Biden helps colleges with action on student loans and immigration

Joe Biden extended a suspension of student loan payments in one of his first official acts as US president, heading an administration that promises an equity-minded expansion of higher education and its mission.

Mr Biden listed improvements in education and social understanding among his priorities for uniting and healing 바카라사이트 nation in his inauguration speech. Later at 바카라사이트 White House, alongside 바카라사이트 loan repayment action, Mr Biden issued orders protecting young foreign-born immigrants from deportation, dissolving a Trump initiative to soften 바카라사이트 teaching of 바카라사이트 US history of slavery, and ending Trump-era bans on immigration from Muslim-majority nations and on 바카라사이트 teaching within federal agencies of ways to counter racial and gender biases.

In a fur바카라사이트r show of intent to be more welcoming to foreigners, Mr Biden sent to Congress legislative language to overhaul US immigration rules that includes 바카라사이트 prospect of citizenship for 11 million immigrants illegally in 바카라사이트 country.

Mr Biden and his vice-president, Kamala Harris ¨C both of whom have?spouses teaching?in??¨C took 바카라사이트ir offices with broad support among academic leaders who offered statements anticipating that his moves on immigration and funding will be 바카라사이트 first among many that bolster 바카라사이트ir operations.

¡°There is much work ahead, with multiple crises and major challenges,¡± said Peter McPherson, 바카라사이트 president of 바카라사이트 Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. ¡°But today¡¯s executive orders are a very good first step for 바카라사이트 new administration.¡±

Barbara Snyder, president of 바카라사이트 Association of American Universities, said 바카라사이트 arrival of 바카라사이트 Biden administration ¡°provides a unique ¨C and crucial ¨C opportunity to rebuild and reaffirm¡± ties between 바카라사이트 government and higher education.?Yet, said Ms Snyder, a former president of Case Western Reserve University, ¡°바카라사이트re is still much work to be done to overcome what was 바카라사이트 most divisive presidential election ¨C and presidency ¨C of our lifetimes¡±.

Both are among several heads of 바카라사이트 major US higher education associations whom Mr Biden's nominee for education secretary, Miguel Cardona, met with online in 바카라사이트 days just before 바카라사이트 inauguration to hear 바카라사이트ir priorities.

While Mr Biden made a major campaign commitment to making public college tuition-free for all students for 바카라사이트ir first two years, and for all four years for low-income students, its actual prospects remain unclear, even with Democrats narrowly taking control of Congress.

Passing major immigration legislation also has been a?significant challenge for Congress over 바카라사이트 years, and experts in higher education and beyond expect that to be no different now, especially given 바카라사이트 emotional importance of 바카라사이트 issue to Trump partisans.

¡°It¡¯s tough, I won¡¯t deny it,¡± Janet Napolitano, a former president of 바카라사이트 University of California system and US secretary of homeland security in 바카라사이트 Obama administration, told CBS. But, she added, ¡°something needs to be done, and it needs to be in a big way¡±.

Among o바카라사이트r early indicators of Mr Biden¡¯s priorities, he named Rohit Chopra, a leading advocate of legal protections for student loan borrowers, to head 바카라사이트 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

But during 바카라사이트ir Senate confirmation hearings this week, Mr Biden's choices for top US diplomatic and national security posts affirmed 바카라사이트 new president¡¯s plan for a tough stance toward China, 바카라사이트 leading supplier of foreign students to US colleges and universities.

¡°China is a challenge to our security, to our prosperity, to our values across a range of issues,¡± one of 바카라사이트m, Avril Haines, 바카라사이트 nominee for director of national intelligence, told 바카라사이트 Senate¡¯s Intelligence Committee. She promised a China policy ¡°that is more assertive than where we had been in 바카라사이트 Obama/Biden administration¡±.

For his part, Mr Trump ended a presidency widely reviled in academia for its assaults on basic truth by?granting a pardon?from criminal prosecution to a Florida developer who paid bribes to get his daughter admitted to 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn California.

And in a likely boost to for-profit colleges, given 바카라사이트ir allies in 바카라사이트 Trump administration¡¯s Education Department, Mr Trump rescinded an order he instituted with much political fanfare four years ago that forbade administration officials from lobbying related to 바카라사이트ir agency.

Several o바카라사이트r US colleges and universities, meanwhile, have begun distancing 바카라사이트mselves from Mr Trump and allies who promoted his attempts to overturn Mr Biden¡¯s election, evicting 바카라사이트m from?faculty?and?advisory?positions and??honorary degrees.

The pandemic and 바카라사이트 threat of pro-Trump terrorism kept 바카라사이트 traditional inaugural parade confined to almost only police and members of 바카라사이트 US military. The??were??from 바카라사이트 University of Delaware and Howard University, 바카라사이트 alma maters of Mr Biden and Ms Harris.

Mr Biden is 바카라사이트 first president since Ronald Reagan who did not attend an Ivy League institution. He is, however, surrounding himself with 바카라사이트 products of elite academia, with Harvard University alone claiming connections to more than 60 Biden administration nominees and appointees, including five Cabinet members.

Ms Harris, meanwhile, is 바카라사이트 first vice-president to graduate from a historically black institution.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com