Obama set to unveil 12 billion dollars college plan

US President Barack Obama will unveil a $12 billion initiative to boost community colleges and propel the US towards his goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020, administration officials said.

The 10-year programme, which he will announce during a visit to Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan, includes a new goal of graduating an additional 5 million students from community colleges over the next decade, double the current number of expected graduates.

Education is the often-forgotten third pillar of Mr Obama’s economic plan and has received far less attention than the other two — healthcare reform and renewable energy.

To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://epaper.asianage.com

Stricter rules in United Kingdom for foreign students

Britain on Thursday announced stricter rules for foreign students wishing to study in the country.

The home office confirmed that the student tier of the Australian-style points system would be implemented from March 2009. Britain introduced a new points-based immigration system for non European Union migrants in a major overhaul of its immigration system earlier this year.

The points-based system has five tiers — highly skilled migrants come under the first tier, Tier 2 comprises of skilled workers with a job offer, Tier 3 covers low skilled workers, Tier 4 is for students, and Tier 5 for temporary workers like musicians, actors and sportsmen.

Foreign students contribute £2.5 billion annually to the UK economy in tuition fees alone and an overall estimated contribution of £8.5 billion every year, according to official estimates.

To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit:
http://epaper.asianage.com/Asian/AAge/2008/10/31/index.shtml

IIT fees may be doubled to Rs 50,000

The IITs seem to be headed in the same direction as the IIMs, which recently announced a steep hike in their fees. It is learnt that the IITs have sent to the Union HRD ministry a proposal that doubles students' fees. The current fee is around Rs 25,000 per annum. An IIT student may now have to shell out Rs 50,000 per year. Studying at the country's premier technology institutes, the IITs, may become more costly. For like the IIIMs, which recently announced a steep hike in their fees, the IITs too now seem to be headed in the same direction. It is learnt that the IITs too have drawn up a proposal which will double the fee for students and sent it to the Union ministry of human resource development. It means that from the current fee of around Rs 25,000 per annum, he or she may have to shell out Rs 50,000 per year.

If it is any matter of consolation for students, even after the increase, the fee will be far less than the hike effected by the country's leading management institutes, the IIMs. In recent days, the IIMs have announced huge increases in their fees for those wanting to pursue their post-graduate diploma in business administration.

The IITs are taking the plea that they need to hike the fee in order to meet their rising expenses and to improve their financial health. In the past, the IIT directors who head these institutions have often complained that they do not have enough money to even pay the salaries of their staff. Or for the upkeep of their infrastructure.

To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://epaper.asianage.com