Education Connection Blog

Need Help Paying for School? Research State Grants

Education Connection — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:34:25 +0000

Finding a way to pay for college can be one of the main barriers to obtaining a degree. As the number of professions that require a college degree continues to grow, so too has the expense of many traditional and online universities.

Student loans have become a popular way for individuals to pay their tuition, but many students are not eager to start their professional lives with thousands of dollars of debt. This has made college grants an attractive option for many students looking to pay for school.

Unlike loans, grants do not have to be paid back, lowering the barriers to education without holding students back after they graduate.

The Pell Grant is a program administered by the federal government from which many students have benefited. The amount a student receives from this fund is determined by their financial need, but it can provide up to $5,350 per year for tuition and other expenses.

Grants can come from many sources, whether they are government programs or nonprofit agencies. Doing some research can reveal many other college grants that can help students pay their educational expenses. For instance, the Department of Education has a page that lists all of the states’ education sites. These sites are a great resource for finding grants.

Wherever the money comes from, college grants help many students obtain a degree that can make it easier to find a well-paying job.

Registering for Online Classes? Got Questions? We’ve Got Answers

Education Connection — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 21:02:07 +0000

Now that you’ve made the decision to go to college, you’ve got an awful lot to accomplish in not a lot of time. You’ve got to make your application, get accepted, and then register for classes before any deadlines. If you’re going to attend an online college, you will have the same kinds of issues, but some issues may seem magnified because you’re not conducting any of the process in person, like you would at a regular university. Don’t worry, though. There are solutions for any problems you might run into, and you might be surprised that many of the solutions are the same as at a traditional college, just in a different format.

Online students are no different than students at campus-based universities. They have tons of questions regarding particular classes and what they entail. The first thing students should do is to carefully read the online course catalog for information. It should give a fairly detailed class description and requirements. If you still need answers, don’t even think twice about contacting your academic advisor. That’s what they’re there for. You can e-mail them, or in some cases you may even be able to have an online chat with them. When you’re talking to them, make a point of talking to them about which classes are going to fulfill your general education classes, so you don’t waste time taking the wrong classes.

When you’re conversing with your advisor, you can even talk to them about classes that can fulfill not only Gen Ed requirements, but your major requirements, too. It’s a great way to get what’s called a double credit fulfillment, but there are certain requirements that may be specific to each school. It may mean that you have more free credits to take classes that hold special interest to you.

Even though you’re going to be going to school in the virtual world, be sure to take the time to talk to people who have been influential in your real life. If you just graduated from high school, take some time to talk to your high school teachers because they can probably give you some good general information on college courses. If you have questions about a specialized subject, talk to someone who has specific knowledge about it. For example, if you can’t decide to take a literature class or a writing class, talk to your old English teacher. Your high school teachers will likely be more than happy to see you again and give you advice about your future.

Most online schools have chat rooms or discussion boards for students; if there’s one for incoming students, be sure to utilize it. You can talk to other students and get knowledge about classes they might have already taken, and they might even have the low-down on particular classes or instructors. You might be surprised to know that some web sites even give student based ratings on different professors (but they might have a slight bias one way or the other). It’s a really great idea to talk to other students who might have already taken a class you are interested in, because they can tell you about teacher expectations or teaching styles, or maybe even give you tips on the kind of work that’s expected.

Whatever you do, don’t forget about the Internet. It’s there to be used, and you should use it to research what you can about certain subjects, classes, or fields of study. You just might gather enough information that will help you make the decision to take the class, or walk away without looking back if a certain class really makes you cringe.

You have the power to create an educational plan that will fit you, your schedule, and your lifestyle to a T. Be sure to embrace your ability to be in control, because it will make you more certain about the decisions you make. With so many avenues to help guide you, from advisors, other students, to the Internet and old teachers, make sure you enter the arena full of information. It will make your online educational experience that much more fulfilling.

College Costs Are Up 17 Percent; How Can Students Afford It?

Education Connection — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 21:46:01 +0000

If you are wondering how you are going to pay for college, a recent report released by Sallie Mae on how other Americans are doing it may give you some insight. The survey, “How America Pays for College,” was conducted by Gallup and found that most students combine several different sources of funding to pay their tuition. In fact, the average family used a combination of income and savings, scholarships and grants, and student loans.

One of the interesting results of the survey was how students were adjusting their overall spending and working habits in order to have the money to pay for school. In fact, 73 percent reported reducing spending and 48 percent reported working more hours. Also, 43 percent of students are living with their parents to save money.

Economic worries and the escalating cost of college

A shocking result of this survey was the reported increase in the cost of attending college. The price tag associated with earning a college degree has increased 17 percent in the last year and a whopping 28 percent since 2008. Because of this, almost half of those surveyed conveyed that they were worried about future tuition increases. That is up from a third the year before. Other economic concerns include job loss and increase in loan rates.

Education still considered highly valuable

Despite drastic tuition increases, the study found that people continue to believe in the value of education. In fact, 71 percent of survey respondents strongly agreed that a degree is more important today than it used to be and 52 percent stated that it is worth the cost. Also, 83 percent agreed that college is an investment in the future and 60 percent are willing to make sacrifices in order to afford that investment.

Online vs. Traditional MBAs: What’s the Difference?

PayScale — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 21:14:16 +0000

This article was contributed by PayScale.com. It is the third in our series of five posts in honor of “Back to School” Week at Education Connection. Make sure to check out our useful guide on going back to school for even more great advice on choosing an education/career path and for more career search help visit our Career Finder.

Distance learning is on the up and up. Not only are a record number of students engaging in higher education online-more and more college officials think distance learning is as good as or better than traditional classroom learning, according to a recent study.

But are online degrees, and particularly those earned through online MBA programs, worth the same as traditional degrees?

Yes, many experts say: there’s no difference. According to some proponents, online distance learning is more rigorous than classroom learning, and draws more disciplined students.

Experts see the uptick in online distance education as a good thing, especially for busy working professionals who want advanced degrees but don’t have time or money to leave their jobs and families for traditional classrooms.

“A lot of traditional schools require students to take a year or two off. But a lot of adult learners can’t break from everything to go back to school,” explained Dr. Rebecca Sidler, faculty chair of the MBA program at Walden University’s School of Management. Founded in 1970, Walden is a distance-learning institution that offers doctorates and master’s degree programs in a variety of disciplines, including education, management, and psychology, among others.

Dr. Diana G. Oblinger, vice president of Educause, a nonprofit group focused on advancing higher education through technology, said online MBA programs have limitless possibilities.

“You have the ability to bring in experts that you’d not be able to bring into a classroom. You’d be able to integrate people from around the world,” Oblinger said. “Online MBA programs have begun to do some very creative things because space and time aren’t limiting the programs. If I wanted to bring someone in from China, they’re not going to be up at 2 a.m. talking to me, but you can record the information and distribute it to people and have an online discussion.”

Do Employers Accept Online MBA Programs?

While distance education has been scrutinized in the past, experts say it’s more widely embraced nowadays, including among employers.

“There is no unique difference for an online grad versus a fixed facility grad for similar degrees,” said Michael P. Lambert, executive director of the Distance Education and Training Council, a nationally recognized accrediting agency for online institutions. “There is no difference where they will end up working or [what they'll end up] earning because they learned it online.”

Chris Consorte, who teaches both online and traditional MBA students, agreed.

“In my experience there’s no difference in salaries. I find it depends on the person. A very aggressive student usually leverages his or her degree and finds a job making more and more money,” explained Consorte, who teaches at Iona College, Mercy College and Long Island University, all in New York state.

Pluses and Minuses of Distance Learning

Though online distance learning is enjoying broader support, there are some drawbacks.

A Sloan Consortium study cites barriers to the widespread adoption of online distance learning. Topping the list is the concern that “students need more discipline to succeed in online courses”-64 percent of all institutions see it as a significant hurdle. The number-two concern is the extra time and effort that online faculty spend; 32 percent of schools think this is a problem.

Other disadvantages include lack of face-to-face feedback and in-person activities with peers, and loneliness, according to DETC’s Lambert, who also said, “The few drawbacks are more than offset by the convenience features.”

Experts say benefits of online distance learning include savings on time and money-no commuting, gas money or parking fees are required. And some students just function better online.

“Online there’s anonymity, you can interact and participate, and you can be whoever you want to be. For some people it’s a more comfortable environment for them to study in,” said Walden’s Sidler.

Another plus is the increased earning power an MBA brings. According to 2007 statistics from the Graduate Management Admission Council, a nonprofit group that owns the GMAT, MBA graduates who have gotten job offers typically earn 58 percent more than before they got their degrees.

PayScale’s MBA salary data shows the median salary for individuals with MBA degrees is $78,782.

Kristina Cowan is the senior writer for PayScale.com. She has over 10 years of journalism experience, specializing in education and workforce issues.

Don’t Fall Prey to These 5 Myths When Choosing a College Degree

Education Connection — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 21:06:14 +0000

It’s true: choosing a major can be a confusing process, especially if you have no idea what you want to do for the rest of your life. The good news is you don’t need to know what you want to do for the rest of your life in order to choose a major. That’s one of the most common misconceptions about choosing a major, according to Michael J. Leonard of Penn State University. Leonard, who works in the Division of Undergraduate Studies, recently wrote an article entitled, “Some Common Myths about Choosing a Major,” that aims to “bust” the myths that plague undergrads when they are trying to decide their major.

According to Leonard, there are five myths that are the worst offenders that may cause a student to waste valuable time, money and effort. In order to maximize your education dollars and to ensure that the time you spend in class isn’t wasted, this is what Leonard advises:

1. Don’t waste your time taking classes in a major trying to find out if you like it. It may not give you a real feeling for the work, and you may not even be able to enroll in some major classes until you’ve actually declared. Instead of “choosing a major by elimination,” advises Leonard, take the time to read the class syllabus, attend a few classes as an observer, and go to the bookstore to browse some of the textbooks. You’ll spend a lot less time than wasting an entire semester in a class you might not even like.

2. Don’t assume that you can get your Gen Ed classes out of the way before you choose a major. The problem with trying to get your Gen Ed classes finished before you choose a major, warns, Leonard, is that many Gen Ed classes won’t apply to all majors. Each major has a specific Gen Ed schedule, and the best course track that students can follow is what their academic advisor provides.

3. Far too many students think that they are going to actually practice what they study when they graduate. It’s just not true, advises Leonard, because although a person’s career and major may be related, “choosing one doesn’t automatically mean you’ve chosen the other.” For example, not all medical students take pre-med classes before medical school. Leonard says that people who receive BA degrees in subjects as diverse as “theater, anthropology, and history may all be able to find jobs in business, human resources, teaching, the military, and a variety of other occupations.”

4. Just because you choose one major doesn’t mean you have to give up studies in other areas that interest you. There are many ways to incorporate several areas of study in one degree. A student could decide to create a double major, or create a minor studies certificate. Still other programs are specifically designed to cover a broad area of interests, like the Letters, Arts, and Sciences Degree that Penn State offers. Also, it’s important to remember that people who go on to get masters or other graduate degrees don’t always get graduate degrees in the same subject, nor is it required.

5. Finally, Leonard wants students to remember that the major they choose in college isn’t going to lock them into a single career track for the rest of their life. Instead, says Leonard, most undergraduate degrees continue to emphasize “the development of general, transferable skills,” like writing, critical thinking, and problem solving. That’s because many jobs will continue to evolve and change as time goes by (some will even become obsolete), and besides, most people won’t even be working in fields that are “directly related to their undergraduate majors” according to Leonard.

By simply following a few common sense pieces of advice, students can easily eliminate wasted effort and time when choosing a major. Perhaps one of the best things they should remember is to study the things that interest them and which ignites their passion. It will make college a much more interesting experience, and their grades will probably be better for it, too.

7 Surprisingly Creative, Well-Paid Jobs

PayScale — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 04:00:02 +0000

This article was contributed by PayScale.com. It is the first in our series of five posts in honor of “Back to School” Week at Education Connection. Make sure to check out our useful guide on going back to school for even more great advice on choosing an education/career path and for more career search help visit our Career Finder.

What kinds of jobs can a creative person have and still make a living? Here’s a look at some of the best-paying jobs that require a creative mind:

1. Computer security specialist – Computer programmers who detect and resolve security breaches need to stay one step ahead of computer hackers seeking to steal information, says career-change specialist David Couper, owner of Transitions Coaching in Los Angeles. Often, they must work with older computer systems that companies have yet to replace, finding workarounds that will keep data secure.

“You’ve got to come up with creative ways of dealing with problems,” Couper says. “It’s highly paid because it’s more strategic than other programming jobs.” Salary of a computer security specialist: $77,561 per year

2. Project manager – This managerial job is found in many industries, and requires more than good organization skills; they must be experienced in what a project manager must know and why. Beyond creating charts and graphs to track progress, Couper says, project managers need great people skills, as they will have to motivate people to work efficiently. A project manager needs to be well-rounded, with a variety of abilities that will help keep the project on track.

“Good project managers understand people and come up with creative ways of dealing with things,” Couper says. Salary of a project manager: $62,108 per year

3. Product manager – The product manager helps design packaging and create the brand for new products, as well as reposition old goods to catch consumers’ attention again. Skills needed include color, design and marketing savvy, and an understanding of consumer behavior and trends, says Toronto-based certified resume specialist Karen Siwak of Resume Confidential.

“Think of a perfume bottle,” she says. “This person is determining the shape, the color, the name of that scent.” Salary of a product manager: $60,655 per year

4. Mediator – Mediation requires knowledge of the law, but also an ability to find creative solutions between two parties who are so polarized in their views that they’re ready to sue each other in court.

“It’s part acting,” Couper notes. “Not letting on who you think might be right, and part listening carefully to people and being in the moment with them. You need to get to the real problem, and then come up with possible answers people haven’t thought of yet.” Salary of a mediator: $57,273 per year

5. Instructional designer – Career coach Couper held this job in the past, and says it’s a little-known bastion of creativity. Designers need to create educational texts that draw in the student and make them want to learn the material, whether they are young or old.

“I once did one [project] about acquiring communication skills for interviewing suspects,” he says, “and we did it as a murder mystery.” Salary of an instructional designer: $56,878 per year

6. Home stager – These specialty interior designers work with realtors to spruce up cluttered or poorly decorated homes to help them sell faster, says Toronto-based certified resume strategist Karen Siwak of Resume Confidential. Essential home stager skills include being able to move existing furniture around and declutter or fill an empty home with furniture. They often purchase and provide some of their own décor items to enhance a home’s look. Their work requires a flair for design and space planning, combined with an understanding of consumer behavior and neighborhood tastes. Every home is different, offering plenty of opportunity for creative problem-solving. Salary of a home stager: $50,000-$60,000* per year

7. Finish carpenter – Finish carpenters are the creative woodworkers who design and install moldings, cabinetry and other final touches that give a home or public building its unique character.

“The job combines aesthetic sensibilities and design capabilities with conventional carpentry skills,” says Steve Kindel, author of the upcoming book Skill Sets: Land a Better Job by Understanding and Maximizing Your Abilities. Salary of a finish carpenter: $51,202** per year

Business writer Carol Tice is a regular contributor to Entrepreneur, The Seattle Times and other major publications. Contact her at caroltice.com.

* Salary range for home stager with 5-8 years of experience provided by Shell Broadnax, CEO, Real Estate Staging Association.
** Salary listed is for the upper 25% of carpenters due to finish carpenter’s higher skill level.

Source: All salary data, except for home stager income, is from PayScale.com. The salaries listed are median, annual salaries for full-time workers with 5-8 years of experience and include any bonuses, commissions or profit sharing.

Rants from the Masses: A Lack of Financial Education is Keeping Our Kids Poor!

Education Connection — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:31:38 +0000

Today’s Guest Blog was written by one of our FaceBook Friends, Mike Wrong. If you would like to have your views on education published on the Education Connection blog, please contact us! We are here and we are listening.

From a little one room red school house to the large educational institutions of today, as the population grew, so to, did the levels in education. When America was young, everyone was an immigrant – different people, from different cultures coming to America, to find freedom and a chance for a new beginning. In most cases the immigrants were poor and of uneducated stock. The more affluent folks took advantage of this, and hired the less educated at lower wages. This can be seen repeating itself today, with the current immigration in America. As people got settled in this country, they found they wanted more and could have it, if they were better educated.

Thus the education system began to grow; we created programs and curriculums. Every one remembers the three R’s: reading, rithmatic, riting. These were the basic courses in our educational system. As the country grew, so too did the god-given talent of the people. Ingenuity and innovation became science. People were free to create new and innovative tools, machines, and products of all types.

As the country grew, so too did the wallets of the more educated. They decided to make education mandatory, perhaps to continue the wonderful growth in productivity and innovation in America. And, of course, to continue the increase in profits.

Let me note, that the majority of people at this time, were not being educated at all in finance or banking practices. That was all kept in the family circle of the wealthy folk. The banking system went on and off the gold standard, and finally stayed on the inflationary system we have today. In 1938 three quarters of all soldiers had not even completed high school. This kept millions of people uneducated and forced them after their military service into basic uneducated labor.

Today we have colleges, universities and schools of all kinds for higher education. But still with the demand for financial knowledge to succeed in this country, we never seemed to make financial education part of our basic educational skills in grades kindergarten through 12th.

According to the Dept. of Labor, the statistics for 2009 were thus: forty percent of high school graduates joined the labor force and sixty percent went on to college. Now going by older stats to see the next four years, of those sixty percent, twenty percent fell back into the labor force and of the forty percent who graduated from a four year college, less than fifteen percent had received a solid financial education.

So we have in America today – and it has been this way for a very long time – eighty-five percent of high school graduates not receiving a financial education. They are left to flounder and learn from the school of hard knocks. Parents can only try and teach what they have learned. Look back at the stats. We need to update our K-12 curriculum with a financial literacy program in order for our education system to be current with today’s needs. There is a major imbalance. Think of where you could be today if you had received a financial education.

A Wall Street executive commented on a post I made on the internet. “If teachers were financially literate, they would not want to teach,” he said. I replied and told him, “If people had financial security, they would be free to follow their heart’s vocations.” Think of how the crime rates, the strain on social programs, the marital stress that in turn destroys our children could be reduced with even just four years of financial education in our high schools. Even a drop out would have better tools than they have now.

As the father of six children, I have met so many of our youth all heading the way of their parents. Very few are able to break the mold. Of the 300 million people in our country, 296 million make less than $250,000 annually. And 250 million make less than $100,000 a year. So where is the American dream? It is kept in the family circles of the wealthy. Financial education in our schools would lift every child and in turn every person.

In closing, let me say, “I believe in our teachers, our educational system, and our students.” Just look how far America has come in the past one hundred years. It is now time to look forward at the next one hundred. Imagine the number of youths who would go on to college because they knew that they could afford to do it. During their four year financial training, they would all learn to apply for grants and scholarships, along with learning about interest rates, payments, etc. Our children deserve to be lifted to the next level in civilization. When our kids have kids, hopefully they will not have to work 24/7 to survive and I believe you will see the biggest rise in parental/school involvement in our history.

Bill Gates Praises Online Education, Criticizes Textbooks

Education Connection — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:11:05 +0000

Bill Gates gave online college education a big boost at the Techonomy (Technology + Economy) conference in Lake Tahoe last week, at the same time giving standard campus-based college education a big kick in the butt. Gates, who was just this year awarded his degree from Harvard University more than 30 years after he dropped out, decried traditional “place-based” universities as too expensive and inefficient.

In his closing speech and interview, entitled, “How to Jumpstart What the Marketplace Can’t,” Gates reiterated his belief that technology is the solution to many of the woes that are currently besetting the American college and university system. Regarding costs, Gates was empathetic to families who are trying to educate their children, but the typical $200,000 cost for a (private) college education was just too expensive for most families to afford. “Only technology can bring that down, not just to $20,000, but to $2,000,” said Gates.

Gates believes the future of post-secondary education lies on the web, and that “place-based activities” will be five times less important than it is today in merely five years. Gates praised online education as a way for students to gain a superior education that will surpass the traditional college model, with “the best lectures in the world” available to students everywhere within a few short years.

Gates also said that “no single university” would be able to match what is going to be available to students on the web, and that going away to college may soon become a thing of the past. In the future, an online education will be something that students who are striving to succeed will be motivated towards, rather than the staid and cumbersome educational system that is now in place. “The self-motivated learner will be on the web,” said Gates, reiterating his belief that non-traditional educational modes may be the best for students as well as the marketplace.

Gates even weighed in on textbooks, disparaging college texts that burden students with unnecessary content and that are “giant, intimidating books,” as a result of being written by committee rather than with just the necessary content in mind. Surely students must agree that accessing textbooks online would be much easier and more efficient than carrying around a six-pound textbook all day.

While Gates may have some measure of self-interest at heart as a self-made billionaire in the technology sector, he’s stepping down from Microsoft next year and focusing more on issues that concern The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Foundation is heavily vested in working to “double the number of low-income adults who earn post-secondary degrees or credentials by age 26,” in the U.S. The foundation wants to see “New technology products and platforms that produce dramatic improvement,” and according to what Gates said at the Techonomy Conference, online education may be a big part of that achievement.

Online College Students Could Have Their Student Loans Paid Off

Education Connection — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 03:22:08 +0000

Although student loans can help students gain the educational qualifications they will need to compete in today’s difficult job market, some individuals may worry that choosing this form of financial aid could leave them with a great deal of debt. However, some college degree candidates may have their loans paid off by their employers or government agencies after they graduate.

Some campus-based and online colleges that offer education degrees partner with high-risk school districts to forgive the student loans of graduates who commit to teach in these areas for a certain period of time.

Prospective veterinarians can benefit from similar programs, as the National Institute of Food and Agriculture recently opened the application process for its Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program. Through the initiative, qualified veterinarians who choose to work in areas that are experiencing shortages in the animal medicine field can have their loans repaid by the government. The institute covers up to $25,000 in educational debt per student per year.

Prospective students who plan to enroll in campus-based or online colleges may want to consider exploring similar financial aid options before they choose a course of study.

Fearing Layoffs, Teachers Enroll in Online Education Degree Programs

Education Connection — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 03:53:50 +0000

Although teaching has historically been a stable career and thought of as a good “fallback” job, in this economy that is not necessarily the case. Even teachers who are currently employed spend their time worrying about the next budget cut. State and local governments are trimming expenses across the board and this includes education.

Many educators are going back to school online to bulk up their credentials in hopes that it will protect them from teacher lay-offs that are becoming increasingly more common. Also, because of the current administration’s focus on math and science education, many teachers that are trained in areas like art or history are enrolling in education degree programs that focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) subjects.

In response, many online colleges are expanding their offerings to cater to the needs of these busy professionals. In many states, educators are only required to hold a bachelors degree before they can enter a classroom even though a masters degree is preferred. This compromise on less education for teachers was an attempt to fill a teaching shortage that no longer exists and now amidst all the layoffs, many schools districts are much more selective.

As a result, many teachers are choosing to enroll in online teaching degree programs that enable them to complete lectures and homework around a busy schedule. In fact, many experienced and successful educators are leading by example and attending online colleges.

For example, officials from Walden University, an online college, recently announced that 47 state teacher of the year recipients have pursued graduate degrees at the school to date. Furthermore, enrollment in the university’s Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership has nearly doubled over the past eight months.

Also, since many school districts are beginning to adopt web-based learning methods, teachers who earn graduate teaching degree online may find that their unique virtual learning experience is opening up a whole new career path in teaching online.