Legislative issues
The U.S. Department of Education’s Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance (ACSFA) wrote a letter to Senator Judd Gregg on ways to streamline the financial aid process. A main focus in the recommendations includes the following after changes to the FAFSA:
Implement a paper FAFSA-EZ and phase out the full paper FAFSA
Reduce the number of data elements required in FAFSA on the Web
Reduce application complexity
Use appropriate technology
Allow students to apply for financial aid earlier

Various announcements/news releases
Tuition will be cheaper for some Stanford University students after Google shares traded on August 20. Stanford sold $15.7 million of its stock in the company’s IPO. The money will be used for scholarships, teaching, and research. Stanford received its Google stock in a licensing agreement with founders Brin and Page, who invented Google's technology while students at Stanford. The windfall is likely a record for a U.S. university benefiting from ties to a campus start-up.

State news
From the Omaha World Herald, community colleges contribute $2.2 billion annually to Nebraska’s economy through operational spending and higher earnings by former students. The study by Ccbenefits Inc. was conducted on behalf of the Nebraska Education Department and the Nebraska Community College System. The study found that the state saves $19.1 million annually in improved health and reduced welfare rates, unemployment, and crime because of higher education through community colleges.

School news/issues
Thirty students attended Harvard’s Crimson Summer Academy, a new academically rigorous program to prepare students from low-income families in Boston for top colleges. The students will continue to receive academic tutoring and guidance from their Harvard mentors and teachers over the coming year and will return to campus for the next two summers. Each summer, a new group of 30 sophomores will join the academy. Harvard also gives each student in the program a $200 weekly stipend and a laptop computer. Upon completion of the program, each student will be awarded a $3,000 college scholarship.

Netscape co-founder Jim Clark and Yahoo! co-founder David Filo recently announced donations of $30 million each to Tulane University. The donations represent the largest single or combined gift in the university’s history.

Speaking of high-tech, The Chronicle reported that Duke University will give each freshman an iPod. The university will spend approximately $500,000 on the project. The goal is education, not entertainment. Students can use their iPods to listen to audio clips, or music for foreign language courses, or for recording lectures or field interviews.