Despite their popularity with college and university administrators, institutions that have been hired to disburse financial aid for students continue to come under scrutiny from federal and state government overseers. On September 6, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Senate Bill 595 (SB 595). The bill stipulates, among other things, b) (1) Each campus of the California Community Colleges and the California State University shall offer a student the option of […]
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Higher One: Setting the Record Straight?
After The Valley Citizen published two articles about local colleges outsourcing financial aid disbursements to Higher One, we received a letter from Higher One’s Lauren Perry saying that Higher One wished to “set the record straight so students know the truth.” The Valley Citizen is pleased to publish the letter in its entirety. Incidentally, a recent report from Bloomberg claims Higher One is for sale. Does that mean Higher One […]
Higher One: Just Another Corporate Tentacle in Higher Education
When Fresno State student Jeremiah Henry received his Higher One card back in 2012, he tried to activate it immediately. He then got embroiled in a bureaucratic nightmare that lasted days. It was while trying to activate the Higher One card that Henry began wondering how Fresno State had come to the decision to outsource financial aid to a company that was at that time involved in a class action […]
Is Your College Betting Against Students with Higher One?
Editor’s note: The earliest version of this story did not explain the difference between the budget “reserve” and a budget “surplus.” A sharp-eyed reader caught the error, and we have added a parenthetical explanation below. Thanks to our vigilant readers for the help, always. At Merced College, the trouble with Higher One began during the second week of the fall semester. That’s when the College administration learned many students would […]
Farmland and Growth in Stanislaus County
In 1995, Beyond Sprawl sent shock waves through planners and developers throughout the entire state. The Bank of America sponsored study of the costs of sprawl immediately became a primary reference for those who favor smart growth. Almost twenty years later, sprawl remains a major detriment to quality of life, especially in the San Joaquin Valley. Nonetheless, just as the foreclosure crisis is easing, Valley movers and shakers are ramping […]
Marsh and Kieta: First Year Reviews
Roughly a year ago, Garrad Marsh and Joe Kieta took the helms of two of our most cherished institutions, the City itself and the City’s only newspaper. Faced with similar challenges in the form of falling revenue, reduced staffs, and a struggling economy, Marsh and Kieta have had only a year to turn things around. While neither has succeeded, it’s too early to count either man out. Here’s our review […]
Valley Emergency Room Care Resembles Third World, by Bruce Frohman
“If this is a medical emergency, dial 911.” Through the use of this one sentence, the medical profession has turned the concept of the hospital emergency room into an oxymoron. If you’ve been lucky enough to avoid San Joaquin Valley emergency rooms, then you’ve missed an absolutely miserable experience. Visit any emergency room, especially on weekends and evenings, and you’ll wait a far longer time than with a routine visit […]
Negative News? Try Modesto's Deep Denial Default
In fall, 2010, the Columbia Journalism Review’s report about the dearth of news in Modesto was met with ignorance and denial. Most Valley citizens never heard of the report; of those who did, denial has long been their default reaction to negative news about their beloved home. Sometime during the mid- to late-nineties, when Modesto began ranking last or next to last in various quality of life categories, regional leaders […]
“Bruce Frohman on Guns, Guards, and Schools,” by Bruce Frohman
As a result of the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, Valley citizens are talking about improving security at public schools. Will we be able to eliminate the possibility of violence that everyone dreads? What Gun Owners Say The consensus among gun owners seems to be that they need guns because the government can’t protect its citizens. Many gun owners live with a fortress mentality. […]
Dazzling White Visitor Thrills, Puzzles Local Birders
Local birders ran for their cars when Central Valley birding legend David Yee reported an Iceland Gull in northwest Stanislaus County Saturday. It took Modesto residents Jim Gain and Sal Salerno just over thirty minutes to rush to the bird’s location. Oakdale’s John Harris wasn’t too far behind them. All three were treated to excellent looks at a bright white, medium-sized sea gull that had many of the characteristics […]