The proportion of foreign students at the University of Washington has drawn a mixed response from local politicians and parents, The New York Times reported Saturday. The average international freshman at the university pays over $28,000 in tuition, about three times as much as in-state students. Partially as a result of these extra funds, the university is able to offer free tuition to many low-income Washingtonians, compelling university administrators to offer admission to more international students, The Times reported. Other large flagship public universities including University of Illinois, Indiana University, University of Iowa and University of California campuses in Berkeley and Los Angeles have seen similar demographic shifts. As public universities rely less on government funding and more on the tuition of foreigners, local families have criticized the increased difficulty of gaining admission, The Times reported.
Presenters at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities' annual presidential meeting on Friday said they have not changed their views of homosexuality as immoral, despite its growing acceptance in American culture, Inside Higher Education reported. Rather than reconsidering administrative attitudes toward gay students, the panel debated the best responses to student and alumni pressure for change, according to Inside Higher Ed. Within the past year, openly gay students at multiple Christian colleges, including Westmont College, Messiah College and Wheaton College in Illinois, have publicly described the harassment and prejudice they faced from peers and faculty members, according to Inside Higher Ed. While the college presidents present at the discussion expressed their commitment to treating all students with the same level of respect, critics have argued that the presidents' interpretation of homosexuality impedes the development of tolerant learning environments, Inside Higher Ed reported.
At a hearing before the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on Thursday, the U.S. Senate's education panel was briefed on President Barack Obama's plans to reduce college tuition, Inside Higher Education reported. However, members of both parties were unable to uncover more details about the plan than had been previously announced, and while senators agreed that action is necessary to curb rising tuition costs, they debated the federal government's role in halting the growth, Inside Higher Ed reported. Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., said the free market should determine tuition prices, while Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., said legislators must take immediate action to prevent students from "taking out a mortgage to pay for college," Inside Higher Ed reported. Obama, who introduced his agenda at the last State of the Union address, said the government must facilitate the reform, according to Inside Higher Ed.
