I have spent more than a decade of my career working in higher education. I’ve helped students transition into college, giving them access to the tools and resources they need to be successful. I’ve spoken on the phone to parents who are concerned about their child’s journey and who are frustrated because they aren’t sure how to help. I admit my children are only 3 and 6, so … [Read more...]
What Black Families Need to Know About Liberal Arts Colleges
Guest Author: Zahida Sherman Liberal arts colleges are hidden gems for Black students, though most Black families don’t know it. Only 3% of American students will apply to liberal arts colleges, and the figure is even lower for Black students. And yet, with all the anxiety about how to pay for a college education in an unstable fluctuating economy, liberal arts colleges … [Read more...]
[Video] “Howard Mom” Sells Candy to Get Her Daughter Through School
To say it gets pretty cold in Chicago is an absolute understatement. In recent weeks, the chill has hovered in the teens and worse … the type of temperature that sends even the hardiest of residents fleeing to warm buses, cars and the creature comforts of home. But the bone-chilling weather isn’t a factor for Chausii Roberson, a 42-year-old single mom of four. At least a … [Read more...]
HBCU Receives $1 Million in STEM Grants
Alabama State University recently announced that they received $1 million in federal grants for STEM programs, a major accomplishment for the institution. The university's Biological Sciences department will receive $770,000 to form a three institution partnership to include Auburn University and Tuskegee University. Through the partnership will come research and employment … [Read more...]
VIDEO: A Sneak Peek at VH1’s Drumline Sequel
A VH1 original movie, "Drumline: A New Beat" will premiere on VH1 this fall. Starring Alexandra Shipp and LeToya Luckett, the highly anticipated sequel promises to capture the sound and spirit of the first "Drumline." Nick Cannon is the executive producer of the sequel and also makes a cameo, playing his character from the first film, Devon Miles. Here is what Nick Cannon … [Read more...]
University President Gives Up Part of His Salary to Help Campus Employees
Raymond Burse, the interim president of Kentucky State University, recently did something that we don’t see very often. According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, Burse gave up over $90,000 of this $350,000 salary so that University workers earning minimum wage could have a raise, bringing their salaries to $10.25 per hour. Burse says that this is something he has been … [Read more...]
Adoptive Mom Sends Abandoned Baby Off to College 18 Years Later
Eighteen years ago, Sara Gibbs was among the first responders who found a newborn abandoned on a doctor's doorstep. This fall, her adopted daughter, Janessa, will head off to college. "I feel like it was divine intervention, it had to be because I wasn't even supposed to be there," Sara said. Gibbs, a nurse in Mississippi, was called in to work at the hospital next door, … [Read more...]
4th Grade Girl Recruited to Play Ball for University of Miami
Talk about skills. Last week, 9-year-old Jaden Newman spent 3 hours touring the University of Miami because they are actively recruiting her for their basketball team. Although Jaden is still in elementary school, she has spent the last two seasons playing on the varsity team at Downey Christian School, a private high school in Orlando, Florida. Skills run in her family … [Read more...]
Soldier Returns From Active Duty To Surprise Daughter at Graduation
Ruby Robinson, a graduate of Columbia University's Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, was surprised at her graduation ceremony on Monday when her father unexpectedly appeared, greeting her with a bouquet of flowers on the ceremonial stage. Army Captain Keith Robinson, a 25-year army veteran, did not think he would be able to make his daughter's … [Read more...]
17-Year-Old Accepted to All Eight Ivy League Universities
Typically, college seniors are trying to determine what college they want to attend after they graduate. Rarely, however, is a high school senior trying to determine which Ivy League school he wants to attend because he’s been accepted to all eight. That has recent become reality for Kwasi Enin, and it’s a pretty impressive accomplishment. Enin is the 17-year-old son of two … [Read more...]
One Big Lesson to Teach Your Kids about the Government Shutdown
There are millions of people that have been affected by the recent government shutdown. Unfortunately, our family is on that docket of people. Like many, my husband has had a great government job for almost thirteen years now. Then last week, he got the news that neither of us wanted to hear: that his paycheck would be cut until our wonderful government gets their stuff … [Read more...]
Money Monday: Five Ways To Keep College From Becoming A Wealth Trap
Thousands of students are headed back to college. But for many, college will become nothing more than a huge wealth trap. The statistics don't lie. According to the Associated Press, more than half of America's recent college graduates are either unemployed or working in a job that doesn't require a bachelor's degree. At the same time, Class of 2013 grads averaged $35,200 in … [Read more...]
College Student Given $25,000 to Re-enroll in College
In lieu of surveys in which students express concern over the debt they could acquire in college, it is nice to hear a story of a young person who will graduate college with a lot less stress than his counterparts who will be counting down the days until they get their first loan statement mailed to them. Monte Johnson, a Chicago resident who lost his mother in 2003 after … [Read more...]
Future Debt a Concern for Students Considering College
At one time, at the forefront of the decision on where to go to college was some dialogue on the college’s reputation. Depending on what you were looking to get your degree in, one would opt to pick a school that was “known” for such. For those who were looking to get in on the social scene the school’s reputation when it came to school involvement and engagement might have … [Read more...]
Why I’m NOT Teaching My Kids That They Have to Go to College
When I think back to the day I graduated college, it was one of the happiest days of my life. I felt a sense of accomplishment—like I had really made it…not only graduated with a four year degree, but graduated into official adulthood. I knew that with my degree I was going to find a great paying job, buy a car, and move into my own apartment. I knew that with my degree I had … [Read more...]