Education category, Page 31
Saint Vincent students give younger counterparts a boost at Greensburg Salem
Saint Vincent College junior Gabriel Graham knows what it’s like to struggle in school. “I definitely didn’t have a normal upbringing,” Graham said. “Because of that, my education definitely was impacted in a negative way. Pretty much all through high school and all of my schooling, I was very much...
West Virginia University police investigate campus burglaries and arsons
West Virginia University police are investigating multiple burglaries and arsons reported this week inside the school’s Life Sciences Building, including one faculty office targeted twice in two days. The university issued an alert Friday following the incidents on its Downtown campus. In the first burglary, reported Wednesday morning, testing material...
Student loan forgiveness plan in Pennsylvania wipes out $45.1M in debt for 5,600 borrowers
The Biden administration this week canceled $1.2 billion in student debt nationwide. In Pennsylvania, that means 5,600 borrowers with a total of $45.1 million in debt have had their loans wiped clean, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The agency on Friday released a state-by-state breakdown of where the...
Eastern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center sets open house for prospective students
Students at Derry Area, Greater Latrobe and Ligonier Valley school districts who are considering enrolling in career-oriented programs will have the chance to check out local offerings Monday at Eastern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center. Students currently in grades 8-11 at any of the three member districts are invited to...
Pitt becomes latest to extend student decision deadline amid FAFSA worries
The University of Pittsburgh Friday became the latest institution to extend the deadline for first-year admitted students to decide whether to enroll. The May 1 deadline will be extended to May 15, officials said Friday. The move impacts thousands of applicants to Western Pennsylvania’s largest university and is the result...
La Roche University names new president
La Roche University has named as its eighth president Christina Clark, former provost at Marywood University in Scranton, who has spent two decades as an academic at comprehensive Catholic universities. Officials announced the hiring Thursday. She takes office in July as the school’s second lay president in its 61-year history....
State System of Higher Education chancellor faces tough questioning over more than next school year’s budget
Were this any other year, the leader of Pennsylvania’s 10 state-owned universities simply might have needed to defend next year’s appropriation request and explain how it would enable a sixth consecutive tuition freeze. Instead, State System of Higher Education Chancellor Daniel Greenstein faced sharp questioning from state senators Wednesday about...
University of Pittsburgh students create KDKA Radio show
Four Pitt students are taking what they’ve been learning in the classroom and broadcasting it. KDKA Radio and the university are collaborating on the “KDKA Next Take” news show. The slot runs from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., Monday through Friday. Senior Jaime Ely, junior Margaux Rentzel and freshman Ryan...
Student debt wiped clean for 153K borrowers
About 153,000 student borrowers nationwide learned by email this week that their college debt has been wiped clean by the federal government. The U.S. Department of Education says it has discharged or eliminated $1.2 billion in student loans under the Biden administration’s new income-driven student loan repayment plan called Saving...
Student pushes for ‘seat at the table’ with Pittsburgh Public Schools board
Allderdice High School senior Pavel Marin hopes part of his legacy gives students a voice with the Pittsburgh Public Schools Board of Directors. A resolution to establish the role of student board representative was put on hold during January’s board meeting. Marin is frustrated by the delay. He’s been pushing...
Carnegie Mellon students sickened from on-campus eatery, officials say
Food safety inspectors from Allegheny County report finding violations in a campus eatery at Carnegie Mellon University after the school said numerous students reported symptoms consistent with a foodborne illness. The Allegheny County Health Department inspected Stack’d Underground in the basement of the Morewood Gardens residence hall on Thursday. Their...
Jeannette school board approves relaxed dress code
A relaxed student dress code policy at Jeannette City School District is official as school board members unanimously approved it Monday. School directors in December suspended the district’s dress and grooming policy, which allowed students to wear clothing they already had in their wardrobe instead of more structured and specific...
Pitt to launch doctor of chiropractic program
Lower back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and evidence indicates chiropractic care effectively treats pain with less reliance on opioids, some experts say. Those are among the reasons cited by the University of Pittsburgh for establishing a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) program, the first at a research-intensive...
Supreme Court leaves in place the admissions plan at an elite Virginia public high school
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday left in place the admissions policy at an elite public high school in Virginia, despite claims that it discriminates against highly qualified Asian Americans. A panel of the federal appeals court in Richmond upheld the constitutionality of a revamped admissions policy at the...
FAFSA delays prompt Pa. state-owned universities to extend enrollment deadlines
Pennsylvania’s 10 state-owned universities are extending the deadline for thousands of prospective new students to review financial aid offers and decide whether to enroll for fall. The move is intended to mitigate delays being experienced nationwide with the U.S. Department of Education’s revamped Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known...
Students and parents are frustrated by delays in hearing about federal financial aid for college
NEW YORK — For many students, the excitement of being accepted into their first-choice college is being tempered this year by a troublesome uncertainty over whether they’ll get the financial aid they need to attend. The financial aid decisions that usually go out with acceptance letters are being delayed because...
Gov. Shapiro’s budget calls for deep cuts to cyber charter school funding; public schools in for windfall
A proposal by Gov. Josh Shapiro to slash fees for cyber charter students could save public schools about $262 million a year. The move has public school officials singing Shapiro’s praises but leaves cyber school administrators anxious and frustrated. “This narrative that we are overfunded, we don’t agree with that,”...
Penn State dance marathon raises $17 million, beats record by $2 million
Their voices are likely shot, their ankles probably sore and they definitely could use some sleep. But the 700-plus dancers — and thousands more who participated in this year’s Penn State University IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon — know they made history, raising almost $17 million in the fight against childhood cancer,...
Students in Hempfield support programs sell handmade items through boutique
Jack Wonderling carefully lifted the lid of the heat press machine and placed a fresh tote bag inside. He pressed down on the handle of the press and held it for about a minute until the design — a glittery blue Spartan logo — was transferred onto the outside of...
Penn State president could get $1.5 million bonus if she stays through June 2032
Penn State University trustees on Friday showed they want to retain President Neeli Bendapudi long term by approving incentives including a $1.5 million bonus if she stays in office through June 30, 2032. The vote to amend her compensation package came as the state’s flagship public university confronts what some...
Ellis School Black History Month fashion show honors August Wilson, Ann Lowe
The Ellis School held a fashion showcase on Thursday, paying homage to pioneers in Black culture — playwright and author August Wilson and fashion designer Ann Lowe. Students strutted down the runway in fashions of different eras that represented each decade of Wilson’s play. “Eras of Style: Celebrating August Wilson’s...
Hempfield Area out $2.4M in payments to architectural firm for high school project
Hempfield Area School District paid more than $2.4 million to departing firm Core Architects for work on its now-stalled $150 million high school renovation project, according to district business manager Paul Schott. Core Architects resigned from the ambitious project last week by sending the district a letter, according to Ryan...
Hempfield Area Foundation Funds Committee to host ‘Spartan Soiree’
Hempfield Area School District’s Foundation Funds Committee is holding a weekend night of celebration to benefit student scholarships, grants and district projects. Through the upcoming “Spartan Soiree,” slated for 6 p.m. Saturdayat Ferrante’s Lakeview in Hempfield, attendees can support the committee’s efforts and enjoy food, drinks and live music. Basket...
College and university endowments rebound from historically bad year; Pitt remains largest in Western Pa.
College and university endowments in 2023 reversed a historically poor showing from the previous year by posting investment returns approaching 8% that favored institutions with less wealth over peers with billions of dollars in holdings. The findings are from a study of nearly 700 institutions nationally that was released Thursday...
Gun victims’ re-created voices are being sent to lawmakers who support the NRA
PARKLAND, Fla. — Joaquin “Guac” Oliver died in the 2018 Parkland, Florida, high school massacre, but federal lawmakers who oppose tighter gun regulations began getting phone calls in his voice on Wednesday, lambasting them for their position. The families of Oliver and five others killed with guns are using artificial...
