Stats That Stick: August 15, 2012

With the NFL now playing pre-season games, please let us be the first to recommend to wide receivers and pass-catching tight ends to use our Stats That Stick to get an extra grip on the ball. No need to use resin or other commercial products. You’re welcome in advance.

Amount of money available for competitive grants in the district-level Race to the Top competition: $400,000,000.

The long-awaited district-level Race to the Top competition opened up this past Sunday. 15 to 25 grants will be awarded to districts that put forth plans aimed at closing the education achievement gap. The Associated Press has more via The Huffington Post.

Household income range that saw the highest increases in student-loan debt from 2007-2010: $94,535 to $205,335.

The Wall Street Journal reports that upper-middle-income families are increasingly taking on debt to finance higher education. The article notes, “The surge is leading many such families to look closer at cost and value when choosing colleges. If the new frugality continues, experts say, it could make it difficult for all but the most selective schools to keep pushing through large tuition increases.”