Education in The News

  • Posted at 09:38 am
    Jun

    14

    Educated Moms Are Winners in the Workplace

    by
    Tiffany Sumner
    Today, women not only are primary family caregivers, but they’re also more likely to be the primary breadwinners, too. What’s sparked this economic revolution? More educated mothers are entering the workforce.  According to a new Pew Research Center analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau, “breadwinner moms”—those who are the sole or primary source of income for their family—are on the rise. In 2011, 40% of all households with children under the age of 18 included “breadwinner moms.” This number has quadrupled since 1960.[i] “Breadwinner moms” are part of a shift in family dynamics and social norms. Today, it’s more accepted to find educated women and mothers in the workplace. In fact, women comprise 47% of the U.S. labor force—almost half—and, in 2011, the employment rate of married mothers with children was 65%, up from 37% in 1968.[i] Education is crucial to the success of this growing demographic. While the majority of couples have similar educational backgrounds, it’s becoming more common for women to have more education than their husbands. According to Pew, 23% of two-parent families have a mother who is better educated than her spouse—increasing from 7% in 1960.[i] Not all “breadwinner moms” earn the same median wages. The analysis revealed that the demographic is
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  • Posted at 10:15 am
    May

    30

    Healthcare and STEM Degrees Could Result in High Earnings

    by
    Tiffany Sumner
    A recent report from the State Higher Education Executive Officers finds that postsecondary degrees produce higher median incomes for the vast majority of individuals in all 50 states, across all disciplines. The report found Healthcare and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) degrees result in the highest earnings, and  healthcare is also one of the fastest growing disciplines. Source:http://www.sheeo.org/sites/default/files/publications/Econ%20Benefit%20of%20Degrees%20Report%20with%20Appendices.pdf What’s the purpose of the report? Education officials produced the report to better explain how incomes are associated with different degrees and to provide state-level wage data by discipline. The report: Utilizes education data from the National Center for Education Statistics Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Systems (IPEDS) Survey Utilizes wage data from the U.S. Census Bureau Includes data for fiscal years 2004-05 and 2009-10 from the IPEDS Survey Includes completed associate’s, bachelor’s and graduate degrees in the analysis Health-Related Degrees The report stated health-related disciplines pay well but produce fewer degrees. However, findings also indicated the field is growing due to increases in health-related degree production and high
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  • Posted at 10:53 am
    May

    22

    Education Benefits for Veterans

    by
    Kelly Bray
    In light of Memorial Day, it makes sense to take look at some of the education benefits available to members of the military who have served their country with honor. Given how much veterans put on the line to serve, it’s good to know that there may be a wide variety of scholarship options available. Also, many of the tuition benefits available to active duty students also apply to veterans who qualify. So be sure to speak to your admissions advisor if you think you may be eligible or visits www.va.gov for more information. Now let’s take a look at three ways eligible veterans may help fund their education: Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Scholarships VFW provides 25 scholarships each year of $3,000 each Must be a VFW member who has served at least two full years of active duty within 36 months of the December 31 annual deadline.   Available to all branches of service and recipients may elect to use the scholarship for a spouse or family member[i] Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP) Available if you elected to make contributions from your military pay to participate If eligible, contributions are matched by the government on a $2 for $1 basis Benefit entitlement is 1-36 months depending on the number of monthly contributions Must have entered
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  • Posted at 01:52 pm
    May

    14

    University Of Florida to Start Online Bachelor Degree Programs

    by
    Anonymous (not verified)
    The University of Florida is set to be the first public university to allow students to work towards earning a bachelor degree online. Starting in 2014, the state-run university will offer a series of online bachelor’s degree programs, thanks to $15 million in start up funds[1]. Florida Governor Rick Scott signed a law Monday, April 22, 2013 that allows students to work towards a college degree without physically attending classes at the school. Previously, full-time online education had only been available for elementary and high schools in the state, which makes the University of Florida the first higher education public school to offer this next step in online learning. "Now, we will be home to the first fully accredited, online public research university institute in the nation," said House Speaker Will Weatherford. "These bold higher-education reforms will help increase Florida's global competitiveness and ensure our students have meaningful opportunities after high school."[2] One great aspect of the upcoming online bachelor degree programs is that the online courses will not cost more than 75% of in-state tuition for regular classes at the university. Florida’s governor and the state’s Republican party pushed the online degree programs as part of a new education package.
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  • Posted at 03:03 pm
    May

    06

    Will Your Reasons for Attending College Affect How Well You Do?

    by
    Tiffany Sumner
    Are you thinking of going back to school? If so, consider whether the reasons motivating you will lead you to academic achievement. According to a recent report by Project Muse, a correlation exists between the reasons motivating students to attend college and their academic performance, as well as whether they persist through to graduation. Below are highlights from the report. What's the purpose of the report? Academic professionals conducted a study to better understand the relationship between student motivations to attend college and academic achievement. The survey: Polled 2,520 college students in the Northeastern United States Aimed to prove that self-determination theory (SDT), an intrinsic motivational theory where motivation is derived purely from the satisfaction of achievement, is more conducive to learning Aimed to show that extrinsic motivation, or motivation to achieve an external reward or to avoid a punishment, did not lead to the best academic outcomes Considered how background factors, such as gender and socioeconomic status affect academic outcomes Source: http://www.warner.rochester.edu/files/news/files/academicsuccess.pdf What are the findings? The Project Muse report findings indicate: Students who attend college and are motivated by
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  • Posted at 11:25 am
    May

    01

    How the Sequester Affects Student Financial Aid

    by
    Tiffany Sumner
    Everyone is talking about the sequester. But what is sequestration?  More importantly, how will affect you in terms of student financial aid? What is the Sequester? Congress passed the Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011, which put into place an automatic process of Federal budget cuts, known as the sequester, to take effect on March 1, 2013, if Congress failed to enact legislation to reduce the Federal deficit. Unfortunately, Congress failed to act, which set into effect Federal cuts divided between domestic and defense-related spending, including cuts to student financial aid programs. Effects on Student Financial Aid Programs Below is a snapshot of how the sequester affects student financial aid programs. Federal Pell Grants – No impact.[i] FWS and FSEOG – No impact for the 2012-2013 award year[ii] but the awards will be reduced in the 2013-2014 award year.[iii] Federal Loans – Increase in fees for subsidized, unsubsidized and PLUS loans.[iv] Iraq - Afghanistan Service Grants – Reduced award amount for grants that are first disbursed during the time the sequester is in effect.[v] TEACH Grants – Reduced award amount for grants that are first disbursed during the time the sequester is in effect.[vi] Updates on Sequestration Cuts to Federal Grants In a recent
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