House passes updates to college savings plan

WASHINGTON — The House passed legislation Wednesday that would improve savings plans known as 529s, which help families pay for higher education. The 529 plans are tax-free savings accounts that can only be used for education expenses, such as tuition, fees and books....

Colleges are buried in red tape

WASHINGTON — When it comes to higher education, the system that oversees it is a tangled, bureaucratic mess, according to a new report released Tuesday. “America’s 6,000 colleges and universities live in a jungle of red tape that is expensive and confusing and...
Using housing vouchers to improve education

Using housing vouchers to improve education

Five years ago, Chrystal Olson was on drugs. She was tired of dragging her children along in that lifestyle in Tacoma, Washington. Today, Olson, 36, is in the PTA at McCarver Elementary School in Tacoma. She has a job, working as a cashier at Kmart. She completed her...