LAKE AND MENDOCINO
Area Agency on Aging is recruiting members
The Governing Board of Lake and Mendocino County’s Area Agency on Aging (AAA) is currently recruiting for one member living in Lake County and two members living in Mendocino County to serve on the AAA Advisory Council, and is also accepting applications for a member “at large” from both Lake and Mendocino Counties.
The Council advises the Governing Board on issues such as planning and developing community services for older adults and persons with disabilities throughout both counties. Term limits are two years and meetings are being held via the Zoom platform at this time.
Anyone interested in serving on the Advisory Council should contact the Area Agency on Aging, 707-995-3744 or aaa@dss.co.lake.ca.us, to request an application for membership.
Applications must be submitted by March 14, 2022.
—Submitted
WASHINGTON, D.C.
New, state-specific, interactive tool for legislators and policymakers
The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) has released a new, interactive tool that presents easily digestible data on key measures of cost-effectiveness and academic quality for nearly 500 public, four-year colleges and universities. On the site, lawmakers can instantly see how their state ranks on institutional finance issues (such as administrative bloat) and academic quality issues (such as free speech policies). ACTA’s tool collates 10 important, measurable data points and makes them available on one easily searchable map.
The future of the economy, the health of our civic institutions, and the integrity of our national workforce depends on the strength of our colleges and universities and their commitment to excellent student outcomes and financial stewardship. Policymakers cannot assume that higher education institutions properly serve taxpayers and students without careful oversight.
- CA ranks 7th in the nation for student to administrator ratios
- CA ranks 44th in the nation for student services spending per student
- CA ranks 50th in the nation for student to faculty ratios
- CA ranks 4th in the nation for Pell Grant student graduation rate gap
“Students, families, and taxpayers deserve a public higher education system that prepares graduates for career and citizenship and that stewards state funds appropriately. Lawmakers must ensure that colleges and universities meet these goals,” says Armand Alacbay, ACTA’s vice president of trustee & government affairs. “ACTA’s new tool provides policymakers with the information they need to make sound, data-driven decisions.”
Use our interactive education tool to see if institutions in California are providing taxpayers with a significant return on their investment in higher education. #eduimpactCA.
—Submitted
LOUISVILLE, KY.
Federal student loan repayment postponed until May
Borrowers who were able to pause their federal student loan repayment will see their repayments postponed until May 1, according to KHEAA.
The federal government had intended to have borrowers resume payments in February but decided to wait until May because of the spread of the omicron coronavirus variant.
KHEAA advises borrowers to make sure their loan servicer has their current contact information. If you don’t know who your loan servicer is, you can find it by logging into your account at studentaid.gov. The information will be under the “My Loan Servicers” section.
Your loan servicer can also help if you expect to have trouble restarting repayment of your loans. In that case, contact your loan servicer as soon as possible. They can help you find the repayment plan that best fits your finances and could reduce your monthly payment.
KHEAA is a public, non-profit agency established in 1966 to improve students’ access to college. It provides information about financial aid and financial literacy at no cost to students and parents.
KHEAA also helps colleges manage their student loan default rates and verify information submitted on the FAFSA. For more information about those services, visit www.kheaa.com.
—Submitted
SACRAMENTO
Big health bills take big step
Tuesday was a big day for the Assembly Health Committee, which pushed forward three controversial bills that failed to advance last year. They now face a Jan. 31 deadline to pass the Assembly — at which point the state Senate would take them up for consideration. They include:
A proposal to create a state-funded single-payer health care system called CalCare, though some Democratic lawmakers only approved it grudgingly and said they wouldn’t vote for it on the Assembly floor unless certain questions get answered before then.
A proposal that would rewrite state licensing rules for nursing homes in the wake of an investigation from CalMatters’ Jocelyn Wiener that spotlighted an opaque licensing process plagued by indecision, delays and misleading information.
—Hoeven, CALmatters
