PIXABAY
Hawaii State Attorney General Doug Chin was among the Democratic attorneys general from 18 states and the District of Columbia who sued U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos over her decision to suspend rules that were meant to protect students from abuse by for-profit colleges.
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Hawaii is now among 18 states suing U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos over a move to scrap a loan-forgiveness rule in cases of deception and misconduct by for-profit universities.
DeVos maintains that the Obama-era rule “puts taxpayers on the hook for significant costs.” Slated to take effect today, the rule was drafted after the Corinthian Colleges chain was forced to sell or close campuses, including Heald College in Honolulu, when it lost access to taxpayer-backed student loans after federal regulators found widespread fraud: misrepresenting job placement and graduation rates.
The lawsuit points to slip-ups in proper legal steps needed to halt the rule. The bottom line? Duped students should be eligible for loan forgiveness.
Solomon Elementary gets a big lift
It’s encouraging to see the military pitching in, and in a big way, with schools that serve their children as well as others.
Solomon Elementary School at Schofield Barracks will have more than a superficial dressing-up once a renovation, using $70 million in federal funds and $20 million from the state, is done. Four two-story buildings will provide the campus with 63 new classrooms.
A study showed Solomon to be ranked 28th worst on a list of 160, and there are others near bases that could benefit. If it speeds funding for maintenance in the schools, being bad can be good.