529 college-savings plans, and is a major, private source of college funding contributions in America with 9 million members and $425 million in member rewards. Sallie Mae and its subsidiaries offer debt management services as well as business and technical products to a range of business clients, including higher education institutions, student loan guarantors and state and federal agencies. More information is available at www.salliemae.com. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.

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