education
Last year, I found myself back in the classroom after several years in the workforce, taking science classes to prepare for veterinary school. I quickly discovered I wasn’t ready for the mind-boggling buying options and jaw-dropping textbook prices I encountered at the college bookstore. My confusion usually begins once I register online for classes and am given a way to look up required texts. The textbook’s full title and 9- or 13-digit ISBN number (International Standard Book Number, usually listed by the bar code) may or may not be noted. Two or more identical-seeming options may be marked as “required.”...
There’s a reason nursing programs are rigorous. Our health care system would be in serious trouble without the broadly skilled, around-the-clock support that nurses provide daily in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and public health centers. Whether you’re just starting out as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) or rising up the ranks to become a nurse practitioner (NP), you’ll likely have continuing education classes throughout your career, including every time you renew your license. Continuing education 101 Licensing laws vary by state, but many require 20 to 30 contact hours every two years. Here is some basic but important continuing education...
Going back to school takes dedication. Fears about not having the time, money or energy–or all of the above–to get your degree can keep you stuck in a rut, especially if your schedule is already packed with family and work responsibilities. But if you’re paying close attention, you may find glimmers of hope in unlikely places, such as in reports about trends like high dropout rates. The American Enterprise Institute, a conservative public policy think tank, has done some interesting number-crunching on the issue of low graduation rates at the country’s community colleges. First the bad news. Researchers found: Only...
Seth Godin is a marketing guru who’s known for the Technicolor ties and shirts he wears during conference panels and press appearances. He’s also a very colorful writer adept at promoting his books—and he’s written 12 bestsellers, including “Linchpin: Are You Indispensible?” and “Tribes.” Most of his latest manifesto, “Stop Stealing Dreams,” rips the American K-12 education system, saying it’s failed to evolve from its roots—when it was “invented to create a constant stream of compliant factory workers to the growing businesses of the 1900s.” He doesn’t think much of the traditional higher-education system, either–saying too many colleges don’t amount...
If the thought of spending years and years juggling work, family and classes keeps stalling your going-back-to-school ambitions, ask yourself this question: Is there a certificate or license in your field that would give your career a nice boost? If so, there’s a good chance it’ll give your paycheck a bigger bump than if you invested more time pursuing an associate degree. In its series “Some College, No Degree,” American RadioWorks highlights a national study of workers in their mid-30s showing that 43 percent of license and certificate holders earned more than associate’s degree grads. Tony Carnevale, director of the...
One peg in President Obama’s multi-pronged college affordability agenda is scorecard that would give an at-a-glance breakdown of costs and other key benchmarks. The White House has released a sneak peek at its work-in-progress scorecard for 4-year programs. It features five categories: Cost Graduation rates Student loan repayment rates Student loan debt Earnings potential The scorecard would be added to the U.S. Department of Education’s online College Affordability and Transparency Center. It’s not ready for prime-time yet. The White House wants the public to weigh in on several questions, including: What information is absolutely critical for choosing a college? How...
Early data from some groundbreaking research reveal some surprising findings about full-time and part-time course loads for online college students. Turns out that at-risk students fare better in their studies if they take fewer classes at first, Inside Higher Ed reports. Trouble is, if you’re a low-income student and you need as much Pell Grant money as possible, there’s a strong incentive to take at least 12 credit hours per semester. “So the question becomes, is the current federal financial aid structure actually setting these individuals up for failure?” Phil Ice, vice president of research and development for the American...
Imagine if all students had to take an online course to earn a high school diploma. It’s already the law of the land in Alabama, Florida, and Michigan, and Idaho—and more than a dozen other states are working on plans to advance online education. Tom Vander Ark, director of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning and author of “Getting Smart: How Digital Learning is Changing the World,” says it’s a no-brainer. In a Huffington Post opinion piece, he argues that requiring online learning would especially benefit low-income, minority and struggling students. “Setting minimum education requirements promotes equity and participation,”...
One University of Phoenix student’s moment of truth hit him as his shift as a video store clerk was winding down. It just wasn’t what he wanted to be doing at age 30. So T.J. decided it was time to chart a career path that would take him places. In a YouTube video produced by his soon-to-be alma mater, he breaks down how he made one of the biggest decisions about his education: whether to study online or on campus. It all boiled down to one thing. “It was an easy decision for me, because I needed that personal interaction....
Imagine being in your 20s and making quite a nice living at real estate. You don’t have a college degree, and don’t think you need one. Then doors start closing when job interviews hit the dreaded “Yeah, but …” snag. “Yeah, you have some great skills and experience, but why no degree?” That was Esther, a working mom who wondered how on earth she could possibly go back to school. In a traditional on-campus setting, she’d have to skip classes to keep up with her kids, job, choir and drama practice, etc. That’s when she started thinking about online programs....
Times are tough for many American students trying to foot the bill for college, graduate school and career education programs. As TIME Moneyland reports, state funding for higher education has fallen by nearly 8 percent over the past year. That’s—gulp—$6 billion that schools in some 41 states are doing without, according to the annual Grapevine report from Illinois State University’s Center for the Study of Education Policy. To make up the difference, many schools have jacked up tuition, and some are scaling back need-based financial-aid programs while enrolling more out-of-state students who pay higher tuition—making it harder for in-state students...
All colleges, universities and post-secondary schools that offer federal student aid such as Pell grants and Perkins loans are required to disclose lots of detailed information to help prospective students make well-informed choices. It’s the law. Back in 2008, when Congress reauthorized the federal Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), it added more than 25 new information requirements. The most talked-about additions to the list of facts and stats it requires schools to disclose include: Graduation rates for low-income Pell grant recipients Credit transfer policies Percentage of students employed after graduation or enrolled in graduate school Textbook prices Private student loans...
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The All Allied Health Schools blog covers what you need to know about preparing for a career in health care today, whether you’re just starting to think about your new career or you’re ready to enroll in school.
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