Mar
28
2010

Written by:
Shali Zhu

How Will the Health Care Bill Affect Students?

If you have watched any news lately, you know that Congress just passed the historic legislation that pledges to overhaul the U.S. health care system. But do you know how the bill will affect college students like you? If you are on your parents’ insurance plan, for instance, you will now be allowed to remain on their policy until the age limit of 26 or until you are out of school, whichever comes earlier. This provision, says Rob Mellen, who teaches political science and public administration at Mississippi State University, will be able to “help out students who can't afford their own health care and haven't graduated yet."

Mar
27
2010

Written by:
Wade Senti

College Basketball isn’t what it used to be

Over the last few decades, the landscape for college basketball and to some extent, the NCAA, has changed. Today, the NCAA is nearly a $6 billion collaborative institution, with over 1,200 members – all benefiting from media contracts, merchandise licensing, and of course -- exceptional athletic talent. If the BCS Championship series as well as the NCAA Basketball Tournament has proven anything, it is that money plays a crucial role in the direction and structure of the landscape of collegiate sports, especially football and basketball. As March Madness rolls along, it seems fitting to articulate two serious issues, (I) ‘the one-and-done rule’ by the NBA and (II) it’s correlation to mass sports media and the NCAA.

Mar
26
2010

Written by:
Paul Shin

Bill Gates and Renewable Energy

After resigning from the presidency of Microsoft in 2008, Bill Gates has invested his money in solving global problems of poverty and environment. Two years of concentration on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation must have made him crave for a new challenge in business. The founder of Microsoft has announced an alliance with Toshiba to develop the next generation energy resource that does not require fuel supply for more than 100 years.

According to the media, Terrapower, a venture company owned by Bill Gates, cooperated with Toshiba in information and technology to develop technologically advanced nuclear reactor, TWR. Established in 2000, Terrapower is a technology development firm which Bill Gates technically owns. He has invested approximately eight billion dollars into the TWR project.

Mar
25
2010

Written by:
Elizabeth Gazette

Not Just About Healthcare Reform

Tacked onto the reconciliation bill that the House passed Sunday was legislation overhauling the student loan industry. The sector, once subsidized by the “Federal Family Loan Program” under which the government subsidized loans made by private lenders to students, has now been nationalized, eliminating private lenders from the equation. While institutions such as Sallie Mae will still assist in servicing the loans, the federal government will now be contracting loans directly to students. This change should result in lower interest rates for student loans, reducing the total cost to the borrowers and perhaps helping them pay off their loans earlier. The legislation also expands the Pell Grant program for low-income students, making more aid available to them which doesn’t have to be repaid.

Mar
24
2010

Written by:
Shali Zhu

The Extra Credit that College Students Do Not Need

If you have or are considering having a credit card in college, you might want to take a look at the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009, which went into effect a month ago. Although the act addresses a range of issues surrounding the often loosely regulated credit card industry, it contains a set of measures that specifically target young consumers such as college students. Beginning on February 22nd of this year, anyone under 21 years of age applying for a credit card will be required to either demonstrate that he or she has an independent source of funds to pay the bills or ask a parent to co-sign the application. This is not the only change that Congress is making to help keep students from becoming buried in excessive credit card debt.

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