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Senate President: Federal Budget Cuts Threaten Teacher Raises, New School Technology

Senate President Don Gaetz says federal budget cuts could push Florida face down into a pool of red ink.

Five military bases are located within Senate President Don Gaetz’ Northwest Florida district. Thousands of workers earn their pay at those bases, or from affiliated aerospace and defense companies nearby. Because President Barack Obama and Congressional leaders failed to reach a compromise to avoid automatic cuts to military spending, Gaetz said, that leaves those workers [...]

Three Questions About Federal Budget Cuts For Head Start

Sequester Cuts Threaten Programs For Poor Such As Meals On Wheels

March 1 is the deadline for Congress to strike a budget deal or a series of automatic spending cuts totaling $1.2 trillion over a decade takes effect. The cuts — known as sequestration — would hit military spending, courts, national parks and K-12 and early childhood education programs. That includes Head Start, the federal early [...]

Why Higher Education Is More Difficult For Veterans

Veterans say they face challenges attending college that other students do not.

When a high school senior is deciding which college to attend, he or she has an army of people ready to help. Parents. Guidance counselors. College admission officers. Friends. Most all of them have been through the process already. But veterans say things are different for them. And despite one of the most attractive benefits [...]

Federal Fiscal Deal Includes Tax Breaks For College

Congress avoided diving off the so-called 'fiscal cliff,' but they only put off the deadline on spending decisions until March.

Lawmakers extended college tax breaks in the federal fiscal deal struck late Tuesday, but punted on long-term spending decisions such as federal education funding and financial aid programs, such as Pell Grants for low-income students. The New America Foundation’s Ed Money Watch blog has a nice breakdown of what was included in the so-called “fiscal [...]

The New Rules About What Your Kids Eat At School

If you’re interested in what your kids are eating at school, a live webcast tonight will shed some light. The discussion is about changes to school meals  and how families can help kids and schools make the transition. The changes stem from the federal Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. It gives the U.S. Department [...]

Explaining Which Students Will Pay More For Student Loans

Students enjoying a temporary reprieve in federal student loan rates know that the deal comes the an end July 1 — unless Congress can reach an agreement to extend the lower rates. The Miami Herald has a nice rundown on who will see their rates jump to 6.8 percent from 3.4 percent and who won’t. [...]

Mack: Floridians More Concerned About Jobs Than Student Loans

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy   Florida Republican U.S. Senate candidate Connie Mack downplayed the importance of student loan interest rates during an interview with MSNBC this morning. President Barack Obama and Democrats are trying to make rising college debt a campaign issue, including student loan rates and [...]

Congress Wary Of For-Profit Schools Recruiting Veterans

For-profit colleges and universities are swarming military veterans seeking more education after serving in Afghanistan, Iraq or some other location, NPR reports. Te reason is simple: Veterans have access to college money though the GI Bill. Many of the vets wind up on phone and email lists by seeking information through website which seem like [...]

What Obama’s ‘No Child’ Waivers Say About The State Of The Union

Note: This post was written by StateImpact Indiana reporter Kyle Stokes. When President Obama announced a plan in September to allow states to apply for waivers from key requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, he took a shot at Congress. “I’ve urged Congress for a while now — let’s get a bipartisan effort, [...]

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