When it comes to paying off that debt, Black and Latino graduates are struggling. Nearly half of Black students owe an average of 12.5% more than they borrowed, according to the Education Data Initiative.

The Supreme Court wrestled with persistent, difficult questions of race Monday, debating whether to end the use of affirmative action in higher education.

The City Colleges of Chicago Teachers Union Local 1600 called off a planned Nov. 2 walkout after tentatively reaching a four-year contract agreement late Sunday.

“Title Nine at 50: Past, Present, Future” is a three-day event at Northwestern University’s Evanston campus running Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It's free and open to the public and this story will be screened on Friday as part of the symposium.

The Chicago Board of Education on Wednesday voted to revoke the charters for Urban Prep Academies campuses in Englewood and Bronzeville, with CPS itself set to step in and begin managing those schools.

Ald. Sophia King serves as the Education Committee’s vice chair, and was set to become chair under the City Council’s rules before Mayor Lori Lightfoot attempted to replace her with an ally.

While many students fell behind academically during COVID, students with disabilities saw that regression amplified.

The Cook County College Teachers Union said its contract expired in July, but negotiations on a new deal began last October, with teachers pushing for smaller class sizes, greater access to remote learning and student support, increased wraparound services and fair salary increases.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona doubled down on the administration’s commitment to providing student debt relief in an op-ed published Saturday, and encouraged those eligible to continue applying through the live online application.

Pending the outcome of several lawsuits, borrowers can qualify to have up to $10,000 forgiven if their loan is held by the Department of Education, and they make less than $125,000 individually or $250,000 for a family.

The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals issued the stay while it considers a motion from six Republican-led states to block the loan cancellation program. The stay ordered the Biden administration not to act on the program while it considers the appeal. The order came just days after people began applying for loan forgiveness.

There are fears for the futures of students who don’t catch up. They run the risk of never learning to read, long a precursor for dropping out of school. They might never master simple algebra, putting science and tech fields out of reach. The pandemic decline in college attendance could continue to accelerate, crippling the U.S. economy.

Borrowers who apply before mid-November should see forgiveness before Jan. 1, when payments on loans are scheduled to restart after a pause during the pandemic.

Reuben Jonathan Miller, a sociologist, criminologist and social worker, whose work studies the long-term impacts of incarceration on individuals and their families, was awarded a MacArthur fellowship. 

The Chicago-based foundation announced Wednesday that it increased the “no strings attached” award amount each honoree receives from $625,000 to $800,000 over five years. Fellows do not need to report back to the foundation about how they spend the money.

A new report by the Urban Institute found federal spending on children reached a new high during the pandemic in 2021, but researchers project that level of increased spending won’t last.