Swarms of black women are chatting with their friends, puckering their lips, posing for pictures, and signing their daughters up for college scholarships. If it sounds like a lot is going on, that’s because it is. The “My Black is Beautiful” convention center booth at Essence Music Festival is truly popping.

In case you’ve been living under a rock the ”My Black is Beautiful” campaign is a part of Procter & Gamble’s long-standing commitment to touch and improve the lives of African-American women everywhere through beauty brands and standards.

And now that the campaign has partnered with the United Negro College Fund and Black Girls Rock, it’s more than just beauty, it’s about a bright future. The organizations are trying to encourage young, black girls to “Imagine a Future” of possibilites. And what better way to do that than by using education as a tool?

In order to make education more accessible to young black students, The United Negro College fund is providing scholarships. If you’re in the New Orleans area, be sure to stop by the My Black is Beautiful booth. If you’re not in New Orleans, show your support for the campaign and the good work their doing by liking their Facebook page or following them on Twitter @MBIBMovement. 

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From TheGrio.com

An estimated 1.5 million black students could see interest on their student loans increase unless Congress and President Obama reach an agreement to keep current rates in place.

Obama will give speeches at the University of North Carolina and the University of Colorado Tuesday, pushing his proposal to prevent a scheduled hike in rates for subsidized Stafford Loans. In 2007, Congress and President Bush agreed to gradually reduce the interest rates of these loans from 6.8 to 3.4 percent, but that provision expires in July, and new loans would be issued with the 6.8 percent rate if legislation is not passed.

The Department of Education estimates the increase would result in about $1,000 in additional loan costs for each student. African-Americans carry the highest levels of high student debt among demographic groups, as 16 percent of black graduates owe more than $40,000 in loans, according to a recent Philadelphia Inquirer report.

About eight million American students use subsidized Stafford loans each year, most of whom are in households with income below $50,000. These loans have particular appeal because the federal government pays the interest rates on them when students are in college, while students are responsible for the interest of unsubsidized federal Stafford Loans as soon as they start borrowing.

For the complete story, visit TheGrio.com.

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The University of California and black colleges are creating a pathway for black students to attend business school. Called the UC Summer Institute for Emerging Managers and Leaders, the program is geared to boost minority attendance in its graduate business programs.

The all-expensive paid fellowship program is a two week program for two consecutive years. While students from all majors at historically black colleges and universities are welcome to apply, they must possess and interest and experience in business. Participants meet with some of the leading CEOs and CFOs in the nation and take summer classes dealing with business development and entrepreneurship as network with their peers. At the end of the second program session, the students will receive a Certificate of Completion as an emerging manager and leader in business.

The LA Times reports that UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business will host the inaugural round of students. This summer the 25 selected students will visit UC Berkeley and five other UC campuses. The $125,000 budget for the fellowship was sponsored by Anthem Blue cross and Wells Fargo, as well as donations from other corporate and private entities. Fundraising for next year’s session has already begun.

The deadline for the summer program is March 30. More information can be found on UC’s website.

By Charlotte Young

Ladies, when you take a look at your college campus, you probably shake your head and ask the same question again: Where are all the men? It appears as if they’ve all stepped to the side to make way for an increase of girl power in college and it’s not just your imagination. The International Business Times reports that on some co-ed campuses, the ratio of girls to boys is almost three to one.

The National Center for Education Statistics observes that the college enrollment increased 38 percent between 1999 and 2009, in total. But during that time span, women enrollment increased by 40 percent compared to the 35 percent increase by men.

And according to them, the disparity between the sexes will only continue to grow. The NCES estimates that by 2013, women will account for 57 percent of students in undergraduate study programs across the country. By 2019, NCES estimates a jump to 59 percent in undergraduate programs.

Advanced degree programs are also experiencing a ratio change. In 2008, women made up 61 percent of the master’s degree students and 51 percent of the doctoral students. That percentage is expected to grow to 61 percent across all advanced degree programs.

The rising numbers of women in college were also observed by the US Department of Education. In 2010, they stated that women “account for a disproportionate share of the enrollments of higher-education institutions at every degree level and are likely to become an even more dominant presence on campuses over the coming decade.”

For African-Americans, the gender difference in school leans even heavier in women’s favor.

So much for meeting your future husband in college.

Linda Sax, professor in the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at UCLA recognizes that the gender gap is changing concerning women enrollment, but also notes that men are enrolling in school in high numbers as well.

Then why can’t we see them? Sax tells the International Business Times that it’s simply the balance in population.

In addition, she says, “the growing gender gap in college enrollments is attributable primarily to increases in college attendance among women from groups historically under-represented in higher education — namely, African Americans, Latinas, older students, and lower-income students.”

Now with that question solved, here comes the next question: with more women graduating from undergraduate and graduate programs than ever, why are men still likely to advance higher in the work world than women?

According to the International Business times, 53 percent of entry-level new hires are women. But if you take a look up the working hierarchy, the percentages begins to diminish with 37 percent in lower-middle management; 28 percent at the vice-presidency level; then only 14 percent at the executive committee. At the very top, women only represent 3 percent.

There are unfortunately, still several unfair hoops that women must jump through to make it to the top. Another explanation can be found in the degree programs women choose to complete compare to men.

The Chronicle for Higher Education reports that “certain majors in university remain dominated by men,” such as engineering and computer and information sciences.

It seems in addition to focusing getting into school, women must also take into consideration which majors lead to greater professional and financial gain.

(Christian Science Monitor) — If getting a credit card is a rite of passage for college students, choosing the right plastic and learning how to use it responsibly is a matter of life and debt. Young people age 18 to 24, carry an average credit card debt of $2,002, according to CreditKarma.com. Before you end up as a debt statistic, learn to pick the right card and manage your credit before getting your hands on plastic.

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By Alexis Garrett Stodghill

Marie Lourdes André is suing the fraternity that killed her only son, George Desdunes, who died during a hazing ritual at Cornell University on February 25, 2011. She claims that the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity kidnapped him, forced him to drink to the point that his blood alcohol level was five times the legal driving limit, left him bound on a sofa for hours, and then tried to cover their tracks by removing the binds. The bereaved mother hopes her $25 million law suit against the frat will inspire much tougher regulation of frat houses and their absurdly dangerous hazing practices. It would give some purpose to the meaningless loss of her son’s life.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon had already come under fire at Cornell for its hazing manual which included “requiring new members to clean vomit out of a car, purchase illegal drugs and perform sex acts,” according to court documents reviewed by the New York Post. As Desdunes was a new member, he was forced to engage in similar self-destructive activities that tragically cost him his life. The Post describes this poor man’s last night — and the legal consequences of Desdunes’ death:

He was bound and quizzed about SAE lore, because members are required to know as much about the fraternity as new pledges are expected to learn, the suit says.

Members who miss a question are “compelled to drink alcohol, often while blindfolded and tied up,” according to court papers

“Hazing is wrong, immoral and extremely dangerous to the well-being of the fraternity members,” said lawyer William Friedlander, who filed the suit yesterday in Brooklyn Supreme Court.

Business Insider adds that since the untimely death of George Desdunes, “Cornell forced the frat to vacate the house and the national Sigma Alpha Epsilon organization shut down the Cornell chapter.” At least one formal step has been taken to administer justice. But it is not enough.

George Desdunes was a quiet soul, who loved church and majored in biology. His mother did not send him away to die. Hopefully, her $25 million law suit will terrify colleges, fraternal organizations, and the students engaging in these rituals to rethink their tolerance and perpetuation of brutal behavior. Common sense and compassion alone are not enough.

Thanks to the efforts of 27-year-old Southern California native Kushal Chakrabarti, a nonprofit is tapping the microcredit market to fund loans for low-income college students in developing nations — a need that has been largely unmet by traditional banks. Vittana, named after a Telugu word for “seed,” pools funds from Internet users all over the world and then partners with local microfinance banks in countries such as Nicaragua and Vietnam to provide loans to students when typical banks won’t.

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