Survey: Americans Demand Choice When Making Educational Investment Decisions

/PRNewswire/ -- A new study conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of the Career College Association (CCA) shows that the American people overwhelmingly believe that the government should not interfere with their educational investment choices. Specifically, 63% think that the decision of how much debt one can take out to pay for education should be left up to students, regardless of debt-to-earnings ratios.

In anticipation of new Department of Education "gainful employment" regulations obstructing students' access to federal aid, this poll demonstrates the need to pull the emergency brake and reevaluate the proposals.

"It's no surprise that aspiring students do not want the government meddling in their educational decisions. No one should ever be told that higher education is not attainable on the count of financial limitations. Federal regulators are attempting to mandate arbitrary and widespread rules limiting educational opportunities to thousands, and the public is having none of it," said Harris N. Miller, president of the Career College Association.

Additionally, at a time when a large majority (80 percent) wants to either increase or maintain current levels of Pell Grant funding, the federal government now may be cutting access to hundreds of thousands of potential students. These students simply want to make their own decisions where to attend school, and 76% of those polled agree that students who receive Pell Grants should have that freedom of choice.

Other findings in the poll include:
-- Only 26% of those who agree that debt should be tied to earnings
believe a debt-earnings ratio should be based on salary through the
first three years immediately following graduation; 74% said a
debt-earnings ratio should, at a minimum, encompass the first seven
years of earnings;
-- 74% of U.S. adults believe placement rate for an institution is an
important indicator of the quality of a higher education institution;
only 44% believe default rates on student loans are an important
quality indicator;
-- 87% said that the Pell Grant program should be funded to allow the
same number, or more, low income students to attend a college or
university;
-- 80% of those who agree that debt should be tied to earnings said that
if a debt-earnings ratio were to be established, such a ratio should
be applied to both career-focused and academic-focused fields and
programs.

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States between September 1-3, 2010 among 2,258 adults (aged 18 and over) by Harris Interactive on behalf of CCA via its Quick Query omnibus product. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. For complete survey methodology, click here.

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Smart Ways To Pay For College

(NAPSI)-Experts say investing in a college education is a smart idea--even as tuition costs continue to rise.

A study from The College Board showed that in one year, the average full-time worker in the U.S. with a college degree earned 62 percent more than a full-time worker holding only a high school diploma. And while tuition rates have risen consistently over the years--The College Board reports that the average four-year private institution now costs more than $26,000 a year to attend--there are a number of programs to help students cut those costs.

For instance, there is more than $168 billion in financial aid available to students, as well as a host of scholarships. The key is to learn which programs a student may qualify for and how to apply. Here's a closer look:

Saluting Scholarship

The Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) Scholarship Program provides financial assistance for college expenses through a competitive selection process. It's available to MOPH members, their spouses, widows and lineal descendants and spouses, and widows and lineal descendants of veterans killed in action or who died of wounds.

The annual program requires submitting an application along with a topical essay, grade transcripts for recent high school or college academic work, letters of recommendation, evidence of extracurricular activities and community involvement, and a small application fee.

The MOPH also presents the Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy, U.S. Navy SEAL Memorial Scholarship Award. Lt. Murphy was the leader of a U.S. Navy SEAL Team who was killed in action during a covert counterterrorism combat operation in Afghanistan.

He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor and his family established a scholarship foundation in his name. You can learn more about both scholarship opportunities at the Web site www.purpleheart.org.

Scholarship 101

Many college scholarships require applicants to have completed community service, to have participated in extracurricular activities and more, throughout high school. So it's smart for parents and kids to start thinking about scholarships before their senior year.

Also, there are a number of scholarships directly linked to a student's particular interest. If, for example, a child has a particular love of music, there may be a scholarship available to help him turn his hobby into an educational experience.

Smart Savings

It's also wise to put money aside to help cover tuition costs whenever possible. Many states offer 529 college savings plans, some of which allow you to save pretax money to be used for specific educational costs. The plans often offer an automatic payroll deduction option, helping to make saving easier.

Free Resources

Remember to speak with guidance counselors, college counselors, financial aid officers and other higher-education experts about paying for college. The library and Internet also offer information on scholarships and financial aid. A little homework can go a long way.

For more information, visit www.purpleheart.org or call (703) 354-2140.


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Students of All Ages Throng to Community Colleges in Economic Downturn

/PRNewswire/ -- Enrollments at the nation's community colleges surged dramatically over the last two years, driven by economic uncertainty and growing joblessness, according to a new study released today by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).

From fall 2007 to fall 2009, credit enrollments increased by an estimated 16.9% nationwide, from 6.8 million students in 2007 to an estimated 8 million students last fall. Full-time enrollments for the same two-year period rose 24.1%. Total headcount from fall 2008 to fall 2009 increased 11.4%.

The historic enrollment increases were fueled by factors that brought both new high school graduates and returning adult learners in droves to community college classrooms. For younger students and their families, lower tuitions and other costs at community colleges presented an affordable option. Average tuition and fees at community colleges are $2,544 versus an average $ 7,020 at public four-year institutions and $26,273 for private four-year institutions.

For older adult learners, unemployment or threats of job loss reinforced the importance of college degrees and new skills training to get or keep a job today. Both new grads and adult learners benefited from a growing number of partnerships community colleges forged with business, industry and high schools, the study reported.

The largest percentage change occurred in U.S. towns, as students and families sought more affordable postsecondary options closer to home. Geographically, the Rocky Mountain region (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming) saw the largest percentage increase in total enrollment with part-time enrollment outpacing full-time. In the far West, however, the opposite trend prevailed as full-time enrollment exceeded part-time. The same was true in states of the Mideast, Great Lakes and Southeast, while a balance between full-time and part-time enrollment growth characterized states in New England, the Plains and the Southwest.

Among lessons learned by reporting colleges as they faced substantial enrollment growth, was the need to encourage early application for financial aid among existing and potential students in the face of heightened demand and to maintain a higher degree of operational flexibility, as states imposed both annual and mid-year budget cuts that critically affected community college funding and capacity. To continue improving access and success, researchers concluded that all citizens should be made aware of federal financial assistance programs available to them and that articulation policies should be improved to smooth transfer between two-year and four-year institutions.

A further finding of the study is the degree to which community colleges are now using data to drive campus decision-making. Respondents note they are using historical enrollment data as well as data from local business and industry -- such as pending plant closures -- to predict enrollment shifts. See more on this trend at www.communitycollegetimes.com .

The AACC survey was sent to all AACC member colleges, which represent over 90% of all public two-year institutions. The response rate was 38.2%.

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Can Robotics Help Kids Learn Science?

Turning kids on to science and math with robotics has become routine, at least since the FIRST Robotics Competition began in 1992. But there is currently very little evidence about whether robots can actually teach students science, or whether they just serve to excite students already interested in science and engineering. Given the right context and design challenge, can robotics-based activities engage girls as much as boys? Are there differences in the way rural students engage in these types of materials, compared with urban or suburban students?

To help answer these questions, researchers and curriculum developers from Georgia Tech’s Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC) and Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) are beginning a five-year, $3.5 million National Science Foundation study to discover how effective robotics and engineering design are at teaching eighth grade physical science content, and at increasing students’ interest and engagement in science, math and engineering.

“Robots are good at increasing students’ engagement in science and engineering, but there’s no solid evidence to tell us what they actually learn from robotics. Do the students learn science and math, or are they just having fun,” said Marion Usselman, senior research scientist and associate director at CEISMC.

The program is known as the Science Learning: Integrating Design, Engineering and Robotics program (SLIDER). The SLIDER team is currently developing the curriculum and tracking the progress of sixth grade students in science and math. By the time those students enter eighth grade in the 2011-12 school year, the research team will have good longitudinal data to show how they performed in science and math before the robotics instruction began.

Georgia Tech is developing a LEGO robotics curriculum that consists of three six-week modules to be used in physical science classes. The curriculum will be implemented in 2011 at three Georgia schools--an urban school (Bear Creek Middle in Fulton County), a suburban school (East Cobb Middle in Cobb County) and a rural school (Swainsboro Middle in Emanuel County). Students in the eighth grade will then be studied to determine what they are learning from the engineering design curriculum, and in ninth and tenth grade to determine whether their engagement in science has increased.

By David Terraso

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Sallie Mae and Gallup Research Reveals Families of All Incomes Are Saving For College Yet Most Fall Short of Goals

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Families of low and modest incomes who are saving for college save as much or more as a percentage of income as families in higher income brackets, says a new study released today from Sallie Mae and Gallup. On average, parents who save for college earmark 3.6 percent of annual income for their child’s education, while households earning under $50,000 set aside 7.5 percent of their annual income. Based on a nationally representative survey of more than 1,200 parents of children under age 18, “How America Saves for College” identified savings habits and motivators to encourage more families to save.

However, only 29 percent of families are on track to reach their savings goal. The study estimates that parents would need to save an average of 5.7 percent of income annually to meet their self-defined goal by the time their child goes to college.

“The urgency of addressing college affordability has never been felt so strongly across the full spectrum of American families,” said Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock. “We are fast approaching an era in which our retirees will be better educated than our workforce—backwards momentum that we must reverse in order to reclaim our leadership position on the world stage. These survey numbers suggest that saving for higher education has become a high priority for the nation, and we should encourage that commitment by providing creative solutions and support for families of all income levels.”

Among the study’s additional findings:

* Parents of children 12 and under are more likely than parents of teens to have saved. On average, parents began saving when their oldest child was almost three years old.
* Families saved an average of $2,676 for college annually, for an average total of $13,827.
* Parents cited employer matching as the top motivator (66%) that would encourage them to save for college, followed by tax benefits (44%). In addition, 25 percent indicated that a shopping rewards program would motivate them to save for college.
* 529 college savings plans are gaining popularity, particularly among families with younger children. While the overall 529 usage rate for savers was 33 percent, parents with children under age seven are twice as likely to turn to 529 plans (43%) as parents of teens (20%).
* Regardless of the parents’ income level or child’s age when parents began saving, the total amount saved increases steadily the longer that dedicated savings vehicles are used. Parents of any income level who had saved seven years or more accumulated two to three times the savings as parents in corresponding income levels who saved for shorter periods of time.
* Families in the Northeast have saved the most with an average savings of $15,846 closely followed by the West with $15,589. The South has an average savings of $13,722 and the Midwest has the lowest with an average of $9,693.

“President Obama has set a goal of achieving the highest proportion of students graduating from college in the world by 2020,” said Albert L. Lord, vice chairman and CEO, Sallie Mae, the nation’s leading saving, planning, and paying for education company. “Students spend 12 years preparing academically, but too many families overlook the need to prepare financially. Even a little bit of savings set aside regularly over time can go a long way toward opening the doors to a college education.”

Sallie Mae helps families plan, save, and pay for college through its Upromise program, which has helped families earn $500 million in college savings rewards, and by administering 529 college savings plans, which offer tax-advantaged ways to save. To help families develop a saving for college plan, Sallie Mae also offers its free online tool, Education Investment Planner (www.SallieMae.com/invest), which enables families to project the total cost of college factoring in the child’s age, type of institution, and the historical rate of increase in tuition.

“How America Saves for College” is part of a series conducted by Sallie Mae and Gallup on how families save and pay for college, and the full report is available at www.SallieMae.com/howAmericasaves.

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What the College Rankings Won't Tell You

/PRNewswire/ -- How much will it cost? How is it ranked? And how hard is it to get in? Many college guides and rankings answer these questions. But there is one question that none of them even ask: What will students learn?

A new, free website for parents and students, WhatWillTheyLearn.com, does just that.

Launched today by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, WhatWillTheyLearn.com will be featured in a full-page ad in U.S. News & World Report's 2010 college rankings, which are released tomorrow. The website evaluates colleges and universities based on their general education curricula: the core courses aimed at providing a strong foundation of knowledge.

WhatWillTheyLearn.com assigns each institution a grade from "A" to "F" based on how many of the following seven core subjects it requires: Composition, Mathematics, Science, Economics, Foreign Language, Literature, and American Government or History. Only a handful get A's.

"Employers are increasingly dissatisfied with college graduates who lack the basic knowledge and skills expected of any educated person," said ACTA president Anne D. Neal. "If our students are to compete successfully in the global marketplace, we simply can't leave their learning up to chance. As it is, thousands are paying dearly for a thin and patchy education."

Mel Elfin, founding editor of U.S. News & World Report's college rankings, praised the website as "an invaluable and unique additional resource for parents." "By focusing on what students are getting in the classroom, this new resource highlights what in the long run is far more important than the name of the institution on a graduate's diploma," said Elfin.

ACTA simultaneously released a printed report on general education, also entitled What Will They Learn?, which grades 100 leading colleges and universities in the same manner as the website. The low marks received by many institutions show students are graduating without math, science, and other fundamentals and underscore the urgent need for parents, students, and policymakers to focus on what colleges expect of their students.

How do the 100 colleges and universities fare?

-- 42 institutions receive a "D" or an "F" for requiring two or fewer
subjects.
-- 5 institutions receive an "A" for requiring six subjects: Brooklyn
College, Texas A&M, UT-Austin, University of Arkansas, and West Point.
No institution requires all seven.
-- Paying a lot doesn't necessarily get you a lot: Average tuition at the
11 schools that require no subjects is $37,700. At the 5 schools that
get an "A", it's $5,400.
-- "Flagship" state universities do a markedly better job with general
education (average grade of "C") than the top liberal arts colleges
and national universities (with an "F" average) while charging much
lower tuition and fees.

Which important subjects are not being required?

-- Only 2 out of 100 require economics (University of Alaska-Fairbanks &
West Point)
-- Only 11 out of 100 require American government or history
-- Barely half -- 53 out of 100 -- require mathematics

"This study demonstrates that our colleges and universities have abdicated their responsibility to direct their students to the most important subjects," said Neal. "No eighteen-year-old, even the brightest, should have to determine which combination of courses comprises a comprehensive education. But most colleges are offering nothing more than a 'do-it-yourself' education."

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Financial health of new Georgia charter schools falters

Charter schools in Georgia, the majority of which are in metro Atlanta, may be outscoring their public school peers on testing but many are not making the grade when it comes to financial health, according to a new Georgia State University study.

Andrew Young School of Policy Studies Professor Cynthia S. Searcy, co-author of the study, said that more than 40 percent of start-up charter schools in Georgia operated with deficits or in the red during the 2006-2007 school year, the latest dates the data was available at the time of the study. During the timeframe of the study, two charter schools closed, including one for financial difficulties.

“If we don’t know how these start-ups are faring financially, how can we detect financial stress early to help keep their doors open,” said Searcy. “Given the budget crisis all schools are facing, we need to have more conversations on how to help charter schools reduce costs or enhance revenues if we expect to use them as vehicles for educational innovation.”

Among the other findings: few opportunities exist for economies of size for these small, independent schools and size directly correlates to charter school financial health.

“Small enrollments can put schools at risk of closure because they have less per-pupil revenue to spread over their fixed costs,” Searcy said. “Since charter start-ups spend $1 of every $8 on management and administration costs, they might benefit from shared services with their local school district or other charter schools.”

Additionally, because there are no uniform practices of reporting financial information or specific deadlines, it closes the opportunity to develop any meaningful financial indicator system to detect financial stress early in a school’s operation, the study found.

Searcy, along with the study’s co-author William D. Duncombe, a professor at Syracuse University, studied audited financial statements from 25 Georgia start-up schools in the 2006-2007 school year. Since 1998, 34 start-up charter schools have opened and dozens of others have been authorized. Up to 2007, a total of five had closed.

Recent legislation authorized the creation of entire charter school districts and a total of 115 charter schools are or will be open this school year.

“Georgia is on the cusp of expanding the number of charter schools,” Searcy said. “Understanding their financial health is more important than ever.”

For a complete copy of the study, please go to http://aysps.gsu.edu/frc/3007.html.

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