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On Saturday Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said a re-elected Liberal government would give college and university graduates a one-year grace period on student-loan repayments if they go to work for registered charities and non-government aid organizations, double the 6-month interest-free period on student loans. Critics say the proposal would change nothing for most cash-strapped students. Canadian Press

Over the weekend Quebec's Liberal youth wing met in Sherbrooke, where they affirmed their support for tuition fee hikes. Their members voted in favour of the provincial government's plan to increase tuition fees from the current $2,200 to $3,800 a year. On Saturday hundreds of students protested the fee hikes outside the meeting, jeering members of the Liberal youth wing as they entered. CBC

Scheduled to welcome students in early September, the University of Manitoba's new Pembina Hall residence will accommodate 360 students in a contemporary, urban-style high-rise. Each room features its own private bathroom and shower -- a popular request by students. Wi-Fi is available through the entire residence -- another feature that was one of the top priorities based on a survey conducted by students. Each of the building's 10 floors feature a lounge with a kitchenette, soft seating, and a flat screen HD television. The fourth-floor lounge will have a fully equipped kitchen for community use. uManitoba News

On Friday Carleton University announced a $1-million donation from Ottawa entrepreneur and alumnus Wes Nicol, whose gift is in addition to the $1 million he donated to Carleton last year to foster student entrepreneurialism. Together the donations will create the Nicol Entrepreneurial Institute, which will oversee paid internships that will provide students with the skills and experience needed to found and grow their own companies. Carleton News Release

Yesterday the Newfoundland and Labrador government announced a $656,000 investment in Memorial University's Aboriginal Resource Office, allowing the institution to move forward with plans to enhance Aboriginal student programming and services. MUN president Gary Kachanoski says the funds will enable the university to focus on developing many of the recommendations put forward by its Task Force on Aboriginal Initiatives. NL News Release

An effort to improve education in native schools is in jeopardy as native leaders in several provinces have withdrawn from the process. Chiefs in Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Quebec have decided not to participate in a national panel on education established by the federal government and the Assembly of First Nations to examine ways to improve the outcomes for children attending K-12 in reserve schools. About 230 native groups have refused to participate, citing a lack of consultation and concerns it will diminish the rights of Aboriginal people to control their own education. Globe and Mail

According to the US-based College Savings Foundation's annual State of College Savings Survey, parents hold fewer illusions that external resources such as financial aid or grandparents will pay for their children's PSE. Instead parents are relying on savings, current income, and, to a great extent, education loans. Nearly half of parents surveyed are looking to loans to pay for college. 60% expect to gather some funds from their current income. While nearly two-thirds are actually saving, 40% of all parents are not very confident that they can reach their college savings goals. 38% of respondents expect no financial aid at all. Just 29% expect financial aid to cover up to a third of college costs, while 20% expect it to cover from 1/3 to 2/3. College Savings Foundation News Release

The latest jolt of economic turmoil could further hinder public funding for European post- secondary institutions and alternative revenue streams, including philanthropy, on which many universities have become more reliant. On average, public funding accounts for three-quarters of European institutions' income, and such dependence on government funding "mean that any change in this funding source can potentially have the highest impact," says a recent report from the European University Association. Each of the nations that has made what the report calls "major cuts" in PSE spending has faced rising financial pressure as the summer has progressed, amid worries of economic turmoil spreading across the continent and increasing speculation about which economies may be next in line for a costly bailout. The Chronicle of Higher Education (free access)

The graduation photo of Shahzad Ali, who was killed during the riots in England, leads David M.A. Green, vice-chancellor at the University of Worcester, to reflect on the increasing need for education opportunities in light of the "senseless rampage." Green draws one connection between these riots, cuts to public support of universities, student protests, and the sharp increase in tuition fees: "England appears to have turned its back on its young people." High youth unemployment, the end of the Education Maintenance Allowance, and the impending tuition fee increase all together give the impression that youth have few opportunities, Green writes. Being tough on crime is not enough, he says -- "a combination of better values, discipline, education, opportunity, and inclusion is needed." The Chronicle of Higher Education (free access)

83% of US adults own some kind of cellphone, according to a new report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Text messaging and picture taking are the top ways Americans use their cellphones, with nearly three-quarters using their phones for each of these purposes. 35% of US adults own a smartphone of some kind, according to the report. 9 out of 10 smartphone owners use text messaging or take pictures with their phones, while 8 out of 10 use their smartphone to go online or send pictures or videos to others. Read the report