Small Vermont college giving upperclassmen $10K to skip semester amid enrollment boom

Vermont's Middlebury College, struggling with an enrollment boom, is offering $10,000 to upperclassmen to delay their education to ease overcrowding.

The unusual pay-to-delay offer comes as the small liberal arts school is about to burst at the seams. The college typically has 2,500 to 2,600 students, but enrollment this fall could be upward of 2,845, a spokesperson said.

PRESIDENT OF NEW VERMONT UNIVERSITY RESIGNS BEFORE OPENING

The surge is caused by the return of students who took time off during the pandemic, not the incoming freshman class numbering 600, Smita Ruzicka, vice president for student affairs, and Michelle McCauley, interim vice president, wrote in an announcement on Monday.

Officials are making the pay-to-delay offer to the first 30 juniors and seniors who opt to take a leave of absence for the fall 2023 semester and winter term. College officials declined to provide an update Tuesday. The deadline for applying is Wednesday.

WEST VIRGINIA REVOKES ALDERSON BROADDUS' RIGHT TO AWARD DEGREES AS SCHOOL HEMORRHAGES MONEY

College officials previously dealt with surges by offering study-abroad opportunities, including offering a $2,000 travel stipend, and converting other nearby properties like the Inn on the Green into student housing.

The college broke ground last month on a new freshman dorm, but it won't be completed until 2025, officials said.

India crane collapse at highway construction site kills 16, injures several others

A huge crane collapsed at a highway construction site in western India, killing at least 16 workers, the country's National Disaster Response Force said Tuesday

Television footage showed the collapsed crane on the ground as rescue workers looked for survivors near the site in Thane, a city just outside Mumbai. At least three people who were injured were rushed to a hospital.

Press Trust of India reported the crane is used to install precast box girders while building highway and high-speed rail bridges.

JAPANESE MAN SHOCKINGLY DECAPITATED IN 'LOVE HOTEL,' ARRESTS MADE

Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi expressed his condolences in a message on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

"My deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who are injured," his office said in a post.

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