http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-799069.mp3
Albany, NY – FEDS ADD 6.5 BILLION DOLLARS TO STUDENT AID "BAILOUT" -
The outgoing administration got in the holiday mood of gift giving.
This "present" (of sorts) could not have come at a better time for many college students who, along with their families, always have money on their minds.
The Department of Education has announced a new rescue provision for student-loan companies who offer federally subsidized loans.
This latest expansion of the rescue authority lets lenders sell loans, issued in the 2007 to 2008 academic year, directly to the federal government.
The plan allows lenders who participate in the federally subsidized loan program, known as the Federal Family Education Loan program (or FFEL) to sell to the government as much as 500-million dollars a week in student debt.
Here are the important details.
Glenn Busby reports. (6:11)
**(Attention listeners and program directors. For complete financial aid details, go to the Department of Education's website: www.ed.gov.)**
COMPUTER SCIENCE GENDER STUDIES:
"PROTOTYPES AS GATEKEEPERS" -
Some good news for those of us who follow the participation of women in STEM fields. According to a survey by the National Science Foundation, if all science and engineering fields are included women graduates improved from 39% to 51% over the past ten year reporting period.
But if one looks at computer science by itself, the proportion of women has taken a dramatic downturn. In 2002, only 28% of all undergraduate degrees in computer science went to women. By 2005, that number sunk to 22%.
Now, new data collected at research universities, indicates women account for only 12% of undergraduate degrees. And many computer science departments are reporting that women this year are making up less than 10% of the newest undergraduate class.
Why are women, most of whom grew up with computers all their lives, not interested in pursuing and remaining in computer science, to the same extent as their male peers?
A team of researchers at Stanford University has focused on that question for several years. In this exclusive report, we learn what their investigation has uncovered.
Reese Erlich reports from California. (13:00) (Story Music Fades)
**(Listeners and program directors please note. If you would like more information on the above story, or would like to hear other similar stories in this series, please go to our exclusive Women in Science website at: www.womeninscience.org.)**