Zachary Schermele

6 days ago | usatoday.com | Zachary Schermele

WASHINGTON – In 1957, a U.S. senator from Texas named Lyndon B. Johnson anxiously watched from his ranch as the Soviet Union became the first country to launch a satellite into orbit around the Earth. The angst from those days and the Eisenhower administration's early setback in the space race helped push Johnson to sign the Higher Education Act of 1965 after he became president.

2 weeks ago | usatoday.com | Zachary Schermele

WASHINGTON – The Trump administration abruptly cancelled roughly $1 billion in federal funding aimed at helping schools hire and train therapists. Hundreds of recipients of grants across the country received letters April 29 from the U.S. Department of Education informing them that their mental health programs violated civil rights laws. Some constituted an "inappropriate use of federal funds," according to the letter.

2 weeks ago | flipboard.com | Zachary Schermele

Why the Antisemitism Awareness Act now has a religious liberty clause to protect ‘Jews killed Jesus’ statementsSenate Republicans added an amendment to bipartisan legislation addressing rising antisemitism on college campuses that could be seen as a concession …

2 weeks ago | usatoday.com | Zachary Schermele

WASHINGTON – As the federal government's scrutiny of Harvard University intensifies, internal reviews released April 29 by the Ivy League school found evidence of Islamophobia and antisemitism on its campus. One report revealed that nearly half of Muslim students and staff have felt unsafe on campus since the Israel-Hamas war broke out. The other described instances of Jewish students hiding their identities or taking leaves of absence to avoid harassment.

2 weeks ago | usatoday.com | Zachary Schermele

WASHINGTON – Republicans in Congress are moving forward with a massive plan to overhaul how Americans pay for college. And they're hoping to make an end-run around Senate Democrats to do it. On Monday, a GOP-led committee in the U.S. House of Representatives unveiled a sprawling, 100-page budget bill that would reshape much of the college financial aid system. If enacted, the legislation would touch the lives of millions of students and the colleges they attend.