t mobile business education program

During Black History Month, T-Mobile Launches Programs Focused on Driving Opportunity for Students, Tech Workers and Business Owners

The Un-carrier continues its commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion by kicking off a $2 million investment in new scholarship, recruiting and business education programs

What’s the news: Inspired by advocates who created pathways to prosperity for Black Americans, T-Mobile is announcing three new programs that will give students, tech professionals and business owners access to valuable financial, educational and career-development resources: Magenta Scholars, the NextTech Diversity Program and Magenta Edge.

Why it matters: Change happens when everyone has equitable access to resources, and these three programs will provide just that for Black Americans. Stats tell the story of opportunity: Students with financial support graduate at twice the rate of Black students overall. Black workers with access to career training and resources can break barriers in a network-infrastructure workforce that currently is comprised of just 10% Black technicians. Black-owned businesses will benefit from access to free workshops and advice from experts, particularly as they have been twice as likely to close permanently than white-owned businesses because of the economic impacts of COVID-19.

Who it’s for: Students at historically Black colleges and universities, aspiring diverse workers in the tech and telecom industries and Black small business owners — and allies who support them.

BELLEVUE, Wash.--( BUSINESS WIRE )--This Black History Month, T-Mobile is introducing three innovative programs with the goal of helping create more opportunities for Black communities across the nation. The initiatives — Magenta Scholars, the NextTech Diversity Program and Magenta Edge — will provide resources and support to Black students, tech workers and business owners as they build their education, careers and livelihoods. These educational and professional development programs are the Un-carrier’s latest actions to advance diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) within T-Mobile and beyond.

“During Black History Month, T-Mobile is taking inspiration from the legacies of Black leaders as we continue doing our part to advance equity across the country,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. “The Un-carrier has long stood for diversity, equity and inclusion to better serve our customers, improve how we work together and advance our communities. With these new programs, we hope to continue to do our part in creating meaningful opportunities for Black Americans across the country and provide resources they need as they build their own legacies.”

Magenta Scholars

Today’s students are tomorrow’s workforce, and by investing in their journeys T-Mobile is investing in America’s future. T-Mobile’s Magenta Scholars program will donate $500,000 to create 18 scholarships for students attending historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The program is a partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund , which boasts an impressive 80-90% graduation rate among its scholars — more than double the national graduation rate for Black students overall. Scholarship recipients will also have an opportunity to join the Un-carrier's signature summer internship program and receive mentorship and professional development opportunities. The application period opens Feb. 18 and scholarships will be awarded in the fall of 2021.

Additionally, on Feb. 9, the T-Mobile Tuesdays app will give T-Mobile customers a way to support the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. For every customer that clicks on the donation option in the app, T-Mobile will donate $1 to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (up to $500,000; minimum of $250,000), contributing to gap scholarships that help students meet outstanding financial obligations in order to graduate.

NextTech Diversity Program

Black technicians make up just 10% of the telecom network-infrastructure field, an industry with tens of thousands of open positions that offer the potential for long-term, lucrative careers to those with applicable skills and certification. Over the next five years the NextTech Diversity Program aims to provide career training and placement for thousands of underrepresented candidates to take on roles as 5G network technicians. The program kicks off with nearly $1 million in funding, starting with $750,000 in initial seed funding from T-Mobile and another $150,000 from other telecommunications partners. Telecom trade school The Learning Alliance will oversee recruitment, training, certification and job placement of candidates as they create long-term careers in roles such as tower climber, 5G small cell and field tech.

Sixty candidates will join the program in 2021, and T-Mobile is inviting all national and regional telecom partners to contract directly with The Learning Alliance to sponsor even more candidates.

Magenta Edge

Black-owned small businesses in the U.S. have suffered exponentially during the COVID-19 crisis and are about twice as likely to close their doors permanently compared to other businesses. A primary driver for this disparity is a longstanding, systemic lack of access to resources and capital, including difficulty getting business loans. Magenta Edge offers all entrepreneurs expert advice and insight on how to navigate these historically difficult times through the lens of Black-owned small business owners and their stories. Magenta Edge provides free educational programming on subjects such as best practices for entrepreneurs while addressing systemic barriers to Black small-business success. This is just the initial phase of Magenta Edge, which will expand to supply additional resources in the coming years.

Visit Magenta Edge for updates on programming, new content and small-business support. Virtual workshops begin Feb. 11 and registration is now open.

These new programs are pieces of T-Mobile’s broader work to further diversity, equity and inclusion among the company’s customers, employees and communities it serves.

Learn more about how T-Mobile is celebrating Black History here .

About T-Mobile

T-Mobile U.S. Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is America’s supercharged Un-carrier, delivering an advanced 4G LTE and transformative nationwide 5G network that will offer reliable connectivity for all. T-Mobile’s customers benefit from its unmatched combination of value and quality, unwavering obsession with offering them the best possible service experience and undisputable drive for disruption that creates competition and innovation in wireless and beyond. Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Sprint. For more information please visit: https://www.t-mobile.com .

T-Mobile US Media Relations [email protected]

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T-Mobile unveils new program for small business owners

It looks like T-Mobile is paying extra attention to small business owners. According to a source, they have just launched a new program that aims to help provide T-Mobile for Business users the free education and tools.

The program, called Magenta Edge, aims to help small businesses get ahead. Through the program, small business owners have access to a library of original content that can help them learn and execute decisions for their business. 

The program is backed by T-Mobile’s $25 million pledge to support diversity and inclusion. Through this, Magenta Edge plays a foundational focus on Black-Owned small businesses that have been affected by the health crisis. Magenta Edge provides educational programs, original stories, and insights that all entrepreneurs can find useful. 

There are upcoming virtual workshops that guide you through matters that involve your business, such as “Smart Storytelling For Impactful Marketing” and “Making Business Taxes Work For You”. The curriculum involves topics related to the following:

• Marketing & Communications
• Business Operations
• Profit, Scalability, & Growth
• Business Taxes
• Access & Resources
• Generational Longevity
• Navigating Barriers
• Business Credit

If you are a small business owner, you can head over to the Magenta Edge website to gain more knowledge and get the assistance you need.

Tags: Magenta Edge , T-Mobile for Business

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T-Mobile for Education

by MAPSA , on Aug 13, 2021 1:05:47 PM

T-Mobile for Education can help students in K-12 and Higher Education with connectivity, so they can access solutions from virtually everywhere.

With on-going concerns on how to keep educators and students connected outside of the classroom, T-Mobile for Education is helping school and school districts with affordable plans. T-Mobile is participating in the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF), a $7.17 billion, federal program. ECF helps provide funding for laptops and tablets, Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers, and broadband connectivity purchases for off-campus use by students, school staff, and library patrons in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As your trusted wireless partner, we’re committed to providing K-12 school districts, colleges, and universities with reliable internet access, the latest devices, and innovative solutions that help create opportunities for students and transform the way educators teach.

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T-Mobile CMO Mike Katz at Foster's 2022 Business Leadership Celebration.

Year of magenta, the foster school of business and t-mobile strike up a powerful partnership in support of experiential learning.

There are some who would tell you that Husky Purple clashes with T-Mobile Magenta.

Frank Hodge is not one of them.

Over the past academic year, Hodge, the Orin & Janet Smith Dean of the Foster School of Business, witnessed an extraordinary partnership arise with a local company that has grown into a “big three” wireless carrier. And “big” describes everything T-Mobile does, from its bold branding to its nation’s largest and fastest 5G network to its outsize commitment to the community it calls home.

“Community is about building connections,” says Hodge. “And we couldn’t be prouder of our connection with T-Mobile, a wonderful partner in providing time, talent and resources. Together, we are both striving to build all kinds of inclusive communities and better humanity through business.”

The matchmaker

Credit for brokering this partnership goes to Kelvin Westbrook (BA 1977), the president and CEO of KRW Advisors who also happens to serve on the boards of both the Foster School and T-Mobile.

As a director of a public company, Westbrook views his role as leveraging his skills and judgment to help increase firm value—which includes community engagement. As an advisor to a top 20 business school, his role is leveraging his network and resources to advance the mission.

So, introducing parties with mutual purpose and interests made perfect sense. “T-Mobile has always impressed me as the sort of organization that is focused on community engagement and improvement, especially through education,” says Westbrook, chair of the Foster Advisory Board . “And with my association with the Foster board and understanding of what the school is trying to accomplish, I thought the two were a natural fit. I’m glad people took to the idea, and I’m delighted to see the partnership grow. And I hope it continues to flourish.”

Experiencing Foster

Foster’s “year of magenta” began last October, when T-Mobile stepped up as the presenting partner at the school’s Business Leadership Celebration .

The event assembled local dignitaries—keynoters Brad Smith of Microsoft and Fritzky Chair Joanne Harrell (BA 1976, MBA 1979), plus Distinguished Leadership Awardees Betti Fujikado (BA 1977) and Ken Denman (MBA 1986)—to share leadership insights from their own experiences with hundreds of Foster alumni and students in attendance.

T-Mobile led by example, pacing a coalition of corporate and individual partners to raise more than $430,000 in support of experiential learning at Foster. This includes everything from board service to student organizations to case competitions to entrepreneurship contests to consulting projects to international study.

“T-Mobile is very much a values-driven company,” remarked Mike Katz , the company’s chief marketing officer. “And we share a lot of those values—especially diversity and equal opportunity—with the University of Washington and the Foster School of Business.”

He added, “We’re excited to continue to partner with the Foster School, because we know it’s bringing up the next generation of innovators and disruptors. We know the entire community benefits from that.”

Expanding global perspectives

A healthy tranche of T-Mobile’s support went to the Foster School’s Global Business Center and, specifically, its annual Global Business Case Competition (GBCC). Held in person for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, this event brings student teams from a dozen top business schools around the globe for a week of cultural exchange, professional development and networking ahead of an intense real-world competition.

“Study abroad is incredibly powerful as a transformational learning opportunity,” says Kirsten Aoyama , director of the Global Business Center. “But with this flagship event, we bring the world to Foster. And having a marquee firm like T-Mobile among our partners is a huge draw for students everywhere.”

T-Mobile supported GBCC operations and especially its “culture day,” which culminated in all participants sharing the cultures, customs and regalia of their home nations in a spirited gathering at the UW’s wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House .

For the Foster students who served as organizers and ambassadors, this global endeavor was a great opportunity to exercise leadership and growth.

“Seeing my team’s efforts to build meaningful cross-cultural relationships come to fruition instilled a great deal of confidence that choosing international business as my academic path was the right decision,” says Alicia Ing , co-chair of the 2023 GBCC. “It was a true honor to be a small part of the GBCC legacy, and I hope that community and corporate partners like T-Mobile continue to generously support these types of experiential learning for students.”

Advancing customer analytics

T-Mobile’s support extended to more advanced students as well. An infusion of computing and data resources is supporting the efforts of Foster’s Customer Analytics Center to apply academic rigor to real-world data problems facing corporate clients.

This cutting-edge work is conducted by associated Foster faculty and, especially, graduate students. The next generation of data science thought leaders are developing at Foster.

“The grad students working at the center benefit from both additional resources and exposure to real-world analytics problems that executives and managers face,” says Hema Yoganarasimhan , a professor of marketing and founding director of the Customer Analytics Center.

“This can help and encourage our students to develop solutions to the most challenging problems faced by firms, which, in turn, can feed back into firms as solutions, hopefully creating a virtuous cycle of engagement.”

Consulting and Business Development Center

A third major benefactor of T-Mobile support is Foster’s Consulting and Business Development Center (CBDC), which received new or renewed funding for its experiential student consulting and executive and business education programs. This included a significant infusion of resources to further the center’s mission of accelerating the growth of businesses owned by people of color or in underserved communities.

Working with T-Mobile’s supplier diversity program enabled the center to launch a new initiative with national reach that combines business education from Foster School faculty with MBA student projects. The goal is helping companies grow their revenues above $10 million.

Beginning in 2023, T-Mobile also began underwriting the center’s longstanding student consulting program , enabling more than 100 Foster undergrads to apply what they learn in the classroom to help small businesses create or capture new opportunities.

“Since 2019, T-Mobile has partnered with us to accelerate the growth of businesses owned by people of color and other underserved businesses,” says Michael Verchot , director of the CBDC and national lead of the Ascend network . “Through T-Mobile’s support, our students are learning to solve real-world, unstructured challenges while helping companies grow revenues.”

Punctuating a year at Foster

If T-Mobile CMO Mike Katz kicked off Foster’s “year of magenta” in October, President and CEO Mike Sievert brought it home in June with his address to the graduates of Foster’s class of 2023.

Sievert shared experiences from his own career and from the rise of the “Un-Carrier” to the top of a crowded wireless industry.

The atomic center of his advice to students was composed of two simple, guiding questions to ask themselves throughout their lives. “Today, as graduates, you’re at a crossroads,” Sievert said. “For the first time, you have the complete freedom to ask ‘what if?’ and ‘why not?’ every day, to chart your course, and to define what success looks like to you.”

In the past year, Kelvin Westbrook, T-Mobile and the Foster School asked “what if?” and “why not?” And a potent partnership for experiential learning began.

Ed Kromer is the managing editor of Foster Business magazine. Over the past two decades, he has served as the school’s senior storyteller, writing about a wide array of people, programs, insights and innovations that power the Foster School community.

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Rasmussen university professional achievement grant for t-mobile employees..

Rasmussen University is excited to work with T-Mobile to help you get your education. This offer to qualified employees is a combination of T-Mobile tuition assistance and a Rasmussen University Professional Achievement Grant that covers up to the total cost of eligible programs! 1 6

For those looking to earn a Master’s degree online, Rasmussen University is proud to offer convenient, career-focused programs that give you the skills and knowledge to step up as a leader in your field, for starting around $13,000 and $16,000 . 5 Learn more >

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What programs can I choose?

Choose from eligible, all-online programs within the Schools of Business, Technology, Education, Health Sciences, Human Services, Nursing, Justice Studies and Design.

Looking to earn your Master’s degree online? Choose from one of our convenient, career-focused programs to give you the skills and knowledge to step up as a leader in your field, starting around $13,000 and $16,000 . 5

Sharpen your ability to analyze trends, create winning strategies, and collaborate with teams, stakeholders and executives.

12 courses / 48 credit hours

Grow your strategic leadership capabilities and gain the skills required to become a strategic partner, consultant and leader in human resources.

Keep pace with the constantly changing influences on healthcare delivery and develop your role as a leader in the business of healthcare.

Advance your leadership skills and gain the knowledge to help create progress on complex issues that influence the health of communities.

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39+ programs, what expenses are covered.

Some jobs just offer a paycheck; yours also offers an education. Between T-Mobile’s tuition assistance and the Rasmussen University Professional Achievement Grant, qualified employees are eligible for 100% coverage of costs on designated programs. 6 This could include one of Rasmussen University’s online Master’s degree programs starting around $13,000 and $16,000. 5 9 No GRE ® /GMAT ™ requirements and no application fees make it easy to get started. 7

Learn more details when you connect with an admissions advisor, who can also walk you through the enrollment process and answer any questions.

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up to 100% coverage on qualified programs  6 9

Around $13k and $16k master’s degree programs  5, do i qualify.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to start, finish or advance your education. Applicants must be actively employed, in good standing and regular full time  with at least 90 days of service prior to the start of class.

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Explore rasmussen university programs.

Find the degree that's right for you. We offer a variety of advanced programs to help you get to where you want to be. Convenient learning options make work, life and school more manageable, while still giving you the hands-on curriculum you expect. Between T-Mobile's tuition reimbursement and the Professional Achievement Grant, qualified employees are eligible for up to 100% coverage of costs on select programs. 8 9

Currently, the MSN-NP, all Post-Graduate Nursing Certificates and DNP are not eligible for participation in Title IV federal student aid programs.

To learn more about available grants and qualified programs, connect with an admissions advisor.

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• Post-Graduate Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP | Post-Graduate Family NP | Post-Graduate Pediatric Primary Care NP | Post-Graduate Psychiatric-Mental Health NP
• Doctoral | DNP Executive Leadership | DNP Public Health and Policy

* Currently, this program is NOT eligible for participation in Title IV federal student aid programs. This program is not available in all states. Please speak with an admissions advisor to determine your eligibility for enrollment.

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The Physical Therapist Assistant program is offered through the Hennepin Anoka, MN, campus or the Ocala, FL, campus and requires in-person full-day labs attendance only one to two times per quarter. All other coursework can be completed online.

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Professional Achievement Grant Terms and Conditions

Rasmussen University offers the Professional Achievement Grant (PAG) to students selected and sponsored by a participating Employer. The PAG program is funded by both the Employer and Rasmussen University. This grant is intended to help students avoid educational loan debt by funding a recipient’s direct education-related costs. Direct education-related costs include tuition for all eligible courses (limited to two repeated courses), Course Technology and Resource Fee (per course), book fees, and Administrative fees. If a student chooses to order course materials directly, the student will be responsible to pay the price and shipping costs. As such, the Professional Achievement Grant is only available as a primary payment option.

Students who choose to participate in the PAG program are not able to receive funding from the federal or state student financial aid programs (such as Pell Grant and Direct Loans); this is a condition of participation in the PAG program. The choice to participate in the PAG program is optional and students are always able to apply for federal student financial aid to determine their eligibility for these programs in lieu of participating in the PAG program. Students may apply for federal student financial aid before they agree to this condition or at any point during their enrollment and must complete the Net Price Calculator to receive an estimate of their federal student aid eligibility as part of the PAG application process and Rasmussen University will assist with these application processes.  However, the choice to receive federal student financial aid will result in the student becoming ineligible for the PAG.  As such, the student would then be responsible for any and all charges incurred for future courses outside the PAG.

Please note the PAG is not retroactive to current or prior enrollments.  Eligibility is determined through completion of the employer web form. Participating students agree to authorize Rasmussen University to release employer-required academic and enrollment information to the Employer.

Students will become ineligible for the PAG if they receive more than two (2) allowances (defined as any course that is not eligible for reimbursement through the Employer’s policies, including any unsuccessful grades of “F,” “WF,” “W,” or below a “C-” for courses) during their program of study or if they violate policies as outlined in the Rasmussen University Catalog. Students must also abide by all applicable Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards. Students are expected to understand, meet, and abide by any Employer requirements in order to continue to receive PAG benefits. Rasmussen University or the Employer may remove a student from the PAG at any time. If the student becomes ineligible for the PAG for any reason, the student can either pay cash or seek other funding sources to pay tuition and fee expenses, including federal student financial aid programs.

All required PAG forms (detailed below) must be completed, submitted, and approved prior to application for each new participating student. In addition, the PAG Waiver and Disclosure Form and Net Price Calculator Results must be re-submitted every twelve months to continue participation. The PAG benefits continue as long as:

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(2) The student has not completed their degree (continuation to a new program will require a new application), and

(3) The student does not elect to discontinue participation in the PAG program.

Students must send all required forms to their assigned Academic Advisor for verification at least seven days prior to the start of classes for each applicable 12 month period.

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• Net Price Calculator Results, including the Shopping Sheet and Data Summary (must be completed annually).
• Professional Achievement Grant Student Payment Authorization (if applicable).

The Professional Achievement Grant may not be combined with other grants or scholarships offered by Rasmussen University.

Program availability varies by state and campus. Federal, local and state taxes may apply.

Program availability varies by state and campus. Federal, local and state taxes may apply. Select programs only; 100% coverage subject to employer policies and the student meeting all terms and conditions of the Rasmussen University Professional Achievement Grant. Program availability varies by state and campus. Federal, local and state taxes may apply.

Select programs only; 100% coverage subject to employer policies and the student meeting all terms and conditions of the Rasmussen University Professional Achievement Grant.

Tuition for this program is $155 per credit.

• Students must maintain continuous enrollment to remain eligible for the tuition pricing of $155 per credit. A student who withdraws and re-enrolls will be required to pay the tuition price offered at the time of their re-enrollment.
• If a student needs to retake one or more courses in the degree program, the total cost of the program will exceed $10,000.
• Program cost breakdown: $7,440 in tuition + $2,460 in fees = $9,900 in program cost.

Visit the Tuition Estimator for estimated total program cost. Starting cost for the MSN Nurse Practitioner specializations is approximately $48,000. Students in all programs must maintain continuous enrollment to remain eligible for the tuition pricing. A student who withdraws and re-enrolls will be required to pay the tuition price offered at the time of their re-enrollment. Program availability varies by campus and state; please see the Rasmussen University Catalog for details.

Terms and conditions apply. 100% coverage is subject to employer policies and the student meeting all terms and conditions of the Rasmussen University Professional Achievement Grant. Program availability varies by state and campus. Federal, local and state taxes may apply. 

GRE ® is a registered trademark of Educational Testing Service. GMAT ™ is a trademark of the Graduate Management Admission Council ™ .

Program availability varies by state and campus. Federal, local and state taxes may apply. 100% coverage is subject to employer policies and the student meeting all terms and conditions of the Rasmussen University Professional Achievement Grant.

• The MSN Nurse Practitioner specializations and Post-Graduate Nursing Certificate are not eligible for the Professional Achievement Grant.

T-Mobile, Verizon in Talks to Buy Parts of US Cellular, WSJ Reports

FILE PHOTO: A T-Mobile logo is advertised on a building sign in Los Angeles, California, U.S., May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo

(Reuters) - T-Mobile and Verizon Communications are in talks to buy parts of United States Cellular in separate transactions, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

Shares of the regional wireless carrier jumped about 8.6% to $39.08.

T-Mobile is closing in on a deal to buy a chunk of U.S. Cellular for more than $2 billion, taking over some operations and wireless spectrum licenses, the report said citing people familiar with the matter.

Verizon's talks with the regional carrier is expected to take longer and might not result in an agreement, the report added.

The three companies did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comments.

(Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

Tags: United States

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Key student-debt relief programs are at risk if Congress doesn't boost Education Department funding, 25 Democratic lawmakers say

• Sen. Elizabeth Warren led a group of Democrats in pushing for increased Federal Student Aid funding.
• They said that key student-debt relief programs, like SAVE, are at risk without more resources.
• Congress has failed to boost funding for the agency over the past couple of years.

A group of Democratic lawmakers is pointing to one key thing that will help student-loan borrowers and families navigate financial aid: more funding .

On Wednesday, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren led 24 of her Democratic colleagues in calling on Sens. Tammy Baldwin and Shelley Moore Capito — chair and ranking member of the Senate appropriations subcommittee for education funding, respectively — to grant President Joe Biden's $2.7 billion budget request for the Office of Federal Student Aid in fiscal year 2025.

Over the past couple of years, Biden has requested that Congress provide increased funding to FSA to help it facilitate the return to student-loan repayment , the rollout of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid , or FAFSA, form, and a host of new repayment and debt relief programs.

Related stories

However, Republicans have opted to flat-fund the agency, and this year, they proposed funding cuts . The Democrats wrote in their letter, first viewed by Business Insider, that the lack of funding is "severely undermining FSA's ability to implement critical programs."

"FSA's responsibilities have increased to protect students and borrowers, but its federal funding has remained stagnant," they wrote. "The lack of adequate resources creates more barriers for students to start and continue their education."

Since federal student-loan payments resumed in October, many borrowers have faced a list of challenges , including hours-long hold times with their servicer, payment inaccuracies, and delayed or missing billing statements.

On top of that, the Education Department has been working to carry out a series of reforms to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, it implemented the new SAVE income-driven repayment plan , and it's in the process of overhauling the student-loan servicing system .

Each of those efforts requires more resources to implement effectively — something servicers themselves have previously acknowledged when explaining their own challenges in assisting borrowers.

When it comes to the FAFSA, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been highly critical of the way the Education Department has facilitated the rollout. While the department intended to create a simplified form for families and students, technical glitches delayed the form by months, and aid calculation errors followed, forcing many schools to push back their commitment deadlines.

Just one day before the Democrats' letter, a bipartisan group of lawmakers sent a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona requesting that the department ensure the FAFSA form is ready, without errors, for students to access as they apply for aid for the next school year. The Democrats wrote in their Wednesday letter that FSA needs more funding to live up to that commitment.

Cardona also expressed the need for Congress to boost the Education Department's funding in written testimony for a Tuesday hearing before the House. He wrote that Biden's $2.7 billion request for FSA will allow the agency to "support students and student loan borrowers as they navigate these modernized financial aid application and student loan repayment processes."

The Education Department is also in the process of crafting its broader student-debt relief plan , which is currently in the public comment period . The department plans to begin implementation of the new debt relief this fall, but the presidential election — and likely legal challenges — present uncertainty to that timeline.

Watch: Why student loans aren't canceled, and what Biden's going to do about it

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DEI is getting a new name. Can it dump the political baggage?

Under mounting legal and political pressure, companies’ DEI tactics are evolving.

Last year, Eli Lilly’s annual shareholders letter referenced the acronym for diversity, equity and inclusion 48 times. This year, “DEI” is nowhere to be found.

In March, Starbucks got shareholder approval to replace “representation” goals with “talent” performance for executive bonus incentives. At Molson Coors, “People & Planet” metrics have displaced environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals, and the acronym DEI has disappeared altogether.

Amid growing legal, social and political backlash, American businesses, industry groups and employment professionals are quietly scrubbing DEI from public view — though not necessarily abandoning its practice. As they rebrand programs and hot-button acronyms, they’re reassessing decades-old anti-discrimination strategies and rewriting policies that once emphasized race and gender to prioritize inclusion for all.

It’s a stark contrast to 2020, when the murder of George Floyd unleashed a racial justice movement that prompted companies to double down on policies aiming to increase opportunity for groups that have historically faced discrimination. Less than a year after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in colleges and universities — a landmark ruling that found race-conscious admissions violated the right to equal treatment under the Constitution — a growing contingent of critics is arguing that DEI creates inequalities of its own. Some conservatives have blamed DEI for a variety of problems, such as the Baltimore bridge collapse and Boeing’s safety woes, without providing evidence. Dozens of anti-DEI bills are being considered by state legislatures across the country, and DEI looks poised to become a wedge issue in this year’s presidential election.

Johnny C. Taylor Jr., chief executive of the Society for Human Resource Management, said that practitioners of DEI and its antecedents traditionally have focused on improving representation for historically marginalized groups, believing that “the magic bullet was diversity.”

“We underestimated that inclusion was the real challenge,” Taylor said. “Now people are saying, ‘Not only should we probably call it something different, we should probably evolve it.’”

This shifting landscape is forcing companies and consultants to adapt on the fly, with many acting preemptively to guard against the legal threats that have led some firms to recast or discard race-based initiatives. They’re renaming diversity programs, overhauling internal DEI teams and working closely with lawyers. Some are moving away from using racial and gender considerations in hiring and promotion, and toward approaches that focus more on inclusion.

To be sure, some companies have successfully fended off challenges. In April, a discrimination lawsuit against an Amazon grant program for Black, Latino and Native American contractors was dismissed by a federal court in Texas, though the plaintiffs have appealed. Pfizer and Starbucks have prevailed in court against similar legal attacks, though Pfizer modified the DEI program in question to make it race-neutral, according to court filings.

And many companies have held onto their programs since the Supreme Court ruled against Harvard and the University of North Carolina last June. Six months after the ruling, the employment law firm Littler Mendelson reported that 91 percent of the 320 executives surveyed said the ruling had not lessened their prioritization of DEI. In fact, 57 percent said they had expanded their DEI programming in the past year.

But that sentiment is far more subdued than it was in 2020, when corporate America poured more than $50 billion into racial justice causes. Meanwhile, the DEI industry — which was worth an estimated $9 billion in 2023, according to market researcher Fact.MR — is also rethinking its public face, consultants say.

Last fall, a few months after the Harvard-UNC decision, Taylor was already noticing growing antipathy toward the methods that companies, institutions of higher education and other organizations used to diversify in their ranks. So instead of referring to DEI, Taylor switched to calling these efforts “IED,” putting the focus on “inclusion” as DEI accrued cultural and political baggage. SHRM, the human resources association he heads, changed the name of its annual DEI conference to “Inclusion 2023.”

Some practitioners and executives dismissed the rebrand as superficial, Taylor said, a concession to political correctness. But months later, his strategy has proved prescient.

A growing number of companies — including language app Duolingo, JetBlue and Molson Coors — are either listing DEI as a “risk factor” in shareholder reports or removing mentions of diversity goals outright. A Bloomberg Law analysis found that two dozen public companies have incorporated similar risk-factor language into their filings. And several companies, including Kohls, Salesforce and Workday, have dropped references to diversity goals in regulatory filings, the Wall Street Journal reported .

Eric Ellis, CEO of Integrity Development, a DEI consultancy, said he’s seen the “branding merry-go-round” playing out for decades, tracing back to the wake of the civil rights movement. He expects the language to keep changing in response to public attacks, especially those by high-profile figures like Elon Musk, who in January wrote on his social media platform X that “DEI is just another word for racism.”

“If every day you’re getting pummeled and there is no effective strategy to protect the brand of DEI, there’s no doubt it’s going to be hard for it to survive,” Ellis said. “We keep adjusting.”

Starbucks is “a case in point” for how companies are altering terminology around DEI, said Brian Bueno, ESG practice leader at Farient Advisors, an executive compensation consulting firm. After Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police, the company was among the first wave of firms incentivizing executives to achieve DEI targets, he noted.

In its proxy statement last year, Starbucks said it was “holding our senior leaders collectively accountable” for goals that focused “on improvement in Black, Indigenous, and Latinx representation at the manager level.” It also had goals around executive mentorship for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other people of color) employees, scores on inclusive leadership surveys and other metrics, Bueno said.

But starting this year, Starbucks is weighting its incentive plan more toward financial performance, tethering representation-related rewards to “talent” goals. The company’s 2024 proxy statement references a goal to “ensure that leaders have accountability” for “creating a culture of belonging.”

“Starbucks was an interesting case because they did come out with very specific goals,” Bueno said. Now, “they’re moving them from a more prominent area of the bonus plan to a little more backstage.”

Bueno estimated that 35 to 40 percent of large-cap companies — those with a market capitalization of $10 billion or more — have some DEI targets in their executive bonus criteria. About half of them frame these policies around quantitative targets, while the rest take a more qualitative approach. Still, “companies are treading carefully,” given the legal climate, he said.

Starbucks has already withstood legal scrutiny of its policies: In September, a federal judge in Washington state threw out a lawsuit alleging Starbucks violated its duty to shareholders by endeavoring to diversify its workforce. The suit targeted the company’s goals for hiring people of color and awarding contracts to “diverse” suppliers and advertisers, as well as its tethering of executive pay to diversity goals.

Betsy McManus, a spokeswoman for Starbucks, said the company has a goal of achieving “racial and ethnic diversity of at least 30 percent at all corporate levels and at least 40 percent at all retail and manufacturing roles by 2025” in the United States.

“Real inclusion requires intent, and diversity creates stronger communities and workforce,” McManus said in a statement emailed to The Washington Post. “With that in mind, we continue to make improvements and changes to ensure Starbucks remains a diverse, inclusive, equitable and accessible company.”

Eli Lilly scuttled DEI from its proxy statement this year and dropped mentions of “racial justice” — from eight times in 2023 to one in 2024. It also eliminated a section on progress toward meeting its racial justice commitments, which had been included in 2023.

Yet the pharmaceutical giant still ties executive compensation to general goals of fostering diversity within the company — and it cites fostering a diverse workforce as a core priority. In a statement to The Post, the company said it removed the references to DEI “to avoid redundancies in reporting.” Information about the company’s diversity efforts and racial justice commitments are detailed in its latest “ESG report” as well as in a separate DEI report published last fall.

“Lilly is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion — they are foundational in every part of our organization and essential elements of our success as a company,” Eli Lilly said.

Molson Coors, meanwhile, erased DEI references from its “People & Planet” metrics, a change from 2023. This year, it says, fostering an “inclusive culture” is central to its efforts. The company did not respond to a request for comment.

Many large companies see a correlation between a diverse workforce and financial success, and routinely tout the “business case” for DEI. Companies with the highest racial, ethnic and gender representation are 39 percent more likely to financially outperform, according to a 2023 study by McKinsey & Co. involving more than 1,200 firms worldwide. In June of last year, a study by the ratings agency Moody’s found that companies with higher ratings tended to have a greater racial diversity on their boards and in their executive ranks.

In his annual letter to shareholders this year, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon emphasized that DEI “initiatives make us a more inclusive company and lead to more innovation, smarter decisions and better financial results for us and for the economy overall.”

Still, he said, JPMorgan will “scour” its programs to ensure they comply with the changing legal landscape. Similar assessments are playing out at Meta, Snap, DoorDash and Home Depot, which have culled their internal DEI teams in the past year. Others, such as Zoom, have outsourced their DEI work to consultants.

Marilyn Fish, an Atlanta-based employment attorney who specializes in affirmative action, said she’s seen companies “looking at policies more holistically” since the Harvard-UNC decision. Many of her clients — among them Fortune 500 companies — have renamed their programs to put “inclusion” up front, hoping it will resonate with employees.

Some of her clients recently moved away from employee resource groups that had identified some people as “members” and others as “allies.” Some opened up mentorship programs that were reserved for employees of certain races to people of all backgrounds.

“I do think that some programs were operating with an exclusivity that was potentially problematic,” Fish said. She doesn’t think the new labels matter much from a legal perspective. “What matters most is how their programs are being implemented.”

Joelle Emerson, chief executive of DEI consultancy Paradigm, considers corporate DEI to be “one of the most visible civil rights initiatives of the past decade.” Much like affirmative action before it, DEI has faced resistance from within organizations and outside them — and now it’s being thrust into the political limelight at a moment of acute polarization.

“ DEI has only been the acronym du jour since 2020,” Emerson said. “Regardless of what we call it, we’ve done a really poor job storytelling what this work is actually about.”

The rebranding is clearly being sparked by the “baggage” now associated with DEI, Emerson said. She pointed to conservative activist Christopher Rufo, who led the campaign to oust Harvard’s first Black president, Claudine Gay, framing her exit as “the beginning of the end for DEI in America’s institutions.”

“Companies with leaders that might be particularly supportive of DEI might also be the ones that are uniquely averse to drawing scrutiny,” Emerson said. “A lot of the companies that were vocal in the past have already been sued.”

Rhonda Moret, founder of Elevated Diversity, a DEI consultancy, said she’s seen “a shift in what we’re being asked to do.” Demand for programs such as unconscious bias training — high a few years ago — has dried up, she said. But there’s been a spike of interest in employee resource groups, particularly those that aren’t race-based, such as groups for caregivers, veterans and first-generation Americans.

Like many consultants, Moret has been tweaking the terminology she uses to describe her work, now framing it as L&I (leadership and inclusion). She prides herself on having always taken an “inclusion-forward” approach, and she’s noticed the movement away from emphasizing “diversity” in her field.

But she’s conflicted about whether to follow the tide and change Elevated Diversity’s name.

“I am what someone thinks of when they think of diversity,” said Moret, who is Black. “Do I want to change who I am to be able to fit into another model? I still haven’t decided.”

What's in this year's federal budget? Here are all of the announcements we already know about

Treasurer Jim Chalmers will hand down his third budget on Tuesday night, but has been tempering expectations for weeks in the lead-up, warning Australians not to expect a "cash splash".

Inflation remains a key challenge for the government, and we already have a pretty good idea of how Mr Chalmers plans to use his budget to provide cost-of-living relief while also trying to jump-start a slowing economy and navigate growing uncertainty overseas.

Here are the measures we already know about before the treasurer reveals all at 7:30pm AEST.

Short on time?

There's been no shortage of announcements in the lead-up to the budget. If you're interested in a specific topic, tap on the links below to take you there:

Cost-of-living relief

Education, training and hecs changes, tax changes, future made in australia, health and aged care, paid parental leave, domestic violence, defence and foreign affairs, environment, infrastructure, additional announcements.

Is your area of interest not covered?

• Tell us what other cost-of-living measures you're hoping to see included in this year's budget .

The bottom line

Will the budget be in surplus or deficit?

• The budget will deliver a surplus of $9.3 billion for the 2023-24 financial year, making it the second consecutive budget surplus in almost two decades
• That said, the following three financial years are all forecasted to have larger deficits than previously expected in December, but the size of each deficit is not yet known
• Overall, the treasurer says Australia's total debt has been reduced by $152 billion in the 2023-24 financial year, and the budget will benefit by a $25 billion boost in revenue upgrades

What does the budget mean for inflation and interest rates?

• The treasurer has repeatedly said he's kept inflation in mind when crafting this year's budget, and is confident that the measures won't contribute to it
• In fact, Treasury predicts inflation will fall to 2.75 per cent by December — well before the Reserve Bank's most recent forecast for the end of 2025 — due to yet-to-be-announced budget measures taking pressure off inflation
• For what it's worth, RBA governor Michele Bullock wasn't too concerned about the upcoming budget last Tuesday, saying she  would wait to see its impact first , but she said the treasurer reassured her that he was focused on curbing inflation  

The reworked stage 3 tax cuts form the centrepiece of the government's budget. They were announced in January, legislated in February and come into effect on July 1.

The changes to tax cuts originally legislated by the Morrison government mean that all Australian taxpayers who earn more than $18,200 (that is, more than the tax-free threshold) will get a tax cut.

Before Labor's changes, the original stage 3 tax cuts were skewed more heavily to higher-income earners .

A person with a taxable income between $45,000 and $120,000 will receive a tax cut of $804 more come July 1  under the revised stage 3 changes compared to the Morrison government's tax plan.

However, the government has hinted at other cost-of-living measures, with the treasurer calling the tax cuts the "foundation stone" of broader assistance.

Among those measures appears to be energy bill relief (in addition to what some states have already announced), with the treasurer pointing out that last year's measure curbed living costs and eased inflation.

Adjustments to rent assistance also seem likely, as do increases to JobSeeker and the aged pension.

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The biggest announcement in this area is the wiping out of $3 billion worth of HECS debts  triggered by last year's indexation of 7.1 per cent.

It means student debts will be lowered for more than 3 million Australians, with the average student receiving an indexation credit of about $1,200 for the past two years.

The debt relief will also apply for apprentices who owe money through the VET Student Loan program or the Australian Apprenticeship Support Loan.

Speaking of university, the government is aiming to tackle "placement poverty" by providing financial support to students to help make ends meet while they complete practical hands-on training as part of their course.

Under the scheme, those studying nursing, teaching or social work will receive a Commonwealth Prac Payment of up to $319.50 a week, but they will be subjected to means testing.

Similarly, apprentices willing to learn clean energy skills as part of their trade will be eligible to receive up to $10,000 in payments . The scheme already exists, but the government has broadened the eligibility to include apprentices in the automotive, electrical, housing and construction sectors based on industry feedback.

Universities will also be required to stop a surge in the number of international students, as part of the government's broader plans to cut annual migration levels back to 260,000 a year — much to the concern of peak education bodies .

Another  $90 million will be put towards 15,000 fee-free TAFE and VET places to get more workers into the housing construction sector , with an extra 5,000 pre-apprenticeship places provided from 2025.

While we can expect to hear more about the stage 3 tax cuts, it seems likely that the government will unveil other changes to tax in the budget to encourage business investment.

One such change will be the extension of the government's instant asset write-off scheme for small businesses for another year, allowing businesses with a turnover of less than $10 million to claim $20,000 from eligible assets.

However, the same measure from last year's budget is still yet to pass parliament — and businesses are urgently calling on them to pass the measure before it expires on June 30 .

In addition to spending more to attract skilled workers in the housing and construction sectors, the government is also tipping billions of dollars into building new homes across the country .

It's estimated the government will be putting roughly $11.3 billion towards housing, as the government works to deliver its promised 1.2 million new homes by 2030.

$1 billion will be spent on crisis and transitional accommodation for women and children fleeing family violence and youth through the National Housing Infrastructure Facility, which is re-allocated funding.

The government has also committed to providing $9.3 billion to states and territories under a new five-year agreement to combat homelessness, assist in crisis support, and to build and repair social housing — including $400 million of federal homelessness funding each year, matched by the states and territories.

Another $1 billion will be given to states and territories to build other community infrastructure to speed up the home-building process, including roads, sewerage, energy and water supplies.

The government has also committed to consulting with universities to construct more purpose-built student accommodation.

Overall, the funding announcements for housing build on the $25 billion already committed to new housing investments, with $10 billion of that in the Housing Australia Future Fund, which is designed to help build 30,000 social and affordable rental homes.

The government says the housing funding measures will also help take the pressure off the private rental market, which is experiencing record-low vacancy rates and surging growth in weekly rent prices.

Aside from the revised stage 3 tax cuts, the revival of local manufacturing is the other centrepiece of the government's budget this year.

The Future Made in Australia Act (which is often referred to without the "act" on the end) is bringing together a range of new and existing manufacturing and renewable energy programs under one umbrella, totalling in excess of $15 billion.

In other words, the government is putting serious taxpayer money towards supporting local industry and innovation, especially in the renewable energy space.

A number of measures have already been announced (or re-announced), including:

• $1 billion for the Solar SunShot program to increase the number of Australian-made solar panels
• $2 billion for its Hydrogen Headstart scheme to accelerate the green hydrogen industry
• $470 million to build the world's first "fault-tolerant" quantum computer in Brisbane , matching the Queensland government's contribution
• $840 million for the Gina Rinehart-backed mining company Arafura to develop its combined rare earths mine and refinery in Central Australia
• $230 million for WA lithium hopeful Liontown Resources , which is also partly owned by Gina Rinehart
• $566 million over 10 years for Geoscience Australia to create detailed maps of critical minerals under Australia's soil and seabed
• $400 million to create Australia's first high-purity alumina processing facility in Gladstone
• $185 million to fast-track Renascor Resources' Siviour Graphite Project in South Australia
• A $1 billion export deal to supply Germany with 100 infantry fighting vehicles , manufactured at Rheinmetall's facility in Ipswich

All up, the government is spending an extra $8.5 billion on health and Medicare in this year's federal budget, with $227 million of that put towards creating another 29 urgent care clinics.

Millions of dollars are also being poured into medical research, including $20 million for childhood brain cancer research , and a $50 million grant for Australian scientists developing the world's first long-term artificial heart .

Another $49.1 million is being invested to support people who have endometriosis and other complex gynaecological conditions such as chronic pelvic pain and polycystic ovarian syndrome. The funding will allow for extended consultation times and increased rebates to be added to the Medicare Benefits Schedule.

As for aged care, the government hasn't announced anything specific for the sector, nor has it outlined its response to the Aged Care Taskforce report that was delivered in March.

Parents accessing the government-funded paid parental leave scheme will be paid superannuation in addition to their payments from next July .

Under the current program, a couple with a newborn or newly adopted child can access up to 20 weeks of paid parental leave at the national minimum wage — however that figure will continue to rise until it reaches 26 weeks in July 2026 .

The plan, which Labor will take to the next election, would see superannuation paid at 12 per cent of the paid parental leave rate, which is based on the national minimum wage of $882.75 per week.

The cost to the budget is not yet known, however a review commissioned by the former government estimated that paying super on top of paid parental leave would cost about $200 million annually.

About 180,000 families access the government paid parental leave payments each year.

The federal government has pledged almost $1 billion to combat violence against women , including permanent funding to help victim-survivors leave violent relationships, and a suite of online measures to combat online misogyny and prevent children from viewing pornography.

The $925.2 million will go towards permanently establishing the Leaving Violence Program over five years, after it was established as a pilot program in October 2021 known as the Escaping Violence Program.

The program will provide eligible victim-survivors with an individualised support package of up to $1,500 in cash and up to $3,500 in goods and services, plus safety planning, risk assessment and referrals to other essential services for up to 12 weeks.

While the funding has been broadly welcomed, survivors and advocates want to see more investment .

The package also includes funding to create a pilot of age verification technology to protect children from harmful content, including the "easy access to pornography" online, which the government says will tackle extreme online misogyny that is "fuelling harmful attitudes towards women".

The federal government is planning to spend an extra $50 billion on defence over the next decade , meaning Australia's total defence spend will be equivalent to 2.4 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) within 10 years.

All up, the government is planning to invest a total of $330 billion through to 2033-34, which includes the initial cost for the AUKUS initiative to purchase nuclear-powered submarines.

Part of that $50 billion will be spent on upgrading defence bases across northern Australia, with $750 million to be allocated in the budget for the "hardening" of its bases in the coming financial year.

More than $1 billion of that funding will also be spent on an immediate boost on long-range missiles and targeting systems.

In the Pacific, Australia has committed $110 million to fund development initiatives in Tuvalu , including an undersea telecommunications cable and direct budget support.

The government has also pledged $492 million to the Asian Development Bank to provide grants to vulnerable countries in the Asia-Pacific.

The only dedicated announcement for the environment so far is the scrapping of the waste export levy , also known as a "recycling tax".

The proposed $4 per tonne levy was first legislated by the Morrison government in 2020 in a bid to reduce and regulate waste exports, after China announced it would no longer handle Australian rubbish.

Waste industry players had been concerned that once the levy was introduced in July, it would have caused more waste to be sent to landfill instead of being recycled.

The scrapping of the waste export levy is part of Australia's broader move to manage its own waste.

A slew of funding commitments have been made around the country, including a $1.9 billion funding commitment for upgrades in Western Sydney, ranging from road improvements to planning projects and train line extensions.

The government is also putting $3.25 billion towards Victoria's North East Link, which is being built between the Eastern Freeway and M80 Ring Road in Melbourne.

Ahead of the Brisbane Olympics in 2032, the government is also chipping in $2.75 billion to fund a Brisbane to Sunshine Coast rail link , matching the amount promised by Queensland Premier Steven Miles. (That said, $1.6 billion had been previously announced by the federal government.)

Also in Queensland, the Bruce Highway will receive $467 million for upgrades, while Canberra will receive $50 million to extend its light rail.

A proposed high-speed train line between Sydney and Newcastle will also receive $78.8 million to deliver a business case for the project.

The government will also put $21 million towards the creation of a national road safety data hub.

There are several other funding commitments the government has made in the lead-up to the budget that don't fit neatly into the categories above.

The government will spend $161.3 million on creating a national firearms register , which will give police and other law-enforcement agencies near real-time information on firearms and who owns them across the states and territories.

The money will be spent over four years to establish the register, and comes after state and territory leaders agreed to set up the register in December last year. The government has described the register as the biggest change to Australia's firearm management systems in almost 30 years.

Another $166.4 million will be spent on expanding anti-money-laundering reporting obligations , requiring real estate agents, lawyers and accountants to report dodgy transactions in a move that will bring Australia in line with the rest of the developed world.

And ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games, the government has given the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) a $249.7 million funding boost to upgrade its facilities to support local athletes.

The government has also committed to a $107 million support package for farmers, after announcing it will end Australia's live sheep export trade by 2028 .

Farmers and regional communities will also benefit from a $519.1 million funding boost to the government's Future Drought Fund.

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