Research conducted by Dartmouth sociology professor Emily Walton demonstrates that Asian Americans have better health when they live in predominantly Asian neighborhoods with higher education levels, Dartmouth Now reported on Wednesday. Walton's research, which was published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, attributed this correlation to the fact that educated communities will petition for neighborhood resources to meet residents' needs. If the community is of one ethnicity, these resources will be targeted to meet the needs of that group. The relationship between health and education does not apply to Asians living in more diverse neighborhoods, according to the study.
The Department of Education released final regulations for President Barack Obama's proposed "Pay as You Earn" student loan repayment program, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported on Thursday. The income-based repayment plan will ease repaying student loans for college graduates, including disabled borrowers. Under the current plan, borrowers pay 15 percent of their monthly income and generally repay their debts after 25 years, according to The Chronicle. The new program will cap monthly payments at 10 percent of income, and borrowers will stop all payments after approximately 20 years. Although the Obama campaign has used the "Pay as You Earn" plan to indicate the President's dedication to education, critics note that the program disproportionately benefits high-income borrowers and lowers the incentive for institutions to reduce tuition, The Chronicle reported.
Spelman College a historically black women's college in Atlanta announced Thursday its decision to withdraw from the National Collegiate Athletic Association and eliminate all intercollegiate athletics at the end of this academic year, Inside Higher Ed reported. Spelman President Beverly Daniel Tatum said she plans to dedicate almost $1 million in saved resources to a campus-wide health and fitness initiative. Tatum said she believes this program will ingrain healthy living habits in Spelman students, citing black women's increased risk of heart disease, breast cancer and stroke as reasons for the program's importance, Inside Higher Ed reported. Only 4 percent of Spelman students participate in intercollegiate athletics, and the college is now raising money to renovate its gymnasium to accommodate the new program's new. Spelman is the first college to withdraw from the NCAA in the past decade, according to Inside Higher Ed.
