Personal Finance

• Are you finding yourself broke this time of year? Michelle Singletary gives you five reasons to give for NOT giving Christmas gifts this year (WAPO).

Investing

• What can we learn (teach our students) about bubbles? Let’s take a closer look at bitcoin. (Bloomberg)

Careers

• Read about one woman’s efforts to convince more women to enter male-dominated trades. (Inside Higher Ed)
• Hiring in the tight job market: employees ghosting employers and comparisons to Tinder. (WAPO)

Higher Ed

These articles all focus on different efforts to increase enrollment and success of lower-income students.

• Education Week discusses a study that shows guaranteed admissions (think Texas) has increased enrollment of low-income students in the states’ “flagship” schools.
• And here is Inside Higher Ed’s discussion of the same topic.
• Inside Higher Ed also took a look this week at an NBER paper just released on the impact of targeted free tuition programs in Michigan.

For Teachers

• Teachers who have had trouble with their Department of Education “TEACH” grants may find some relief, thanks to efforts of NPR’s persistent investigation. (NPR)

Lifestyle

• Can we be “ethical” consumers? I have had this discussion with my college students when “ethical” investing comes up…(explaining that they have more power as consumers). (NY Times)

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