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New dorms at University of Maryland honor students of color

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Officials at the University of Maryland in College Park say they will name two new residence halls after former students who helped diversify the campus.

The Washington Post reported Monday that one hall will honor Hiram Whittle and Elaine Johnson Coates.

In 1951, Whittle was the first Black man to be admitted to the university. In 1959, Coates became the first Black woman to graduate with an undergraduate degree.

Another building will pay tribute to Pyon Su and Chunjen Constant Chen.

In 1891, Pyon became the first Korean student to receive a degree from the Maryland Agricultural College, which is now the University of Maryland. Chen became the first Chinese student to enroll at the college in 1915.

Completing the FAFSA: Everything you should know

Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, which opens by Dec. 31, is one of the most important steps students and their families can take to pay for college. Some states now make completing the FAFSA a high school graduation requirement. The U.S. Department of Education awarded about $111.6 billion in federal grants, loans and work-study funds in fiscal year 2022, according to the most recent Federal Student Aid annual report. Those federal funds will assist roughly 9.8 million students in completing their education.
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