By Susan Meisenhelder. The notion of free public higher education might elicit scoffs upon initial suggestion, but given the soaring student loan debts, the idea is one that begs further investigation. Student loan debt hit the $1 trillion mark last year, helping it retain its place as the fastest growing consumer debt, and what's more, about 11.5 percent of student loan balances are more than 90 days delinquent or in default, according to a recent report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. More...

Two leading Scottish academics have criticised a Westminster-backed report claiming that Scottish universities would face being frozen out by other higher education institutions in the rest of the UK after independence.
A report by the Scottish Affairs Committee published more than two weeks ago said that separating from the UK would damage Scottish higher education and research. More...

Two big universities here have applied for an academic calendar shift by opening classes in August following top universities in Metro Manila.
Saint Louis University (SLU) and the University of Baguio (UB) will be joining University of the Philippines (UP)-Baguio as the three universities in the city will now open their classes on August, according to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) regional office. More...

By Aziz Allilou. Morocco’s Minister of Higher Education Lahcen Daoudi announced that the government is moving to boost the position of English in Moroccan universities, stressing that English is the language of scientific research, and it is believed to be the solution in Morocco’s education system.
After the Secretary General of the Independence Party Hamid Chabat called for the adoption of English instead of French as the second official language in Morocco, Daoudi announced that the government is to adopt English in Moroccan universities. More...

By Heath Gilmore. It is the great university purge. The university census date arrives on Monday, when students can drop out without having to pay fees.
Nationwide, nearly one in five domestic students will probably leave their studies by the end of their first year. Up to 13,000 of these undergraduates change courses or institutions, latest Department of Education figures show, but more than 27,000 first-year students abandon their university dreams. Read more...