From Inside Higher Ed:
At American River College, in Sacramento, desperate times are calling for desperate measures. Like so many community colleges in California, all reeling from $825 million in state budget cuts, American River simply does not have enough classroom space to accommodate all of its students. As a result of unprecedented student demand and a dwindling state budget, small classes have become a thing of the past. Sections at American River with fewer than 22 students have been eliminated, and professors are expected to pack as many students into …

Two pieces from Inside Higher Ed today. First, a study about online course effectiveness:
Online learning has definite advantages over face-to-face instruction when it comes to teaching and learning, according to a new “meta-analysis” released Friday by the U.S. Department of Education.
The study found that students who took all or part of their instruction online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through face-to-face instruction. Further, those who took “blended” courses — those that combine elements of online learning and face-to-face instruction — appeared to do best of …

Student Financial Aid News
From the Monitor:
“In the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression, Fulton and her fellow students find themselves facing a tricky financial matrix: As job opportunities dwindle, their rent and grocery bills are high, their student loan and credit-card interest rates are climbing, and a night out costs so much that they stay home. Accustomed by culture and habit to immediate gratification, the Millennials have tools most of their parents didn’t, like credit cards. And now they’re paying for them with “just-swipe-it”-induced debt. Eighty-four percent of undergraduates …

Daily Aid 107: The future of affordable higher education
Opinion
The battle of words between supporters of the Family Federal Education Loan Program for federal student loans and the Direct Lending Program continues to heat up, with exchanges on forums, bulletin boards, and mailing lists. Lots of the same arguments are being rehashed, and each side has its “fact” sheet with talking points that are so beaten to death, they’re practically salsa.
I’d suggest that rather than petition for an either/or, we also devote some time, energy, and thought to the root cause …

Daily Aid 101: Step by step affiliate marketing setup for Amazon.com
Student Financial Aid News
From the Chronicle:
Enrollment at many community colleges is rising so fast that the colleges have run out of space for classes. A number of the institutions have seen double-digit increases as the economy has imploded, and their administrators have converted conference rooms, lounges, and computer labs into classrooms, in addition to scheduling courses on Friday nights, on weekends, and as early as 6 a.m. Even so, thousands of students are being shut out of courses they had …

Daily Aid 98: Online degrees as a way of reducing college costs
Student Financial Aid News
From Inside Higher Ed:
In economic downturns, community college enrollments go up, as those who lose jobs (or fear losing them) seek to add skills or training, and as some students who might otherwise have gone away for college look to save money by living at home while attending classes. As the economic downturn hit hard last year, this trend was immediately evident, with many community colleges reporting a flood of students.
A survey released Tuesday here at …