Author: deanfiihr Published: January 17th, 2012
Iowa House legislators visited North High School on Tuesday, January 17th to discuss the recent turnaround of North High School’s academic achievement. Principal Matt Smith outlined many of the ways he and his administration changed the attitude of North High students and staff to be more positive, leading to increased success in the classroom. Principal Smith said that one of the major achievements was getting the students to believe they could succeed. Legislators will be considering an education reform package during the 2012 session.
Category Education, Featured, Recent News |
Author: deanfiihr Published: October 27th, 2011
With Iowa students graduating with the fourth highest debt in the county, President Obama announced a series of new initiatives yesterday to help Iowa students pay off their student loans. The new steps will make college more affordable and make it even easier for students to repay their federal student loans.
1. Capping Monthly Payments using “Pay as you Earn”
This would allow borrowers to cap their student loan payments at 10% of discretionary income. For example, a teacher who is earning $30,000 a year and has $25,000 in Federal student loans under the standard repayment plan will have a monthly a repayment of $287. The currently available IBR plan would reduce this borrower’s payment by $116, to $171. Under the improved ‘Pay as you Earn’ plan, his monthly payment amount would be even more manageable at only $114.
Borrowers looking for more information on income-based repayment visit http://studentaid.ed.gov/ibr.
The CFPB also released the Student Debt Repayment Assistant, an online tool that provides borrowers with information on income-based repayment, deferments, alternative payment programs, and much more. The Student Debt Repayment Assistant is available at ConsumerFinance.gov/students/repay
2. Improve Ease of Making Payments and Reduce Default Risk by Consolidating Loans
This would provide a discount on consolidation loans. This special consolidation initiative would keep the terms and conditions of the loans the same, and most importantly, beginning in January 2012, allow borrowers to make only one monthly payment, as opposed to two or more payments. Borrowers who take advantage of this special, limited-time consolidation option would also receive up to a 0.5 percent reduction to their interest rate on some of their loans.
3. Provide Consumers with Better Information to Make College Selection Decisions
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Department of Education have teamed up to launch a new “Know Before You Owe” project aimed at creating a model financial aid disclosure form, which will make it easier to compare aid packages offered by different institutions.
Category Education, Featured, Recent News |
Author: deanfiihr Published: October 6th, 2011
Governor Terry Branstad outlined his blueprint for Education Reform this week and House Democrats share the Governor’s goal of having world class schools for all our kids. That’s exactly why we fought so hard last year to keep preschool, prevent a two-year starvation diet for schools, and continue to raise student achievement through the Iowa Core Curriculum.
To read more about the proposed reform or leave a comment go to: http://iowahouse.org/educationreform
Tags: Education, education reform, Iowa Education Reform
Category Education, Featured, Recent News |
Author: deanfiihr Published: April 14th, 2011
Hundreds of Iowans including educators, legislators, students, and union supporters, crowded the west steps of the State Capitol during the Speak Out for Iowa Education Rally on April 13, 2011. Check out the photos below!
Tags: Iowa Education, speak out for iowa education rally
Category Education, Featured, Recent News |
Author: deanfiihr Published: April 11th, 2011
Help us stop pink slips for teachers and cuts to education! Rally for Education on Wednesday, April 13 at 5:30 pm at the State Capitol.
Tags: education cuts, Iowa Education, rally for education
Category Education, Featured, Recent News |
