Notes in the Margins: Pell Grants, pot and an online alcohol course

Rival Plans Avoid Tough Decisions One of the few areas in which House Speaker John Boehner and Senator Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat and majority leader, agree is student aid. They both propose eliminating subsidized federal loans for students in graduate and professional schools. After intense lobbying by colleges and college students, Mr. Boehner and Mr. Reid have for now rejected proposals for deep cuts in the Pell grant program, which serves people from lower-income families. (The New York Times)

CU-Boulder students required to take online alcohol course The mandatory online course aims to educate students about dangers surrounding booze. It complements an interactive theater lesson at orientation, a packet sent to parents explaining how they can talk to students about drinking, and late-night movies and games on the campus when school starts to keep freshmen from meandering to parties on University Hill. (The Daily Camera via University Business)

Gender Games: Long Fights for Sports Equity, Even With a Law While a college or university in violation of Title IX risks losing its federal funds, that penalty has never been used, and there are no examples of cases being referred to the justice department. (The New York Times)

U of Vt. profs, gov, decry outgoing leader's pay President Dan Fogel will receive $500,000 in severance. After a break, he'll rejoin the university in January 2013 as an English professor and be paid $195,000 a year, $80,000 more than anyone in that department now receives. A union official noted that non-union staffers have been told they will receive no salary increase next year, and that service and maintenance staff have gone to impasse over a proposed 0.5 percent salary increase. (Associated Press via The Boston Globe)

Medical Marijuana School Is Snuffed Out Greenway University in Denver offered courses covering everything from growing to selling medical marijuana. On Tuesday the Colorado Department of Higher Education ordered Greenway to stop teaching and to give students their money back. (TheDenverChannel.com via University Business)

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