Talking Points: Stemming Student Loan Defaults
CURRENTS Article New student loan accountability measures threaten to have more U.S. colleges and universities opt out of federal loan programs, forcing students toward riskier private student loans and limiting college access for underrepresented students.

The Price of Competition
CURRENTS Article This article looks at the recently passed tuition changes to the U.K.'s higher education system, how the higher education marketplace may change as a result, and the role that marketing efforts may play under this new scheme.

Talking Points: Funding Efficiency
CURRENTS Article The U.S. Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act puts the federal government in charge of student loans, and uses the resultant savings for a variety of priority higher education programs, including increased Pell Grant allotments and dedicated funding to community colleges and minority-serving institutions.

Talking Points: Strings Attached
CURRENTS Article The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 reauthorizes and expands the act of 1998. Many in U.S. higher education are apprehensive about the contents and direction of this legislation.

Talking Points: From Dog Tags to Degrees
CURRENTS Article This column discusses the 2008 Veterans Education Assistance Act, which expands the original GI Bill, and points out ways in which institutions can best serve student veterans.

Talking Points: Caught Up
CURRENTS Article This article provides an overview of the student loan scandal, which started with an investigation of potential conflicts of interest between higher ed and the lending industry and expanded to alumni associations in an effort to determine whether these groups are steering students toward specific loan consolidation companies in exchange for certain benefits.

AdvanceWork: Framing the Debate
CURRENTS Article U.S. colleges and university leaders are intensely focused on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act this year. At stake are proposals that might further regulate admissions, curricula, and hiring as well as the future of student aid programs such as the Pell grant and TRIO. The Keep College Possible Coalition has created a toolkit to help institutions garner support for the HEA fight.

AdvanceWork: Spotlight on...
CURRENTS Article The general counsel of Catholic University of America maintains a Web site with information on the myriad federal laws that affect higher education.

Talking Points: The Ball Is in Play
CURRENTS Article This Talking Points column reviews Title IX, the landmark legislation mandating equitable treatment of men and women at American educational institutions that receive federal funds. The article summarizes the original mandate and its effect on college sports, efforts from 1995 to strengthen enforcement and from 2002 to ameliorate Title IX’s effects on men’s teams, and areas of ongoing controversy and how advancement can respond. This column is of interest to managers of alumni, development, and communications programs and chief advancement officers.