Education

USC orders cuts and hiring freezes in face of federal scrutiny, budget problems

The cost cutting begins immediately and includes a hiring freeze, fewer faculty hires and no merit increases.

A feminine presenting person with light skin tone and blond hair in a knot wearing a white shirt and denim shorts with a blue mask pulled down and resting on her chin walks by holding a Trader Joe's bag next to a concrete sign inscribed with lettering that reads "USC University of Southern California."

Rural California schools and roads lose millions in federal funding after latest cuts

Last year, the nationwide total was $253 million, barely a blip in the overall federal budget, but a crucial funding source for rural communities that have limited options for raising revenue.

Multiple outdoor basketball courts on a concrete ground. Multiple bungalow classrooms are lined up across the background.

Trump says Education Department will no longer oversee student loans and 'special needs'

The president said federal student loans would move to the Small Business Administration, and hinted that the Department of Health and Human Services would take over special education oversight.

Listen 3:55

The federal student loan portfolio – which manages about $1.6 trillion in loans for roughly 43 million borrowers – is currently overseen by the Education Department's office of Federal Student Aid (FSA).

How the Education Department cuts could hurt low-income and rural schools

With cuts to nearly all the staff at the Department of Education's primary data agency, low-income and rural schools may not get the federal funds they rely on in coming years.

Listen 3:33

Students and faculty sue administrators over last spring’s UCLA pro-Palestinian protests

The suit also alleges that UC officials discriminated against pro-Palestinian supporters and failed to protect members of the encampment from the attackers.

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COVID's long shadow in California: chronic absences, student depression and the limits of money

Five years later, nearly all students have computers and the internet; other challenges defy easy fixes.

A classroom at Carson Street Elementary. There are 15 visible third grade students sitting at desks. The walls are a cream color. There is a corkboard with letters that spell out "Mindset Matters" and depictions of cursive letters lining the wall.

Trump signs order aiming to close the Education Department

The Trump administration has already moved to cut the department's staff by nearly half.

Listen 3:58

What LAUSD students with disabilities need to know about the ban on cellphones in class

There are at least 63,000 students with disabilities in the Los Angeles Unified School District, and many may be exempted from the district’s restrictive cellphone policy.

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UC president announces hiring freeze and other cuts

President Michael Drake announced the changes amid uncertainty about the UC system's future budget and potential cuts because of Trump administration actions.

A concrete walkway flanked by low bushes and greenery on the campus of UCLA. 3 people are jogging along the pathway. Two lightpoles have banners hanging off them that read "UCLA Go Bruins."

Trump's college overhauls raise anxiety among college-bound high school students

College advisors are hearing concerns about the future of federal financial aid federal loans, and support for financial aid forms.

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