Columbia students on edge as police presence remains on campus after raid to clear protesters

Police remain on Columbia University’s campus, even after clearing out student protesters and their encampment. But questions remain about how the university and the students move forward. Tina Trinh reports from New York. …

Botched US student aid application form rollout leaves many in limbo

Washington — The last thing standing between Ashnaelle Bijoux and her college dream is the FAFSA form — a financial aid application that’s supposed to help students go to college but is blocking her instead. She has tried to submit it over and over. Every time, it fails to go through. “I feel overwhelmed and stressed…

Amid pro-Palestinian protests, Jewish students sue Columbia University for failing to protect them

Tensions on U.S. campuses enter a new phase as a Jewish student files a proposed class action lawsuit alleging students were displaced from Columbia University because its administration could not guarantee their safety. VOA’s Natasha Mozgovaya has the story. …

Florida Democrats hope abortion, marijuana issues draw young voters

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA — Jordan Vassallo is lukewarm about casting her first presidential ballot for President Joe Biden in November. But when the 18-year-old senior at Jupiter High School in Florida thinks about the things she cares about, she says her vote for the Democratic incumbent is an “obvious choice.” Vassallo will be voting for…

Xavier University of New Orleans moves closer to establishing a medical school

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University, a small Catholic and historically Black school in New Orleans, formally signed an agreement Monday with Ochsner Health to establish a medical school. When it opens, the Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine will join the nation’s four existing historically Black medical schools: Howard University College of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine,…

Columbia suspends pro-Palestinian protesters after encampment talks stall

NEW YORK — Columbia University on Monday began suspending pro-Palestinian activists who refused to dismantle a tent encampment on its New York City campus after the Ivy League school declared a stalemate in talks seeking to end the polarizing protest. University President Nemat Minouche Shafik said in a statement that days of negotiations between student organizers…

Rising unemployment hits Canada’s international students hard

halifax, canada — A tightening job market in Canada, fueled by a surge of immigration that produced the fastest population growth in 67 years, is hitting the country’s large cohort of international students particularly hard. With more than 1 million foreign students in the country who are largely restricted to low-wage, part-time jobs, photos are being…

War protesters at U.S. universities dig in as faculties condemn school leaders

NEW YORK — Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war at universities across United States, some of whom have clashed with police in riot gear, remained defiant Saturday and vowed to keep their demonstrations going, while several school faculties condemned university presidents who have called in law enforcement to remove protesters. As Columbia University continues negotiations with those…

US police clash with students who demand colleges cut financial ties to Israel

austin, texas — Police tangled with student demonstrators in the U.S. states of Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests. At the University of Texas at Austin, hundreds of local and state police — including some on…

Columbia University demonstrators in talks with administration officials

NEW YORK — Officials at Columbia University were continuing talks Wednesday with student demonstrators from the Gaza Solidarity Encampment as the protest reaches a full week. At 9:41 p.m. Tuesday, university President Nemat “Minouche” Shafik sent an email to the Columbia community setting a midnight deadline for an agreement to be reached about dismantling the encampment…