NEWS | September 2008

Each month NEWS delivers stories about our colleges and higher education research, trends and policies Read full articles on one page or go to the NEWS archive
	Reliance on borrowing to pay for higher education in flux Students and families have been borrowing for college at record levels in the past several years. The nation's current financial problems make what happens next for higher ed borrowing uncertain. Read full article

	Retention programs help students succeed Programs that support new and at-risk college students and help them integrate into the campus community can make a big difference. Read about the special programs at three private colleges that help students stay in school. Read full article

	Business leader raises questions of Olympic proportions On the heels of the Beijing Olympics, board member Tim Morin compares America and China and how each is preparing for the future. He’s worried about how businesses will find and keep employees. Read blog excerpt.

	Briefs How Minnesota's need-based grants for college fuel our economic future is explored in a MN2020 essay by David B. Laird, Jr., MPCC president. New MPCC ads promoting the benefits of private colleges have begun appearing online and in print. A dozen newspapers serving communities of color are running “excellence within reach” print ads that feature our alumni. The online ads focus on key facts tied to science graduates, study abroad participation and graduation rates. Latinos are the largest minority group in the U.S. according to the Census Bureau at 15.1 percent. In Minnesota, 205,896 residents are identified as Latinos, compared to 195,138 a year ago (5.5 percent increase). See more demographic information. College affordability belongs in debate, a Sept. 19 editorial in the Star Tribune, urges candidates to have ideas about how to make college more affordable.