08/14

The Recession, Higher Education, and What Ed Tech Can do to Help

Posted 08/14/2016 in Education Cost, Education Issues, Funding education, Online Education, Uncategorized

The 2008 Economic recession is known as one of America’s biggest financial crisis’ since the Great Depression. Millions of jobs were lost, families lost their homes, and inflation skyrocketed. Nearly everyone was affected by this giant financial crisis and are familiar with the affects it had on employment. However, what is less commonly known and recognized is the dramatic effect the 2008 recession had on higher education. This, however, could be one of the most important outcomes of the great recession, as our millenials are now suffering from some of the highest inflated tuition rates of all time. As Jeffrey Brown, the author of How the Financial Crisis and Great Recession Affected Higher Education, describes these effects, “The recent financial crisis had a profound effect on both public and private universities, which faced shrinking endowments, declining charitable contributions, and reductions in government support.” Of course, what happens when universities face a bleeding income? Tuition and other education costs must be increased. For the first time, young adults heading to college can no longer view higher education as an option, despite financial aid, scholarships, and grants combined. The inflation rate of universities has accelerated so much faster than that of the […]

03/22

iPhones, iPads, and Other Consumer Technology: Transforming College Education

Posted 03/22/2015 in Education Cost, Education Issues, Industry Trends, Interactive Technology, Mobile Technology, Online Education, Social Networking

The landscape of college education is different from what it was thirty years ago; we have an entire new generation of college students who had grown up in a world of technology. The children who had grown up with the start of the internet are known as the “net” generation, while those who have grown up with smart phones, social media, and iPads may very well be the next “mobile” generation (Geist). This new age of students entering into higher-education have been immersed, almost their entire lives, in some sort of mobile technology. They are used to mobility, in which they have access to whatever they are working on, wherever they go. Books, homework assignments, and class textbooks are all available on mobile technology, and young students are constantly in search of a way to utilize these tools. What makes technology in the classroom so unique is the increased intractability that is produced when the entire class is involved. Students who have grown up in this technology driven world aren’t just programmed to use technology, but prefer what technology has to offer compared to the traditional style classroom. In fact, more than six out of ten college students say that […]

12/19

The Ivory Tower and Online Education

Posted 12/19/2014 in Education Cost, Education Issues, Funding education, Industry Trends, Online Education

The Ivory Tower: Is it worth the cost? In a CNN documentary, “The Ivory Tower”, addresses the question, “Is college worth cost?” With the thousands of students applying for college, the reality of college tuition becomes real. No longer is it a question of “Will I get in?”, but a question of “Can I afford to go?”. CNN analyzes the costs for the real-time students who are currently carrying the burden of yearly tuition, “when student loan debt in the United States grew to over $1.2 trillion and tuition increases continued at nearly triple the rate of inflation.” Young adults have been raised to romanticize the 4-year undergraduate degree as the ultimate goal. Often, students forget why the idea of a college education is so valuable–building skills and an education that will push them towards a successful career. But with big name, ivy-league colleges, attending a 4-year institution seems like the only pathway to gaining respect and landing a job. CNN, however, begins to analyze that new options for the every-day student that we didn’t have 20 years ago. Today, nearly all young adults have access the online world. For students in particular, technology has brought us more options than […]

07/19

Student loans: the biggest preventer in student success?

Posted 07/19/2014 in Education Cost

With 18 million individuals each year leaving high school and moving up to a four-year college, it’s a wonder how each one of them will pay for the high costs of tuition. Sure, there are scholarships and if you are lucky, your parents, but what about the students who don’t have any of that and have to pay for it all by themselves? The obvious answer is student loans, which are now more than ever easier to obtain, but is it worth it? In an article by Peter Coy entitled “Student Loans: Debt for Life”, Coy makes the argument that college could not be worth it. As of 2012, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced that student debt had passed $1 trillion. Not only that, the average cost of an out of state college is around twenty five thousand dollars, which does not include the cost of living and books. With the high cost of tuition, many students are regretting finishing their degree. Christina Mills, 30, of Minneapolis, is one of those students. Mills worked for a non-profit organization at the time and you can only imagine her reaction when she found out her student loans would be 1,400 dollars […]

07/17

College Affordability: Has anything changed?

Posted 07/17/2014 in Education Cost, Funding education, Industry Trends, Online Education, Uncategorized

As college tuition continues to rise, the possibility of attending a 4 year college for many students begins to fade away. After the 2008 recession, the entirety of the nation had taken a huge economic hit, especially affecting college bound students. We witnessed a rapidly increasing university tuition, disabling thousands of students from considering a 4-year college. Today, students still continue to struggle to pay for college, but the reasons may not be the same as they have been in the past. For example, according to recent research by College Board, the rate of tuition increase has slowed down significantly over the last couple years. In fact, over the past year (2013), the average tuition for public universities has only increased by 2.9 percent, one of the smallest increases for over 30 years. So, why are students still struggling to afford college? Instead, according to College Board, it is the lack of financial aid that has caused many students to fall under. Grants, scholarships, and many other forms of financial aid have failed to keep up with the tuition rise, leaving a much greater ‘net’ price for college paying families. This is not only for public colleges, but for private […]

07/11

The Myths About Finishing Your Degree

Posted 07/11/2014 in Education Cost, Online Education, Tips & Guides

Each year, 18 million individuals begin studying at a four-year college or at a place of higher learning. However, it is estimated that there is a total of 37 million Americans who have some college education but have not finished their degree simply because, as Dr. Robert Mendenhall puts in his article, Don’t Let Excuses Stop Your From Finishing Your Degree in 2014, “life simply got a hold of them”. But, is this true? Can you not finish your degree because you can’t afford it or simply because you don’t have the time? In Dr. Robert Mendenhall’s article, he puts to rest all of the common thoughts and myths that individuals have that prevent them from finishing their degree. The first myth he puts to rest is probably the biggest one when it comes to people dropping out of college; I can’t make it to class. Too many people, they might think this is the case. They might work and have a full time job or they could simply have a family they need to take care of. However, we live in a time where many things can be achieved over the Internet, and the same goes for your degree. […]

08/30

College costs driving students to the online campus – and driving innovative ways of funding a degree

Posted 08/30/2013 in Education Cost, Funding education, Online Education

We all know college and university tuition is skyrocketing – double the pace of inflation – not to mention the basic costs of campus life along with it. For those looking to enter college, whether for the first time or as a re-enrollment to upgrade work industry skills, the goals are threefold: 1. Cut tuition costs while minimizing living expenses As CNBC reports today, virtual classrooms – or “massive open online courses” – could slash college costs up to 33%, and perhaps more. That, on top of the flexibility to live off-campus with online resources, means that the virtual college experience also provides a way for middle- and lower-income students to access post-high school courses and a degree. It’s also a financial boost to colleges that, while trimming course fees, can also attract a much higher number of students. 2. Find new ways to pay for tuition and other expenses You’ve heard of Kickstarter, the online crowd-funding site that lets anyone donate to startup a business? Now college students are leaping on the trend and getting donors to fund their education. Pave, an online crowdfunding platform linking investors with approved applicants, is just one such resource for students. On the […]

08/29

The Higher Education Debate: Online – quality online – is the answer

Posted 08/29/2013 in Education Cost, Online Education

To strengthen our nation, and the professional potential of our youth in particular, President Obama has revealed his ambitious educational goal of raising the number of American college graduates to No. 1 in the world by 2020. On top of this, to fill upper-level jobs in fast-growing industries with the most qualified candidates, he has challenged every American to take at least one year of higher education or post-secondary training. http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/education/higher-education However, while the White House says that, “Earning a post-secondary degree or credential … is a prerequisite for the growing jobs of the new economy,” and that, ”Of the 30 fastest growing occupations, more than half require postsecondary education,” many of cost-conscious students are still wary of return on investment for the expense of a degree. Specifically, a recent U.S. News & World Report interview with conservative pundit William Bennett provided good banter about risks versus benefits on the issue. A couple of takeaways: in 2008, 81% of adults thought college was a worthwhile investment; today, only 57% do. http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2013/05/09/why-a-college-degree-no-longer-guarantees-success That’s where online higher education comes in. So far, costs are less; no paper textbooks, activity fees, and subsidizing campus investments on building upgrades and landscaping maintenance. In fact, […]