By Brock Read. The Education Department “does not have a comprehensive plan or strategy to prevent student-loan defaults,” an audit conducted by the department’s Office of Inspector General has concluded.
A report on the audit’s findings, released on Friday, argues that the department’s lack of a coherent strategy renders it ill equipped to find effective measures against default, identify risks that cause loan delinquency, and work effectively with companies that service student loans on the department’s behalf. More...

By Andy Thomason. A for-profit education company has agreed to pay Massachusetts $3.75-million to settle claims it engaged in deceptive marketing practices, The Boston Globe reports. The office of the state’s attorney general, Martha Coakley, announced on Friday that the Salter chain, which is owned by Premier Education Group LP, had claimed its admissions process was selective when it wasn’t and had misrepresented job-placement rates. More...

By Eric Hoover. The Advisory Board Company, a global research and consulting firm with ties to higher education, announced on Wednesday that it would acquire Royall & Company—one of the biggest players in the college-admissions business—for $850-million. More...

By Andy Thomason. A Massachusetts defense contractor will contribute $50-million to the University of Massachusetts at Lowell’s new campus in Kuwait, The Boston Globe reports. The company, Raytheon Co., will pay out the sum over seven years, as part of its contractual obligation to invest in the country in exchange for Kuwait’s purchase of its weaponry. More...

By Chronicle Staff. Report: “Postsecondary Student Enrollments Continue Decline”
Organization: National Student Clearinghouse Research Center
Summary: College enrollments dropped by 1.3 percent this fall after slipping 1.5 percent last fall and 1.8 percent in the fall of 2012. More...