Latest news with #U.S.DepartmentofEducation
Int'l Business Times
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
MIT Commencement Speaker Banned From Graduation Ceremony After Giving Pro-Palestine Speech
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT's) 2025 class president and her family were banned from attending Saturday's graduation ceremony after she gave a pro-Palestine speech. On Thursday, Megha Vemuri praised her fellow students for protesting in support of Palestinians and criticized the university's connections to Israel during a campuswide commencement event, prompting several Jewish students to abruptly walk out of the ceremony. Vemuri said during her speech that she and her fellow graduates will carry "the stamp of the MIT name, the same name that is directly complicit in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people, so we carry with us the obligation to do everything we can to stop it." MIT received $2.8 million in grants, gifts, and contracts from Israeli entities between 2020 and 2024, based on data from the U.S. Department of Education, according to reporting by the Boston Globe. MIT Chancellor Melissa Nobles sent an email to Vemuri on Friday, informing her that she and her family were prohibited from attending the graduation ceremony. "You deliberately and repeatedly misled Commencement organizers," Nobles wrote, according to reporting by the Globe. "While we acknowledge your right to free expression, your decision to lead a protest from the stage, disrupting an important institute ceremony, was a violation of MIT's time, place and manner rules for campus expression." "I see no need for me to walk across the stage of an institution that is complicit in this genocide," Vemuri wrote in a statement in response to the school's decision, adding that the administration "massively overstepped their roles to punish me without merit or due process." Vemuri, who double majored in computation and cognition and linguistics, will receive her diploma via mail, according to The New York Times. She is the latest in a string of college graduates who have been persecuted for speaking out against Israel's war on Gaza. Most recently, New York University chose to withhold Logan Rozos's diploma after he condemned Israel's actions in Gaza and the U.S.' complicity in it during a commencement ceremony on May 14. "The genocide currently occurring is supported politically and militarily by the United States, is paid for by our tax dollars and has been livestreamed to our phones for the past 18 months. And that I do not wish to speak only to my own politics today, but to speak for all people of conscience, and all people who feel the moral injury of this atrocity," Rozos stated during his speech, per The Guardian. Originally published on Latin Times
CNBC
20 hours ago
- Business
- CNBC
Social Security checks may be smaller starting in June for some, as student loan garnishments begin
Some Social Security beneficiaries may find their June check is smaller: Starting this month, a share of people's benefits can be garnished if they've defaulted on their student loans. The Trump administration announced on April 21 that the U.S. Department of Education would resume collection activity on the country's $1.6 trillion student loan portfolio. For nearly half a decade, the government did not go after those who'd fallen behind as part of Covid-era policies. More than 450,000 federal student loan borrowers age 62 and older are in default on their federal student loans and likely to be receiving Social Security benefits, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found. More from Personal Finance:What the House GOP budget bill means for your money'Maycember' is over — here's how to recover financiallyCourt order challenges Trump's plan to move student loans to SBA Depending on details like their birth date and when they began receiving benefits, their monthly Social Security check may arrive June 3, 11, 18 or 25, according to the Social Security Administration. Many Social Security recipients rely on those checks for most, if not all, of their income. So people who are facing a smaller federal benefit as a result of garnishment are likely in a panic, said Nancy Nierman, assistant director of the Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program in New York. But, Nierman said, "the good news is there are multiple options for borrowers to stop those payment offsets." Here's what you need to know if you're at risk of a smaller benefit. Federal student borrowers should have received at least a 30-day warning before their Social Security benefit is offset, said higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz. That notice should include information on whom to contact in order to challenge the collection activity, Kantrowitz said. (The alert was likely sent to your last known address, so borrowers should make sure their loan servicer has their correct contact information.) You may be able to prevent or stop the offset if you can prove a financial hardship or have a pending student loan discharge, Kantrowitz added. With that in mind, your next step may be pursuing a discharge with your student loan servicer. That's more likely in circumstances where you have significant health challenges. "If they are sick or disabled, they can file for a Total & Permanent Disability discharge," Nierman added. Borrowers may qualify for a TPD discharge if they suffer from a mental or physical disability that is severe and permanent and prevents them from working. Proof of the disability can come from a doctor, the Social Security Administration or the Department of Veterans Affairs. Another route to stop the offset of Social Security benefits is getting current on the loans, said Betsy Mayotte, president of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors, a nonprofit. You can contact the government's Default Resolution Group and pursue several different avenues to get out of default, including enrolling in an income-driven repayment plan. "If Social Security is their only income, their payment under those plans would likely be zero," Mayotte said. Social Security recipients can typically see up to 15% of their monthly benefit reduced to pay back their defaulted student debt, but beneficiaries need to be left with at least $750 a month, experts said. The offset cap is the same "regardless of the type of benefit," including retirement and disability payments, said Kantrowitz. The 15% offset is calculated from your total benefit amount before any deductions, such as your Medicare premium, Kantrowitz said. Many retirees worry about meeting their bills on a fixed income — with or without facing garnishment, experts said. Utilizing other relief options may help stretch your funds while you work on stopping the offset to your Social Security benefits. For example, there are a number of charitable organizations that assist seniors with their health-care costs. At you can apply for funds to put toward copays, premiums, deductibles and over-the-counter medications. The National Patient Advocate Foundation has a financial resource directory in which you can search for local aid for everything from dental care to end-of-life services. Many older people aren't taking advantage of all the food assistance available to them, experts say. A 2015 study, for instance, found that less than half of eligible seniors participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The extra money can go a long way for retirees on a fixed income, though. The maximum benefit a month for a household of one is $292. Grocery stores, online retailers and farmers markets accept the funds.
Epoch Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
New York Ban of Native American Mascots Violates Civil Rights Law, Education Secretary Says
The U.S. Department of Education is threatening legal action against the state of New York for forcing a Long Island high school to abandon its Native American-themed mascot. During a visit to Massapequa High School on Friday, Education Secretary Linda McMahon
Axios
2 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Texas Legislature passes public school funding
Texas public schools are about to get a long-awaited funding boost, with an $8.5 billion school finance bill awaiting Gov. Greg Abbott's signature. Why it matters: Public school funding has been a priority during the legislative session that ends Monday. The legislation increases teacher pay and per-student funding, but some public school advocates say it isn't enough to get districts out of multimillion-dollar deficits and rough waters ahead. Context: The last time Texas increased the basic allotment, or base funding per student, was 2019. Advocates have said the state would have needed to grow it by more than $1,300 per student since then to keep pace with inflation. The big picture: In the meantime, Texas districts have closed campuses to make ends meet. Districts have also faced teacher shortages and falling school performance ratings. The future of federal funding through the U.S. Department of Education is uncertain under the Trump administration. Flashback: In 2023, Abbott said he wouldn't touch a school funding bill until lawmakers created a private school voucher program. They didn't and school funding remained stagnant. This month, Abbott signed a $1 billion voucher program into law — participating families would get roughly $10,000 per child in taxpayer money for private school tuition — so he is expected to sign the school funding bill. Catch up quick: The final version of House Bill 2 is a compromise between the Texas House and Senate. The House, led in part by Rep. Diego Bernal (D-San Antonio), initially passed a bill to increase per-student funding by $395. The compromise bill raises per-student funding by $55 instead. How it works: District officials say the basic allotment is what gives them the most flexibility to address their particular needs. The final version of the bill focuses on educator pay, which accounts for more than $4 billion of the spending in it. What they're saying:"This is not going to come anywhere close to curbing the three-quarters, 75%-plus, of the districts that are operating a deficit budget," John Craft, superintendent of Northside ISD, San Antonio's largest district, told school board members Tuesday. "You don't see me doing back flips right now. This is not to say that the increase in the much-needed teacher compensation piece is not appreciated." Northside ISD adopted a budget with a deficit of $93.7 million this year. The other side: The Texas American Federation of Teachers union supported the compromise bill, "which makes significant investments in educators and support staff while hopefully also keeping the lights on for another two years in our public school classrooms," Zeph Capo, Texas AFT president, said in a statement. "This legislation provides the largest teacher pay raise in history, targeted funding for our special education students, investments in early childhood learning and additional funding for our schools to address the rising fixed costs of operation," House Public Education Committee chair Rep. Brad Buckley (R-Salado) said in a statement.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Joe Rogan Calls Student Loans A Scam 'You Cannot Absolve Even With Bankruptcy.' Says 'It's The Dirtiest Thing Ever'
On a recent episode of 'The Joe Rogan Experience,' British comedian Jimmy Carr joined Joe Rogan for a wide-ranging conversation that took a serious turn when they began talking about corporate greed, education, and the crushing weight of student debt in the U.S. Rogan didn't hold back when discussing the way student loans trap young people. "It's the one debt you cannot absolve in America even with bankruptcy," he said. "It's a scam. It's the dirtiest thing ever." Don't Miss: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. Carr agreed and argued that the U.S. and U.K. should cancel student debt altogether. "We mis-sold people some bullsh*t degrees," he said. "You're taking those people that took a chance and they went to university and they gave their time and they studied hard ... and then they can't buy a house because ... [their degree is] not in a STEM subject, it's in the humanities or something, and they don't get the lifestyle they worked hard for." Carr also pointed out that while socialism is often treated like a dirty word, most people accept its role in essential services like fire departments and public schools. "Everyone agrees, right?" he said. "If your house burns down, we're going to have a fire service. It's not like, 'Oh, we don't take care of that.'" Rogan added that corporations rarely aim to do good once they're public. "They never are satisfied," he said. "They never go, 'Guys, we're doing great. If we just make this amount of money every year, like, that's wonderful. Let's just hang back. I think our profits are very high. Let's do good.'" Trending: Invest where it hurts — and help millions heal:. The two also talked about how student loans mostly burden middle- and working-class kids, locking them out of upward mobility. Carr described education as a social equalizer. "The opportunity to educate yourself and to do better is like—that's sort of part of the American Dream, isn't it?" he said. Rogan agreed and noted that 18-year-olds often don't understand the long-term consequences of debt. "You're too young to be connected to a $50,000 debt when you're 18. You don't know what it means," he said. "The fact that it's going to follow you around forever and haunt you... I think it's evil."Their discussion comes as the federal government resumes collections on defaulted loans for the first time since 2020. The U.S. Department of Education reports that 42.7 million borrowers owe over $1.6 trillion in federal student debt. Only about one-third of those borrowers are currently making regular payments. According to a TransUnion report earlier this month, 20.5% of borrowers with payments due were more than 90 days late as of February. That's nearly double the 11.5% delinquency rate from February 2020 before pandemic relief began. Borrowers who defaulted saw their credit scores drop by an average of 63 points, with some super prime borrowers losing as much as 175 points. Experts warn this could make it harder to get loans, buy homes, or even rent. Read Next: Deloitte's fastest-growing software company partners with Amazon, Walmart & Target – UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Joe Rogan Calls Student Loans A Scam 'You Cannot Absolve Even With Bankruptcy.' Says 'It's The Dirtiest Thing Ever' originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
