Daily Lumina News 072222

Housing shortages are nothing new. But this year is different for colleges and universities across the country.
Post-pandemic, pent-up demand and the national housing crisis are driving up rents off campus. Some colleges are getting creative, using financial incentives and special programs to help students.

Bianca Jones has nearly $70,000 in student loan debt, which she pays for in $300 monthly income-driven repayment installments. Every day, her loans accrue $8 in interest, adding nearly $3,000 per year to her already astronomical debt burden.
Her story is the story of many Black student borrowers. Research shows Black students are more likely to borrow to pay for college and borrow the highest amounts at the highest rates.

In January, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the State University of New York system would no longer withhold transcripts from students who owed outstanding balances. Thousands of students have benefited from the move.
Eight states have passed laws prohibiting or limiting the use of transcript holds. But a ban does not address both parts of the issue—the transcript and the unpaid balance, say experts.

Next month, a federal judge will decide whether to preliminarily approve a settlement to erase the debts of 200,000 borrowers who say they were defrauded by their colleges.
While it's good news for the borrowers in question, the settlement raises serious questions about the U.S. Education Department's ability to police college misconduct.

The abortion ban in Texas will go into effect around the start of the fall semester.
For college leaders, the changing legal landscape is raising questions about how to talk to students about reproductive health care options and creating hesitancy among students about whether they can trust their universities’ health centers.

Last month, the Florida Legislature passed a bill allowing military veterans and their partners to teach in the classroom despite not receiving a degree to do so.
Some say the move is a potential solution to a statewide teacher shortage. Education leaders, however, believe it undermines the qualifications of classroom instructors.