October 15, 2015
By JENNIFER C. KERR
Associated Press
Thousands of students could be eligible for federal student aid as part of a new pilot program that will offer certificates and college credit for non-traditional programs like boot-camp style computer science training.
The Education Department announced the experimental three-year pilot on Wednesday October 14, saying it hopes to reach several thousand people, particularly low-income students who wouldn’t otherwise have access to the courses. Currently, only programs offered by accredited schools are eligible to receive federal student aid and loans.
Under the pilot, colleges and universities would have to set up partnerships with the non-traditional educational providers, including short-term intensive training programs in subjects like web design, software coding and data science, as well as MOOCs, or massive open online courses.
In 2015 alone, the department said, the number of students graduating from coding boot camps is expected to increase by 240 percent, from about 6,700 students last year to over 16,000 this year.
These sorts of new partnerships “should prepare students for jobs that are available in that region at that time, providing the student with a great salary boost,” said senior department official David Soo.
Students could also get academic credit that would help them continue a post-secondary education.
Colleges and universities would work with third-party companies to vet the programs to make sure they meet the schools’ standards. The school’s accrediting agency also would have to decide whether the program falls within the school's accreditation.
The Education Department did not have an estimate on how much the pilot program would cost. It said it hoped to reach several thousand students.
The department’s pilot program would fall under the experimental sites section of the Higher Education Act of 1965. It gives federal officials the flexibility to test the effectiveness of temporary changes to the way federal student aid is distributed.
October 08, 2015
LAWT News Service
Lilly Endowment has committed $50 million for UNCF to launch the UNCF Career Pathways Initiative. Through this initiative, UNCF will award competitive grants to four-year historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and predominantly black institutions (PBIs) to help students gain the knowledge, preparation, insight and skills needed for meaningful employment in a technology-driven, global economy.
“We have designed a program that we envision will serve as a model of best practices to solve the unemployment and underemployment crisis among recent college graduates,” said UNCF President and CEO Dr. Michael L. Lomax. “In today’s marketplace, students need both the knowledge and soft skills to compete in the global economy. Sadly, too many of our nation’s talented students are having difficulty finding good jobs after graduation. Our goal is to work with students, faculty, colleges, alumni, and employers to better connect the student experience with the jobs of the future.”
Since the Great Recession ended in 2009, the problem of underemployment has become a crisis for young adults. By early 2015, the underemployment rate for recent college graduates had reached 44 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The statistics are even more alarming for African American graduates. As recently as 2013, the unemployment rate for African American college graduates between ages 22 and 27 was 12.4 percent, more than twice the rate of their white counterparts. And in 2014, the percentage of recent African American college graduates that were underemployed soared to 56 percent.
HBCUs have a proven track record of influencing the academic success of African Americans. Although they comprise only three percent of all four-year colleges and universities in the United States, these institutions award nearly 20 percent of the bachelor’s degrees earned by African American students nationally. Their impact with students in STEM fields is significant as well, as 25 percent of bachelor degrees in STEM fields earned by African American students in the country are awarded by HBCUs.
Through a competitive grant process, the initiative will encourage schools to strengthen career guidance and discernment and enhance the liberal arts education of students by adding ─where needed─ certain skills, experiences, and knowledge required by employers. It will expose college faculty to contemporary workplaces so they can better teach, advise, and mentor students. The initiative also will help institutions build partnerships with local and national employers and improve student career services.
Programmatic success will be measured through accountability and evaluation metrics that will be assessed periodically throughout the program and at its conclusion to determine impact, effectiveness and replicability.
“Lilly Endowment has funded UNCF virtually every year since its founding in 1944,” said N. Clay Robbins, the Endowment’s chairman, president and CEO. “This grant for the UNCF Career Pathways Initiative builds on this long-standing support and furthers the Endowment’s belief that a high-quality college education fosters an enhanced quality of life for individuals and their families. The initiative will improve the educational experiences of thousands of college students and expand their ability to secure meaningful career opportunities.”
Lilly Endowment’s gift ties for the second-largest contribution that UNCF has received in its 71-year history. During the seven-year grant period, the UNCF Career Pathways Initiative will strive for at least a 15 percent increase in the employment rates of HBCU and PBI graduates.
“The UNCF Career Pathways Initiative is not only important to HBCUs and PBIs — it is important for the entire American higher education system. We are delighted to continue our long-standing relationship with Lilly Endowment in order to provide innovative solutions for our students,” said Dr. Lomax. “We are proud to lead the way in helping our colleges and universities transform the college experience and will develop an example for all colleges and universities to follow in order to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our students and the demands of the marketplace.”
UNCF will announce guidelines for the program in December. Although requirements differ for HBCUs and PBIs, 87 public and private four-year institutions across the country are eligible to apply for the UNCF Career Pathways Initiative grants. Institutions applying for the grants must demonstrate long-term commitment to work in innovative ways to improve their institutions’ post-graduate employment rates.
October 01, 2015
LAWT News Service
Congresswoman Janice Hahn (CA-44) introduced the Pell Restoration Act of 2015 last week, to help students victimized by for-profit colleges continue their education elsewhere.
“Forgiving the debt of students defrauded by for-profit colleges and restoring their eligibility for Pell Grants not only is fair but also smart policy, providing an opportunity for motivated, capable students to pursue the higher education they deserve,” Hahn said.
The Federal Pell Grant Program provides need-based grants to low-income students to help them afford college. Currently, students who receive Pell Grants and attend a college that closes due to misconduct, would have used up at least some of their eligibility during the time they were enrolled at the failing school.
For example, earlier this year, Corinthian Colleges, a for-profit company, abruptly closed all of its remaining campuses and ended its college programs amid financial troubles and numerous government investigations of its practices, and Corinthian students were immediately facing difficult circumstances, having to figure out whether they could afford to continue their education, which school they could transfer to, what credits would count and how they would pay for it.
“Unfortunately, for-profit colleges have engaged in predatory and deceptive tactics to rip off hardworking students and the American taxpayers,” said Congresswoman Hahn. “We should make sure students know they have options for affordable, quality education at community colleges, public universities and elsewhere. And for those who have been exploited by for-profit companies, we should help them recover and move forward so they can complete their education and improve their career prospects.”
The Pell Restoration Act restores Pell Grant eligibility for students whose school closed so they can get a fresh start and receive Pell Grants to complete their degree or certificate at another school.
Congresswoman Hahn is joined by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Representatives Bobby Scott (VA-3) and Maxine Waters (CA-43) in introducing this legislation.
Congresswoman Hahn added, “I was happy to work on this issue last Congress and with the plight of Corinthian students making Pell Grant restoration all the more important, I am proud to have worked with Congressman Bobby Scott on this important bill.” Congressman Scott is the Ranking Member of the House Education and Workforce Committee.
Congresswoman Hahn has been a consistent advocate for people seeking access to higher education, including helping those who have been defrauded and victimized by for-profit colleges in her district and elsewhere.
In addition to seeking support from Education Secretary Arne Duncan to discharge the loans of Corinthian College students this year, Congresswoman Hahn previously intervened to help students of a failed for-profit college, Career Colleges of America, following its closure of its campus in South Gate in her district in 2014.
September 24, 2015
LAWT News Service
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) recently launched two new initiatives aimed at providing business development opportunities for historically underutilized businesses beginning with the release of the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) & Request for Proposal (RFP) for the final design and construction of the Purple Line Extension Project, Section 2.
The RFQ and RFP will be released together to expedite the process of selecting of the contractor to design and build the 2.6 mile Metro Purple Line Extension Section 2, which will run underneath Wilshire Boulevard from La Cienega Boulevard to downtown Century City.
The RFP will require proposers to submit proposals that include an innovative Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Contracting Outreach and Mentoring Plan (COMP) to outline their approach to provide business development opportunities through two new initiatives: Mentor Protégé and sized focused Tier Programs. The new initiatives will also be rolled out on all future Metro RFPs and Invitation for Bids for projects with an estimated cost of more than $25 million.
“These opportunities are aimed at ensuring that the money we spend on improving our transit infrastructure is returned to the local economy to foster growth in the small business community,” said Metro Board Chair Mark Ridley-Thomas.
The Purple Line Extension Section 2 RFP will outline minimum criteria for the Mentor Protégé Program, emphasizing the proposer’s creativity in providing business development assistance to DBE firms in both design and construction phases of the project, including measurable plans to grow and build the capacity of DBE firms.
“As Metro works on growing our region’s transportation network, it’s important that we give our historically underutilized businesses ample opportunity to develop and grow along with us,” said Metro CEO Phil Washington.
Proposers will need to identify strategies to create DBE subcontracting opportunities, based on firm sizes/average annual gross receipts defined by tiered size dollar thresholds, to further level the playing field for DBEs to compete for jobs within projects. Proposers will be expected to develop and include subcontracting opportunities at those defined dollar threshold levels.
While there are specific components that are required to be included by Proposers in their proposals, Metro’s guidelines are not restrictive. Metro is interested in seeing creative strategies and innovative, non-traditional approaches that will include DBE’s in all phases of subcontracting.
The Proposer’s plan will be evaluated as one element of the evaluation criteria in the RFP. Metro will review and approve each COMP submittal for the awarded contract.
The new initiatives are overseen by Metro’s Diversity and Economic Opportunity Department (DEOD), which also oversees Metro’s small business programs and certifications. More information about opportunities available to small business at Metro can be found at www.metro.net/connect.