AHIS 201 Scanning:James Donohue

James Donohue Professor Hochfelder AHIS 201 2/29/20 Title: That digital textbook? Your college has billed you for it Date:2/28/20 URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/28/your-money/college-digital-textbooks.html?searchResultPosition=1 Brief Description: Some college programs have begun switching to digital access textbooks for college students. This process is called Inclusive Access. Some student advocates are opposed to this plan because the students have to buy the program and the college also bills them for the service of providing the program. Publishers claim that these digital textbooks are cheaper than the physical alternative. Students disagree with this on the grounds that they don't have a price for the physical textbooks to compare to the digital textbooks and the publishers are sometimes allowed to raise the prices of their textbooks if enough students don't sign up. This can often occur because of the fact that many students nowadays don't buy their tex...

James Donohue Professor Hochfelder AHIS 201 2/27/20 Title: Housing and Food Insecurity affecting many college students, new data says Date:2/20/2020 URL: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/02/20/housing-food-insecurity-affecting-many-college-students-new-data-says/ Brief Description: A survey conducted by the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice. This survey of 167,000 students at 244 colleges across 44 states and the District of Columbia revealed that 39 percent of respondents were food insecure, 46 were housing insecure and 17 percent had been homeless within the last year. The students complained that they felt this way because financial aid has not kept up with the rate of inflation and thus basic necessities like food and housing become harder to pay for. Proposed solutions include meal vouchers, expansion of SNAP, emergency financial aid and subsidized housing. The Food for Thought act would expand the National School Lunch Program for college student...

James Donohue Professor Hochfelder AHIS 201 2/22/20 Title:U.S.C offers free tuition to students whose families make $80,000 or less Date:2/20/20 URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/20/us/usc-free-tuition.html?searchResultPosition=1 Brief Description: U.S.C, one of the prominent colleges in Southern California, has announced that it will eliminate tuition for students whose family makes less than $80,000. Tuition at U.S.C is about $57,000 with total costs going up to about $77,500. Other universities like Harvard and Stanford offer similar benefits but for students whose families make up to $150,000 nearly double what U.S.C. offers. This move comes as U.S.C. deals with the college admissions scandal known as the "Varsity Blues" scandal. Keywords: College, Tuition Future Implications: This program would as intended, increase the number of students who are from lower socioeconomic classes and enable them to get a good education at an elite institution like U.S.C. This ...

James Donohue Professor Hochfelder AHIS 201 2/19/20 Title: Bloomberg's Progressive College Plan Date:2/18/20 URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/18/opinion/bloomberg-higher-education-plan.html?searchResultPosition=1 Brief Description: Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently released his plan for higher education. Under this plan tuition at public colleges would be free for in-state students and those in the bottom half of income earners. The bottom 25% would also have living expenses paid for by the government. Likewise, community colleges would be free for everyone and the largest possible Pell Grant offered would be doubled. Keywords: College, Cost Future Implications: Mayor Bloomberg is a leading candidate in 2020 Democratic Primary, as such anyone analyzing college affordability in the United States should analyze his plan for college affordability because he very well could be the nominee for the Democrats and potentially the President of the United States. Mayo...

James Donohue Professor Hochfelder AHIS 201 2/15/20 Title:  How Much Influence Will UC's Faculty Have? Date:1/10/20 URL: https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2020/02/10/how-much-influence-will-university-california-faculty-panel-have Brief Description: College systems across the nation have started becoming test-optional colleges wherein students aren't required to have an SAT or ACT score in order to be accepted to college. The University of Nebraska system has already done it but required students seeking financial aid to take the tests. The University of California system debated becoming test-optional but a task force of UC professors recommended not becoming test-optional. Meanwhile, the chancellors of UC Berkley and UC Santa Barbara have endorsed becoming test-optional. Keywords: College, Affordability, New York Future Implications: Going test-optional would be beneficial to low-income students who disproportionately do worse on these tests. First o...

James Donohue Professor Hochfelder AHIS 201 2/12/20 Title: Expand Economic Opportunity by Supporting Community Colleges Date: 1/13/20 URL:  https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2020/01/13/why-government-should-invest-more-community-colleges-opinion Brief Description: This article advocates for better funding for our community colleges as an affordable alternative for students who can't afford a 4 year public or private college. The article also points out disparities in funding that account for increases in tuition for public colleges nationwide. Between 2008 and 2016 there was a decrease of 16% in governmental resources sent to public colleges. Another glaring detail is the fact that private institutions get public subsidies that are per student, 8 times greater than those community colleges get. That means that private institutions are better funded by the government than community colleges that are much more affordable. Keywords: College, Affordability Future Implicat...