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Posts Tagged ‘degree program’

Students can Trial Distance Learning Degree Programs before Buying

Friday, November 5th, 2010

Some online degree programs have increasingly been the target of criticism by education leaders who charge that they are enrolling students who aren’t ready for the challenges of distance learning.  Many students who enroll in online degree programs are unfamiliar with computer technology, email, and network security. As a result, they quickly drop out of college.

Students loans don’t disappear when the students leave college, however. Many students find themselves strapped with debts they cannot pay, and end up defaulting on these loans. In the past, since online universities got to keep the tuition fees, university authorities had little reason to keep students motivated or enrolled in their degree programs.

In response to this, as well as to allegations of fraud in federal loan applications, the U.S. Department of Education has announced new regulations that will deny federal aid to future students if the graduates or former students of those online universities default on loans or don’t earn enough money after they earn a college degree.

As a result, many online degree programs are beginning to offer students an academic trial period. Students can sign up for classes and participate in a three-week trial to decide whether or not they are ready for the rigors of a distance learning degree program before they pay tuition or take out student loans.While this will negatively impact enrollment numbers and the profit margin for some online universities, this should also help to decrease the number of students who start a degree program they can’t finish – and get stuck with repaying the tuition for years or decades to come.

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College Degree Programs Offer Job Opportunity

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

Education and employment experts continue to debate about whether or not college pays. They also cannot agree on just exactly how much education does pay. Those who argue that college degree programs don’t pay well point to incomes earned by a few skilled workers without college degrees as evidence that it isn’t necessary to earn a college degree online or attend a traditional degree program in order to get a decent paycheck.

Those who stress the importance of university degree programs, in contrast, argue that skilled work is becoming less and less available to high school graduates. As the income gap between skilled and unskilled workers continues to widen, the number of jobs that fall in between continues to shrink rapidly. Fewer people are employed in clerical or mechanical job positions, and the recession hasn’t helped.

Even with the end of the recession, the number of jobs available in most professions has stayed the same or declined slightly. Furthermore, even those who have jobs requiring college degrees aren’t enjoying salary increases; wages have stayed the same or risen only slightly. This isn’t contributing to the widening income gap between skilled and unskilled workers, but many other factors are doing exactly this.

For example, the pay rate for unskilled workers, in many jobs, continues to decrease. The number of union jobs is declining, and more and more companies are moving out of the US – and taking jobs with them. Finally, computer technologies have made companies able to accomplish the same level of productivity with fewer workers. For the most part, unless people earn a college degree, they have less opportunity than ever before to bring home a good paycheck.

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Adult Student or Re-entry

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Adult student or re-entry (also known as non-traditional students) are usually age 25 or above, with ages varying from 25-69 at a lot of universities and colleges.  Usually, the adult students are female; however men are going back to college to update their professional skills as well as further advancement in career. Some might never have gone to college or begun college and then caesed due to financial, personal, or other grounds. A lot of them have spent their time as workforce, in raising family or the military, and need to return to make their lifelong dreams come true. Some are single parents whereas others are retired but all are in search of a better and happier life. (According to the Dept of Education, 13 % of students who are currently attending college are single parents, the figure increasing up from 7.6 % in 1993.)

A powerful factor why students wish for changing their careers or updating their professional credentials is the economic instability. A number of re-entry students continue working while going back to school whereas others go to part-time. It’s never very late to return to school. You might be opting for a degree program, going back to complete a degree, looking for a specialized degree or a second degree, or obtaining courses for personal or occupational enrichment.

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College Degree Programs: A Cost-Benefit Ratio Analysis

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

According to the latest Jobs Forecast news, published at http://www.youthtoday.org/publication/article.cfm?article_id=4091 , nearly two-thirds of American job positions will require some college education or post-secondary training. Furthermore, these jobs will typically pay significantly more than jobs that don’t require post-secondary education.  Fewer jobs will also be available to high school graduates and high school dropouts, according to author Jamaal Abdul-Alim.

Today, many students still see themselves entering four-year college degree programs and graduating within four to six years. In reality, however, less than two-thirds of the students who begin a four-year degree program will graduate within six years. Many students leave college saddled with high student loan debts and living expenses, and without the degree or skills necessary to land a good job.

The number of students enrolling in associate degree programs and distance learning programs is on the rise, however. Last year, nearly ten percent of high school graduates opted for two-year degrees, and more than four million students were enrolled in distance learning programs. Many graduates with limited financial resources, and especially those who have families to support, find these degree programs especially attractive.

Distance learning programs, for example, allow students to attend classes online during evenings and weekends. Students with families can meet course requirements on a more flexible schedule, and even maintain full-time jobs while going to college. While online degree programs are often slightly more expensive than traditional college degree programs, the flexibility and ability to earn a wage while furthering an education is often enormously beneficial to students with families to support.

Today, the US ranks 10th in the list of industrialized nations whose citizens hold college degrees. Technical degrees and two-year degree programs, which are widely accepted in many other countries, including those in Europe, represent an optimal way for the US to reverse this decline and regain its prominence with regard to education. These degree programs also offer students an excellent way to start earning a living while minimizing college debt.

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