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India unveils $35 tablet computer

Indian official Kapil Sibal unveils the $35 tablet for students in New Delhi. (AFP/Getty Images)

India has unveiled a $35 computer prototype as part of its program to provide connectivity to its students and teachers at affordable prices.

Kapil Sibal, the country’s human resources development minister, displayed what he called a low-cost computing and access device in New Delhi on Thursday. The ministry said the price would gradually fall to $10 a piece. Get the full story »

Former Kellogg dean headed for Insead

From the Financial Times | Dipak Jain, the former dean of the Kellogg graduate school of business at Northwestern University, has been tapped to become the dean of Insead, an international business school with campuses in France, Singapore and Abu Dhabi. A vote on whether to approve his appointment by both the board of the school and the faculty on two campuses is expected to be completed in the next couple of weeks. Jain has been a consultant at the law firm DLA Piper since April.

Greece on target to deficit goal with no more cuts

Greece will cut its deficit to reach the target this year without taking any further austerity measures, the country’s central banker said  Tuesday.

“I believe we will achieve the deficit target of 8.1 percent of GDP from 13.7 percent (last year),” Bank of Greece governor George Provopoulos told Greek television Mega Channel. Get the full story »

Riehs to head reorganized DeVry unit

For-profit education provider DeVry Inc. said Friday that it appointed Steven P. Riehs president of K-12, Professional and International Education, starting Oct. 1.

Riehs will oversee a new organizational structure within DeVry that includes Advanced Academics, Becker Professional Education, DeVry Brasil and the company’s other international operations. Get the full story »

Dean hunt goes on at Chicago Booth

From FT.com | As Ted  Snyder finishes his last day as dean of Chicago Booth, the University of Chicago says it hopes to have his replacement named by the end of July.  In the meantime, the business school’s three deputy deans — Stacey Kole, Mark Zmijewski and Richard Leftwich — will  run things.

GMAT getting biggest makeover in a decade

From Bloomberg News |  A section testing advanced reasoning skills will be added to the the Graduate Management Admission Test by 2012 in the biggest change to the business school entrance exam in more than 10 years. The new section will replace one of two writing sections. The math and verbal sections will remain.

Senate scrutinizes DeVry, other for-profit colleges

Democratic senators sharply questioned Thursday whether for-profit colleges reaping huge amounts of federal aid dollars are delivering on promises to students and taxpayers.

The fast-growing for-profit college industry has faced increased scrutiny in recent months and is fighting greater government regulation, which it says will cut off access to education at the worst possible time. Get the full story »

Morningstar to offer new research on 529 plans

Morningstar Inc. is unveiling new research tools designed to simplify the task of weeding out the plans that have gotten increasingly complex even as they become more popular for their tax breaks. Get the full story »

HP to sell $300 netbook for classroom use

By Frank Michael Russell | Computer and printer giant Hewlett-Packard today is introducing a $300 netbook PC designed for heavy-duty classroom use. According to a company statement, the HP Mini 100e Education Edition is designed “to close the digital divide by offering students and teachers an interactive learning experience at an affordable price.”

Harkin targets U.S. funding of for-profit colleges

From Bloomberg News | Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, plans to hold hearings into the federal grant and loan money going to for-profit colleges, including Hoffman Estates-based Career Education Corp. Career Ed stock was up 12 cents Thursday afternoon on the NASDAQ.

Read the full story: bloomberg.com

College accreditors may face tighter oversight

Dow Jones Newswires-Wall Street Journal | Higher education accreditors are facing new scrutiny after a U.S. Department of Education office called for the nation’s largest regional oversight group to be stripped of government recognition.

The Education Department’s Office of Inspector General last week recommended the Department “limit, suspend or terminate” approval of the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools after it endorsed a for-profit school with questionable practices in early 2009.

In a May 24 letter, the OIG blasted HLC for approving Hoffman Estates-based Career Education
Corp.’s American Intercontinental University despite expressing serious
concerns about its credit hour structure.

Get the full story »

College grads face slightly better job prospects

From The New York Times | A new survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that 24.4 percent of 2010 college graduates who applied for a job have one waiting after graduation, up from 19.7 percent last year. But the average salary offered to graduates with a bachelor’s degree has slipped 1.7 percent from last year, to $47,673.

Get the full story: nytimes.com.

DeVry, Career Education, Apollo Group stocks rise

From Bloomberg | Education stocks rose after the Chronicle of Higher Education reported that U.S. Education Deputy Undersecretary Robert Shireman will step down. Apollo, the biggest U.S. for-profit education provider, advanced 9.9 percent to $57.98, while Hoffman Estates-based Career Education Corp. jumped 8.7 percent to $31.35, and Oakbrook Terrace-based DeVry Inc. gained 4.9 percent to $62.03.

Get the full story: businessweek.com.

Ford to restore tuition help for union workers

Associated Press | Ford Motor Co. will restore college tuition help for
factory workers as it tries to settle a dispute over benefits with the
United Auto Workers union.

The company notified union Vice President Bob King of the change in a
letter sent last week, and The Associated Press obtained a copy of the
letter. Union leaders were told of the move at a meeting on Thursday in
Chicago.

Get the full story »

Career Education profit doubles in 1Q

Dow Jones Newswires | Career Education Corp.’s first-quarter
profit more than doubled as the post-secondary education provider
reported a 23 percent increase in enrollment.

Career Education, which provides degrees in business, culinary arts and
health studies, also said it received an early indication that its
accrediting body may not sanction one of its schools. The college,
American InterContinental University, has been under scrutiny since the
federal government this winter expressed concern that the agency had
approved one of its programs.

Get the full story »