AJC On Campus: Lawmakers call for tuition decrease; HBCUs get big gift

There may be good news for many of Georgia’s college students, if some state lawmakers have their way. A group of them want to see a tuition drop at Georgia’s major universities. Here’s more about that, how the coronavirus is impacting student travel and other items in the latest edition of AJC On Campus.

Senate lawmakers push for tuition decrease

You may remember Gov. Brian Kemp hinted in his budget presentation last month that he didn’t expect the state’s Board of Regents to raise tuition at the University System of Georgia’s 26 schools, as they did last year. Some state lawmakers were blunt about the topic last week.

Five Republican senators filed a resolution last week urging the Regents to lower tuition by 4% tuition this year and 6% next year. The percentages have some significance. Kemp ordered all state agencies, including the University System, to cut 4% from their budgets this fiscal year and 6% next fiscal year. The resolution says the tuition cuts would "open the door for many Georgians to pursue higher education without the fear of crippling student debt."

The Regents typically votes on tuition at its April meeting. Stay tuned.

House debates teacher student loan forgiveness plan

House lawmakers on the higher education committee met last week to discuss HB 736, which would offer student loan forgiveness to teachers working in some schools. Committee members had several questions about the plan, and additional ideas about how it could work. Read more about it here.

USG, Emory halts travel to China

Health officials distribute protective face masks for visitors at a luxury mall in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020. Panic and pollution drive the market for protective face masks, so business is booming in Asia, where fear of the new coronavirus from China is straining supplies and helping make mask-wearing the new normal. (AP Photo / Gemunu Amarasinghe)

The University System of Georgia and Emory University are halting travel to China due to the deadly coronavirus. Here's more about it.

Alexis Crawford case update

The body of Alexis Crawford, a Clark Atlanta University student, was found in a DeKalb County park, Atlanta police said. CONTRIBUTED BY ATLANTA POLICE DEPARTMENT

The couple accused of killing Clark Atlanta University student Alexis Crawford was indicted Friday. Here's our report on the indictment.

In another case involving a Clark Atlanta student, Atlanta police have arrested the boyfriend of a CAU student who was shot in 2018. Read more about it here.

This week in giving, Part 1

Southern Company, the Atlanta-based utility giant, announced last week it's contributing $50 million to historically black colleges and universities in Georgia and other states for scholarships, internships and more. Here's our report about the effort.

This week in giving, Part 2

Several local colleges and universities announced significant donations in the last week. They include:

• a $5 million gift from the Delta Air Lines Foundation to the University of Georgia. The money will be used for the university's new Student Center for Entrepreneurship, its Office of Experiential Learning and its College of Engineering.
• $1 million from the estate of Joan B. Johnson, the founder of Johnson Products, to Spelman College. The college will use the money for scholarships for students majoring in science, technology, engineering and math. It will also be used for some campus renovation work.
• $1 million from Ken and Kathryn Chenault to Morehouse College. The money will be used for ongoing renovations to the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel Restoration Project and learning opportunities in math and science. Ken Chenault is the former chairman and CEO of American Express. Kathryn Chenault has served on several foundations that focus on the arts, education and healthcare.

Group wants U.S. Supreme Court to hear Georgia college case

Georgia Gwinnett College. Courtesy GGC

An organization sued Georgia Gwinnett College three years ago, arguing it violated the speech rights of a student who wanted to talk to classmates about Christianity on the Lawrenceville campus. Another student later joined the case as a plaintiff. The U.S. Justice Department at one point weighed in to support the plaintiffs. The college updated its speech guidelines, but the group, Alliance Defending Freedom, still wants a legal ruling on the initial dispute. The alliance on Friday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case. We'll update you on what the court decides.