Quick Hits (5.24.12)

‘War is Pell.’ Andy Rotherham offers up five ways lawmakers can make the Pell grant program more effective in helping the country’s neediest students. Education Sector’s Steve Burd also has an idea: Eliminate tuition tax breaks, in favor of supporting Pell. (TIME)

‘Culprit: Summer.’ Sarah Garland recaps a conversation from last week’s Education Writers Association conference on how achievement gaps widen during summer breaks and what educators can do to curb it. (Hechinger Report)

One hundred thirteen thousand, nine hundred ninety-eight … A former law student pays off his remaining $114,000 student loan balance—in cash. Tellers counted the dollar bills manually. But, wait, aren’t there machines to speed up this process? (The Chronicle of Higher Education)

Journalism students rate their professors. “She’s nice but she wheres old close.” (Romenesko)