As the price tag of a college education soars and families continue to adapt their lifestyles to the recession, students approaching college might be considering putting off college or looking for cheaper alternatives.

Last year, one of the PayPal cofounders started a $2 million fund to get students under 20 to drop out of school and each start their own business with $100,000 in startup money. Stanford also launched open source classes available to anyone, from anywhere in the world who wanted to take a free course and receive a grade. In the last few years, people’s lifestyles have become more integrated with technology, playing with educational apps, searching the Internet for information from a handheld device, and sharing information via social media.

Education is no longer confined to a one-size fits all model or even a single definition. Education is adaptable and customizable for the student depending on their location, interests, and socioeconomic standing. There may be many choices, however, a common goal for those searching for higher education in an unstable economy is to find an affordable form of education that can help them get a job and that won’t bury them in debt. Open-source classes are affordable, but they don’t come with the same job outlooks as the $40,000 – $50,000 master’s degree from Stanford.

What options do students have who desire a top education without paying top dollar? Go overseas, says Charles Kenny in his article “Foreign Policy: Outsource Your Kid.” He says, tuition at some of the best universities in Asia, Europe, and Africa can be as low as $4,000, well below the median cost of a college degree in the United States. Of the top ten universities ranked by Time, seven of them are in the U.S. However, 99 percent of U.S. college applicants won’t be attending top schools like Harvard or MIT. Many could benefit culturally, academically and financially by going to college overseas.

Did you know, South Africa’s University of Cape Town beats out Georgetown University on the QS rankings, but Georgetown students pay upwards of $40,000 for their education, while foreign students at Cape Town pay $8,000?

Not only are there colleges around the world that will save the cost-conscious family money on a quality education, students will gain more global knowledge than they ever could attending an in-state school. Students will be immersed in a new culture, possibly learn a foreign language, and get first-hand experience that will prepare them for the global world of work.

Would you consider a college education abroad for you or a family member? Why or why not? What are the benefits of staying in your own country and paying more? What are the benefits of studying abroad and paying less?

Could getting students out of high school earlier be beneficial to higher education and to the students themselves? More and more states think the answer is yes. An increasing number of states are encouraging students to take college courses or graduate early in hopes to bypass the senior slump, save families college tuition money, and curb the school districts’ instructional costs, according the the article “Some States Prodding Students to Graduate Early.“

Dropping out of high school doesn’t only effect the individual. While students who drop out of high school will personally have less chances of employment, make lower incomes, and are most likely just a piece in the poverty cycle, they also represent a huge drain on our economic potential. On a larger scale, high school graduates and dropouts shape our economy, define the abilities of our workforce, and set the stage for our leaders of the future in business, industry, and government.

Even though “bridging the gap” has become a familiar phrase in education reform, the attention alone won’t  solve anything: we need action. Decades of research strongly suggests that the most effective education reform starts when kids are in preschool, where they are fed and taught in small groups, get home visits by teachers and have meetings with parents, and have teachers who make higher salaries, according to the article.

Our future depends on not only more graduates, but more successful graduates who are ready to succeed in the world of work and their lives as a whole. Starting early, staying consistent, and holding the bar high as students progress will provide a society with the brain potential, talent, and follow through to negotiate and leverage the global challenges that lie ahead.

Advances in technology have always come at the price of taking jobs, and we can expect them to continue taking even more. “As they say, if horses could have voted, there never would have been cars,” writes Thomas Friedman in his article “Average Is Over.”

But that doesn’t mean everyone should worry that their job will be replaced by technology anytime soon. As history has shown us, we will adapt to new technology by gaining new skillsets, possibly lose more low-level jobs, but still have the need for a human workforce. The reality is that technology is changing this generation of workers’ role in the workforce, by delegating menial tasks to technology and requiring workers to bring something fresh to the table.

“In the past, workers with average skills, doing an average job, could earn an average lifestyle. But, today, average is officially over,” writes Friedman. What does an above average worker look like? They are unique. They bring skills and ideas to a company that computers don’t have the capacity to mimic.

Higher education is also key to being successful in this changing economy. It used to be that people could get entry-level jobs straight out of high school, have 20-year careers, and end with a retirement plan. In the last few decades, we’ve seen the average professional spend 4.4 years at each career, their education level increase to a college degree, and an expectation that they will pay for their own retirement.

In Friedman’s article he shares the BLS’s unemployment stats for Americans over 25:

• those with less than a high school degree, 13.8 percent.
• those with a high school degree and no college, 8.7 percent.
• those with some college or associate, 7.7 percent.
• those with a bachelor’s degree or higher, 4.1 percent.

What we know about the future is that workers must pursue higher education and refine the skills that make them unique to be in demand. How do you identify your unique skills? How will you stay up with technology? How will you pass along the importance of higher education to your generation, or the next generation?

A new report shows unemployment rates are lower for recent college graduates than those with less education, according to a recent article by The Chronicle. The study also found, generally, the careers with the highest employment rates are going to graduates with an industry-oriented degree and those pursuing technical fields.

For example, grads with degrees in the arts have an unemployment rate of 11.1 percent and humanities and liberal arts is at 9.4 percent. Grads with a degree in health or education have unemployment rates of 5.4 percent, according to the article. However, due to the economy, some technical degrees that used to have great outlooks, now have high unemployment rates. For instance, architects and civil and mechanical engineers face higher unemployment than in the past, says the lead author of the report.

But, the study also found the unemployment rate for recent graduates is significantly lower than those who only hold a high school diploma or have dropped out. According to the study, the unemployment rates by grade-level completed is:

• 8.9 percent for recent bachelor’s-degree holders.
• 22.9 percent for recent high-school graduates.
• 31.5 percent for recent high-school dropouts.

The working world is going through many changes due to the state of the economy and advancements in technology. In this time of uncertainty, it can feel like a gamble for students and careers as they try to choose between the safest employment paths and careers that they thoroughly enjoy. This study shows there is still worth to pursuing a degree that gives you joy, a degree that prepares you for a career with a high growth rate, or a degree period. What do the results from this study mean to you?

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Source:

“Unemployment Varies by College Major, Study Finds,” by Beckie Supiano. 4 January 2012. The Chronicle. Accessed on 6 January 2012. http://chronicle.com/article/Unemployment-Varies-by-College/130212/

Schools are seeing a rise in the number of students registering with their disability offices due to psychological problems, according to the Wall Street Journal article “A Serious Illness or an Excuse?” It’s still not understood what the reasoning is behind the rising numbers, but there are a few theories. The rise may be in part to the fact that there is more access to and more effective medication for students to manage psychological disorders allowing more students to attend school. Another reason could be that some schools are successfully reducing the stigma attached to mental illnesses and therefore bringing more students forward to get help.

Students who work through the school’s disability office can receive official academic accommodations, which allow students to ask for extra time on a paper, different testing conditions, or flexibility in attendance and deadlines. The option students have to make academic accommodations is compliant with the federal American with Disabilities act, however, educators are still concerned that by students taking advantage of accommodations they might be missing out on experience that will help them manage their disorder after graduation.

Some educators fear that students who take advantage of the special working conditions provided through the school’s disability services won’t have the skills they need to succeed in the workforce. ”There’s the danger that we take too much care and when they hit the real world that same kind of support isn’t there,” says David Cozzens, dean of students and associate vice president of student affairs at the University of Wyoming in Laramie in the WSJ article. It’s a reality that these students most likely won’t have the ability to call in to work when their anxiety or depression without repercussions.

However, it’s also a reality that some college students won’t start identifying and treating psychological disorders until they’re in college and well into their semester. The accommodations provided through the schools in these instances offer students the chance to use the school’s services to get their disorder under control so they can perform better next semester without it doing damage to their academic standing.

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Source:

“A Serious Illness or an Excuse?” by Andrea Petersen. 13 December 2011. The Wall Street Journal. Accessed on 13 December 2011. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203430404577094330403235506.html

In a recent Education Week article, writer Sarah D. Sparks brings attention to a change in curriculum from academic to nonacademic skills. An average of two out of five traditional college students and more than half of nontraditional students take at least one remedial class. Higher education administrators report incoming students are often ill-equipped cognitively, socially and emotionally upon entering college. The Obama administration is responding to the these problematic numbers by relieving subject-matter classes as the main predictor of college success and placing an emphasis on college and career readiness curriculums and setting national education-based goals, like having the most college-educated adults in the world by 2020.

“The problem is college eligibility was what we focused on previously, not readiness; we haven’t really defined what ‘readiness’ means,” said Elena Silva, a senior policy analyst with Education Sector. “We focused on whether they have the course credits, the time spent … and that’s important, but we haven’t figured out if they have what they need to be really college-ready.” Research found the cognitive and social-emotional skills students need to advance in college and career can be taught in a classroom setting like academic subjects. Yet, creating readiness programs from scratch often taxes school resources, schedules and budgets

Turnkey curricula that teach and assess these cognitive and non-cognitive skills are available through LifeBound’s portfolio of transition and college and career readiness programs.  With specific skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, self-understanding and management as well as perseverance, students learn to create a vision for themselves utilizing the qualities commonly identified in successful students.

Researchers at Michigan State University in East Lansing, along with similar studies, found the greatest predictor of a student’s success is conscientiousness, which is defined by having traits like dependability, perseverance in tasks, and work ethic. Also, agreeableness was another sign of success, which included teamwork, emotional stability, and an openness to new experiences. LifeBound’s publications, MAKING THE MOST OF HIGH SCHOOL and MAJORING IN THE REST OF YOUR LIFE address these issues and give educators the resources to teach these behaviors and skills to high schoolers while offering student guidance for exploring and strengthening these skills independently.

With the winter break approaching its end and second semester and graduation imminent, the application of non-cognitive skills will greatly assist with these transitions. Click here to learn more about LifeBound’s entire library, or here to sign up for our newsletter for the latest news and book offers.

• Source: Read today’s referenced article, “Experts begin to identify nonacademic skills keys to success,” at edweek.org

Funding for college and  low-graduation rates have been hot topics as 2010 comes to an end and we prepare for the political and economic changes of 2011. But what about those students who made it to graduation day in 2010? These grads face a 9.8% national unemployment rate. The National Association of Colleges and Education reported only 24.4% of graduates in 2010 who applied for a job had one waiting for them.

The recent New York Times article, “No Jobs? Young Graduates Make Their Own,” shows us the growing world of online businesses led by young entrepreneurs. These recent graduates didn’t have the corporate jobs available to them that they had dreamt about, but instead of applying for unemployment, they took their skills to the digital world where they already ruled as experts. These new leaders are showing their ingenuity in creating niche businesses like HerCampus: a Collegiettes Guide to Life and SizzleIt a company that produces creative, short reels for advertising, websites, proposals, etc. These entrepreneurs started out in their parent’s basement, coffee shops or apartments with little knowledge of the business world but tech savvy enough to teach themselves how to design a website, hire a virtual team, and network.  Also, they have the critical thinking to negotiate any challenges they might face.

In these difficult times, many of us will be forced to be creative. Those grads who can see possibilities to be creative, follow a vision, and tap into the expansive thought process will be highly valuable working for themselves or someone else.  In many ways, this time period can be compared to post World War II America when men and women had very little, but created something out of nothing, used their ingenuity, launched businesses, and in the end, prospered despite the initial challenges and setbacks.  Today we still have many major corporations that started in the aftermath of this significant time in history as well as examples of men and women who started in the mail rooms and rose to run major companies.

- Read the New York Times article “No Jobs? Young Graduates Make Their Own at nytimes.com

A new Congress is taking over in January that has college students worrying over a possible 15% cut to their Pell Grant awards. The amount a student receives from the Pell Grant Program is determined by their status as a full- or part-time student, their financial needs, and the costs to attend their school. Grants make it possible for low-income or unemployed students to earn a degree when they otherwise could not financially commit.

So why would Congress want to take money away from a program that gives low-income students the opportunity to earn a college degree? Because there are too many qualifying people returning to school. The Obama administration has been trying to increase Pell Grant awards for students, but as the recession hits more jobs and more people return to school there just isn’t enough money to go around to support both increased college populations and increased demand for grants.

However, students can start becoming more financially secure now so they aren’t broadsided by changes made to their funding in 2011. A student who receives the full Pell Grant award of $5,550 might see a reduction of at least $845 next year. The following are some ways to help students start saving so politics won’t stand in the way of them going to college:

1. Make a budget: “Fail to plan, plan to fail” goes the adage. Creating a plan forces you to see the reality of the amount of money coming in and the amount going money out.

First: assess your income. Include all sources, such as, student loans, scholarships, grants, job money, and allowance.

Second: assess what’s outgoing. Consider food, rent, cell phone, car insurance, gas money, entertainment, etc.

Third: assess the gap. Compare the two ending amounts. Do you have enough to cover  your expenses?  What are your options for more income? What are your options for cutting outgoing expenses? To use a comprehensive expense calculator, go to  www.suzeorman.com

2. Spend only what you have – and not all of it: Most people live paycheck to paycheck and this puts most people at a disadvantage should some unexpected expense arise, like a broken-down car or Congress cutting financial aid awards. Having a long-term savings account might be out of the question right now. But can you set aside 10% of your income a month? Stop dining out for most meals and put the money in an accessible savings account for your education?

3. Confusing wants and needs: Do you get a latte every morning? Go shopping for new clothes once a week? If losing a 15% cut from your Pell Grant award will make or break your chances of attending college and you’ve identified some unnecessary spending adding up after making your budget – it’s time to reassess. When you do spend money, be creative and frugal. Shop at secondhand stores, share clothes with friends for special ocassions, make dinner at home for friends instead of going out, and rent movies.

- Financial literacy tips were adapted from Majoring in the Rest of Your Life. To learn more, visit us at lifebound.com or click HERE to read an excerpt.

Technology is deeply embedded in a student’s personal and academic life. For most students in middle school through graduate school, it’s not a question of whether or not technology will be used but rather what kind and how much. You would be hard pressed to find yourself in a college course that didn’t require your assignment be typed before handing it in for a grade. Or one that didn’t require all cell phones be silenced and threaten a grade deduction for texting, Googling, or gaming under the desk. A recent study performed at Ball State University found 99.8% of their student population owned a cell phone, of which the majority were smartphones.

Some make the assumption that because this “online generation” is comfortable with technology that they are also technologically savvy. A study by the Nielson Norman Group found college-aged students spend as little time as possible on a site and leave quickly when they are confronted with a new interface style. They also found teenagers and college-aged students preferred sites that were image heavy over text heavy. Students resorted to the search engine as a tool to get them out of a foreign design, but if one wasn’t available on the site they weren’t willing to sacrifice their time by learning how to navigate or read through the content to find their way. The older generations are correct in believing the “online generation” is comfortable with technology. But they are comfortable creatures of habit who prefer to keep their navigation to clean and familiar sites and are not to be confused with computer engineers.

Just because this generation has spent more time with their fingertips against a keyboard doesn’t mean they have learned the skills to navigate efficiently, understand how their chosen search engine uses search engine optimization (SEO), or how to decipher who is a credible and reliable source and what is an advertisement, scam or opinion. Even more, in the 18-24 age range that was used for this study, 40% will have literacy skills too low to read a website that uses anything more than basic sentence structure. Maybe we should support this generation to become the technology gurus we believe them to be and provide them with the skills to use the internet as a resource as well as an entertainment machine. How are some ways classes can use technology besides typing a paper or using a PowerPoint?  Teaching students to navigate in unfamiliar territory will promote their critical thinking skills to find credible sources, and to turn on their brains and turn off auto-correct and predictive technology.   It will also help them to understand when it is best to tune out the technology and connect interpersonally.

Read the study “College Students on the Web” at useit.com