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PA G E 8
Girard Retires
Wingette reflects on Wingbowl
Thursday, sday Feb. 7, 2008
TIHE LOQUITUR YOU SPEAK, WE LISTEN
Radnor, Pa.
CABRINI COLLEGE
50 Vol XLIX, Issue 15
www.theloquitur.com
SUBMITTED PHOTO/GABE HUCK
SUBMITTED PHOTO/GABE HUCK
For most of the Iraqi students this day at Ma’aloula, a town in the mountains northwest of Damascus, this was their first encounter with snow.
Some of the ISP students traveled together to the Roman ruins at Bosra, about 100 km south of Damascus.
Iraqi students pursue education in America JAMIE HUFNAGLE NEWS EDITOR JLH729@CABRINI.EDU
Omar finished high school in spring 2003 when the United States invaded Iraq. He was not able to get his records or diploma, but he was soon involved in learning to use cameras and recorders to document the chaos surrounding him in Baghdad. Omar joined other young video-makers in an attempt to go where other media outlets would not go. While some were
killed, others, like Omar, had to leave Iraq to work from Syria. Currently, Omar’s days consist of classes at the American Language Center, attending a tutoring session four times a week and going to the writing workshop on Fridays. Afterwards, he finds time to play billiards and speak in English with other students when they visit the Russian Cultural Center. Omar is just one of the university-age students who hopes to participate in the Iraqi Student Project. This project intends to place Iraqi students at participating col-
leges and universities in the United States. He intends to pursue the study of media and wants to major in business administration. So far, nine American colleges and universities have committed themselves to hosting Iraqi students in the fall of 2008 with either full scholarship or tuition waivers only as a part of the Iraqi Student Project. Many other colleges and universities are currently in talks and those involved with the project are working heavily to form support groups. Ashley Harrison is a senior po-
litical science major at Evergreen University in San Jose, Calif., and is an active member of a group dedicated to this project, the Iraqi Student Solidarity Committee. “The student group has been incredibly active around this issue, collecting over 650 student signatures, getting a resolution of support passed by faculty and gathering community support for this project,” Harrison said. “We have made our formal proposal to the college administration and are currently in dialog with them to bring students, but they
have not made a commitment to providing the [tuition] waivers.” The project currently has 20 students looking for placements and is in need of an additional eight slots for the remaining students. Michele Pistone is a professor of law at Villanova University School of Law and a member of the board of directors for the project. According to Pistone, those involved with the project have been working to
IRAQI, page 1
New law paves way for student affordability ASHLEY COOK NEWS EDITOR AAC722@CABRINI.EDU
Financial aid offices across the United States, including Cabrini’s, are working to understand the implications of a major new law passed by Congress this fall that made significant changes in financial aid. The College Cost Reduction and Access Act, signed on Sept. 27, 2007, will make college more affordable for lowincome students by increasing funding for Federal Pell Grants by more than $11.4 billion over the next five years. The Pell Grant program helps ensure that low-income students have access to higher education by providing need-based grants to help students meet education costs. “This plan will help to ensure that students from low-
income backgrounds are given a fair chance to get a better education,” Adriana DePalma, history and political science major said. “I think it’s about time congress thought about low-income students’ dreams.” According to NASFAA.org, included in the law are attachments that will pay up to $16,000 for students to become teachers at certain schools and in certain subjects. Graduates working in certain public service jobs, such as firefighters, may also be eligible for partial loan forgiveness The law allows students with federal student loans with private companies to consolidate or reconsolidate into the Direct Loan program beginning July 1, 2008 in order to qualify for public service loan forgiveness. The Act decreases payments to commercial lenders and guaranty agencies participating in the
Federal Family Education Loan Program. It also authorizes increases in the amount of Federal Pell Grants and establishes the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant Program, TEACH. According to NASFAA. org, beginning July 1, 2008, the TEACH Grant program will provide up to $4,000 a year in grant aid to undergraduate and graduate students and students enrolled in a post-baccalaureate teacher credential program, or current or prospective teachers. Eligible undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students may not receive more than $16,000 and graduate students may receive no more than $8,000 in total TEACH Grants. Students enrolled less than full-time will have their TEACH Grant reduced according to a schedule established by the Department in regulations.
CCRAA will lower the interest rates on some student loans and expand loan repayment options for student borrowers. The Act also creates a new loan forgiveness plan for public service employees. In addition, the Act also provides funding for several institutional grant programs aimed at improving minority-serving institutions. The bill the President signed will expand this program by allowing the maximum Pell award to increase from $4,310 in 2007 to $5,400 by 2012. According to whitehouse.gov, The President promises to work with Congress to ensure that the increases in funding for Pell Grants not paid for in this bill are paid for with reductions in other areas of spending - not by raising taxes on the American people. The Administration will closely monitor the effects of the bill’s provisions to ensure
they do not cause unintended consequences, increase taxpayer costs, or upset the vital competitive balance between the Federal Family Education Loan and Direct Loan programs The President will also continue working with Congress to expand access and affordability in higher education. “It seems that any effort to enhance Pell Grants serves the common good,” Dr. Jolyon Girard, history and political science professor, said. Girard said that there are those who would argue that the government should allocate more funds for the program, and others maintain that it is too much additional funding. “Those always tend to be the liberal and conservative aspects of any legislation involving federal fund-
FINANCIAL AID, page 1