Wednesday Linkpile compiles, for your information and delight, links to noteworthy news articles pertaining to all things online and higher-educational.

• Lessening the load. A May 17, 2011 U.S. News & World Report article offers "7 Tips for Repaying Your Student Loans." "The typical student who graduated in 2009 and borrowed for college finished school with an average debt of $24,000, according to a report from the Project on Student Debt. I'd argue that this amount isn't bad when you consider that, in return, the borrower has received a college degree."
• Rare praise for career colleges. A May 17, 2011 post on Youth Day reports, "U.S. Chamber Report Lauds For-Profit Innovation, Says Government Is an Obstacle to Implementation." "A report released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce at a program on the need for innovation in higher education examines several new ventures aimed at expanding and personalizing distance learning, but most of the narrative criticizes the efforts by Congress and the Obama administration to ensure that for-profit colleges are providing the kind of education their students are paying for."
• East is no longer least when it comes to education innovation. "Re-Orienting Online Ed: Distance Learning All the Rage in Asia." "Asian students report that the available distance learning programs are suitable for working people. They like that they can study anytime, anywhere, and that location isn’t a factor. And as Internet connectivity spreads, distance learning opportunities for students across Asia increase."
• Gettin' it down expat. A May 17, 2011 USA Today story headline reads: "Unemployed, educated and indebted: More Millennials seeking work outside U.S." "Although educated Millennials have a much lower rate of unemployment in comparison to their counterparts with high school diplomas, they too are struggling to make ends meet. That is because the vast majority of them took out student loans to cover expenses for college, the cost of which continues to increase exponentially (outstanding student loan debt is expected to hit $1 trillion by 2012). To make matter worse, the class of 2011 are the most indebted of all graduates. Even if educated Millennials are able to find employment, there is yet another serious problem: most entry-level positions do not offer wages that cover the cost of basic living and allow them to make their student loan payments on time. A study published by the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) in March of 2011, for instance, shows that delinquency on federal loan payments has increased at an alarming rate."
• Givin' 'em a break. A May 16, 2011 Associated Press story brings word (via Newsvine) that "Sallie Mae cuts interest rates on student loans." "Formally known as SLM Corp., Sallie Mae offers education loans with variable interest rates that tend to be higher than the rates on federal government student loans. Most federal loans come with a fixed rate of 6.8 percent."
• Tech to the future. "Killer Apps: Distance Learning Students Dial in to Higher Education on Smartphones and Other Devices." "Students can pursue their studies wherever and whenever they want. The universities leading the pack in the latest distance-learning technology are Western Governors University, Golden Gate University, and the University of Phoenix, which launched an app last month for the iPhone and iPod Touch that allows its 300,000 online students to access online discussions, threads, and assignments."
• How many zeros is that, exactly? A May 12, 2011 post on The American Enterprise Institute brings word of "The One Trillion Dollar Misunderstanding." "At the beginning of 2011 the portfolio of the federal government for education loans was nearly one trillion dollars. The portfolio consisted of loans for students currently in college extended either directly by the Department of Education or loans from financial institutions like Sallie Mae and banks with repayment guaranteed by the United States Treasury as well the education loans of students who had graduated from college or had quit before graduating but had not been fully repaid. Its size exceeded the credit card debt of the American population in early 2011 and it continues to grow; whatever part remains unpaid contributes to the national debt."
• A bubble in the making. A May 12, 2011 Huffington Post article asks, "Is Education Going the Way of the Housing Market?" "Hurrah! A mountain of debt is now the new American Dream. Is the education system soon going to go the way of the housing market? Imagine accepting a student loan for party school Chico State -- where you major in beer pong, then upon graduation realizing that you'll be spending the rest of your life paying off your tuition."