Notes in the Margins: Loan shuffling, gay-straight housing and death in research

Colleges weigh pros and cons of special housing options for gay-straight student pairings High school seniors looking forward to departing for college now have a new wrinkle in dorm life to consider, courtesy of the Rutgers University webcam trial. (The Star-Ledger via University Business)

Student Loan Borrowers Dazed and Confused by Servicer Shuffle The Department of Education has been transferring large batches of federal student loans to new loan-servicing companies — leaving in the lurch some borrowers who are suddenly encountering problems with their loans, such as payments that are mysteriously adjusted up or down. (ProPublica)

To Pay Off Loans, Grads Put Off Marriage, Children Total U.S. student-loan debt topped $1 trillion last year, and it continues to rise. As a result, the lifestyles and future prospects of many recent grads will be limited for decades. (The Wall Street Journal)

Are College Entrants Overdiagnosed as Underprepared? For many high school graduates directed by colleges into remediation, it is like entering the Bermuda Triangle, never to emerge, an economist writes. (The New York Times)

Scientist’s death halts unique research at UMass The death of a working scientist is something every research university can eventually face. But there is no standard protocol for how to cope with it, and the circumstances of Margulis’s career and death provide a window on just how difficult that task can be. (The Boston Globe via University Business)

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