News Roundup: Reports show undergrads finish early to save money. E. Lynn Harris' cause of death confirmed
 
7.3.09 By - SHINE 

Reports show some undergrads finish early to save money
While educators debate the wisdom of three-year college degrees, some ambitious students are going ahead and finishing their coursework in three years anyhow as a way to save thousands of dollars in tuition. It takes discipline, they say, a clear study plan and, often, an armful of advanced placement credits from high school. "I didn't think it was worth it to pay another $40,000 to play with my friends for another year, cheer for a year, and write a thesis," said Nina Xue, who earned a bachelors degree in history and French in three years this spring at Rice University, where she also found time to be a cheerleader.Xue says she didn't start college with a three-year plan, but did have a head start with 26 AP credits. She took more than 15 hours of classes during two semesters and studied abroad one summer for credit. At the start of her third year, she realized she had enough credits to graduate at the end of the year. It was hard leaving friends behind, but "making my parents pay for another year of school would not have been fair," says Xue, who plans to pursue a law degree and work in New York City next year. (Read the full story)

E. Lynn Harris' cause of death confirmed.
A coroner's official has found that author E. Lynn Harris died last week due to heart disease, complicated by high blood pressure and a hardening of the arteries, reports the Associated Press. County coroner Craig Harvey had said Wednesday that the 54-year-old died of natural causes. Harris died July 23 while visiting Los Angeles to promote his latest book. The author lived in Atlanta and was considered a pioneer of gay black fiction, enjoying unprecedented success in the genre. (Read full article)

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