Idea to track students stirs privacy worries: "Suppose you are a fifth-year mechanical-engineering student at Cleveland State University, paying your tuition by taking off an occasional semester to work.


Is that any business of the federal government?

An idea circulating in the U.S. Department of Education and on Capitol Hill says that maybe it should be, and that maybe the government should follow students' progress through college by assigning them bar codes."

Chicago Defender / National: "The Howard University Law School's moot court team took first place in the American Bar Association Mock Trial Competition, the first team representing a historically black college or university to do so."

Get pupils on college track early, parents told | The Arizona Daily Star : "Preparing the next generation of college-bound students is getting tougher all the time, and increasingly that preparation has to start earlier. Close parental involvement is a key to success - especially for low-income, minority and first-generation college-bound kids.

A University of Arizona outreach program is giving parents the tools they need to direct their kids to college. "

Chicago Tribune | Scholarships aren't just for kids anymore: "'There are all kinds of hidden scholarships that go unused,' said Sandra Marshall, corporate liaison for National-Louis University in Wheeling and a member of the board of Resources for the Education of Adults in the Chicago Area, a non-profit organization that encourages adults to go to college. 'You have to do your homework to find them, and it's time consuming. I think that is what keeps a lot of adults from doing it.'
"

. African Americans Go After Job Growth Opportunities in the Midst of Nursing Shortage: "For the first time, the U.S. Department of Labor recognized registered nursing as the top occupation in the nation in terms of job growth opportunities through the year 2012. Similarly, African Americans are realizing a great potential for growth in a field that is plagued with high turnover and vacancy rates, which has encouraged more African American students to pursue a higher education in nursing.

According to the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, the number of African Americans in bachelors, masters and doctoral degree programs in the United States has increased significantly over the past few years. In 2003, there were 14,616 students enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program in nursing; that is a 67 percent increase over the 8,745 students that were enrolled in 1990. In addition, the number of students in a master’s degree program tripled to 3,635 students and the number of students pursing a doctoral degree doubled to 264 over the same 12-year period."

Microsoft Awards $500,000 in Undergraduate Scholarships: "Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) today announced disbursement of half a million dollars in scholarships, benefiting the largest number of undergraduates since the scholarship program's inception in 1989. The announcement reflects the company's commitment to making the technology field more accessible to a broader student population." The Fall scholarship season over for all intents and purposes but to get a jump on next year, bookmark http://www.microsoft.com/college/scholarships - Barry

As Merit-Aid Race Escalates, Wealthy Often Win (washingtonpost.com): "A 2003 study by the Indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation for Education reported that from 1995 to 2000, scholarship aid to students from families making $40,000 or less increased 22 percent in 1999 dollars. At the same time, scholarship aid for students in families making $100,000 or more a year increased 145 percent. " Note: Nothing new to see here, move along - Barry

Pepperdine School of Public Policy Establishes Theodore J. Forstmann Scholarships: "Beginning in the fall of 2005, 12 Forstmann Scholars will be chosen from the class of 2006. In addition, 12 first-year students from the incoming class of 2007 will be selected and the awards will continue through their second year to the completion of the master of public policy degree.

Current and prospective students may learn more about the Forstmann Scholarships by visiting http://publicpolicy.pepperdine.edu/forstmann. In addition to demonstrating academic excellence, each applicant must write a 500-word essay describing the proper spheres of government, individual initiative, transcendent ethical principles, and free markets needed in the formulation and implementation of American public policy."

Guardian Unlimited | World Latest | White House Said to Impede Education Probe: "The Bush administration is impeding an investigation into the Education Department's hiring of commentator Armstrong Williams by refusing to allow key White House officials to be interviewed, a Democratic lawmaker briefed on the review said Thursday."

For-profit schools may win OK for federal grants: "The change would allow many for-profit education companies to compete for hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants now reserved for nonprofit schools.

''Do you really think that the American taxpayer wants to siphon these funds to the for-profit institutions?'' Letteney asked. ''As a taxpayer, I would say no.''

Supporters say the change would benefit students. They say the for-profit schools that more students are attending should enjoy an even playing field when it comes to federal support."

Caribbean News details: "Caribbean American or other minority students who are pursuing full-time graduate or medical studies and looking for scholarships are being urged to apply for the American Association for Cancer Research Scholar Awards programs.

The scholarship provides scientists traditionally underrepresented in cancer research with financial support to participate in the premier international meeting in the field.

Each of the 17 AACR-MSI Faculty Scholars chosen this year will receive $1,800 for use toward expenses associated with attending the AACR annual meeting or special conferences.

For more, log on to: www.aacr.org. – Hardbeatnews.com"

Minority Corporate Counsel Association Establishes Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship Program With The United Negro College Fund: "The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) today announced a grant from the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) to establish the MCCA Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship program for college seniors entering law school, with a particular interest in corporate law.

For more information please contact:

Ayanna Canty
(703) 205-3510
www.uncf.org "

United Negro College Fund Scholarships: "If you are a student at a UNCF member college it is highly recommended that you fill out a student profile. Once you fill out this profile, our scholarship managers will look for scholarships that you qualify for, and automatically put you into the applicant pool. By filling out this profile, you are being considered for many scholarships at once. UNCF will contact you if you are selected to receive a scholarship. To fill out a student profile, click here."

UPS Offers Teachers Scholarships to Advance Academic Excellence :: PNNOnline :: the nonprofit news and information resource: "For more information about UPS Foundation scholarship opportunities, please contact NBPTS at 1-888-908-FEES, or visit their Web site."

TIP SHEET: 5 ways to land merit scholarships: "No matter what financial aid package the college offers, you can lessen your bill (not to mention your parents') with merit-based scholarships. So says Ben Kaplan, author of the new book 'How to Go to College Almost for Free.' Kaplan should know -- he received nearly $90,000 in merit scholarships while studying for his undergraduate degree at Harvard. 'Start looking into merit-based scholarships now,' he advises."

Laramie Boomerang Online - School Assessment Tool for Parents, Educators, Tax Payers: "Educators, administrators and parents will have another tool to assess school and district performance. SchoolMatters.com is a national education data service that places demographic, performance and funding information a click away.

The principle partners behind www.schoolmatters.com are the Council of Chief State School Officers, Standard & Poor’s, The Broad Foundation and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation."

Fort Morgan Times - Local: "Seventy $2,000 scholarships are available for Spanish-speaking, bicultural high school students who want to pursue careers in the health care industry.

High school seniors with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 and who are fluent in Spanish and English are eligible. Applicants must show proof of acceptance into a university, community college or an accredited technical college and must be enrolled in an approved health care program at the time they receive the scholarship. Applications are due June 30 and are available online at PacifiCare en Español, www.pacificarelatino.com , and PacifiCare Health Systems' Web site, www.pacificare.com"

University sees decline in minorities - The Daily Illini - News: "Because a number of students have not yet committed to attending the University, exact figures regarding the drop in minority enrollment are not available, Marshall said.

This drop in minority enrollment is the direct result of a number of factors, but is also part of a national trend, said Rolando Romero, associate professor in the Latino/Latina Studies program.

'It seems to be happening at different universities around the nation,' Romero said.

'Our best guess is that (minority student enrollment) is down because of a number of complex issues; there's not any one clear-cut issue,' said Ruth Watkins, associate provost.

Marshall, although unable to cite a specific reason for the enrollment drop, did say that an increase in the number of essay questions in the application process, a tuition increase and an increase in competition from other schools could have affected enrollment. "

Million Dollar Scholarship Fund Established to Encourage Minority Students to Pursue Careers in Teaching Math and Science: "This program marks the first time the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund and the UNCF will collaborate in an effort to target both private and public colleges. The Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund has 47 member public HBCUs; the UNCF provides operational support to the 38 private institutions. The two organizations will select scholarship recipients each year. The Siemens Foundation will fund the scholarships as part of its mission to support and enhance math and science education in America's high schools."