Not sure what major to choose? Take a look at this list of the top majors for getting a job after graduation. Many people think a degree in philosophy holds little promise. But the data suggests differently. Philosophy majors hold the highest rate of income among liberal arts majors ten years after graduation. [read more]
40 years ago the US Congress passed the Gender Equity in Education Act also known as Title IX. Although most people think of Title IX in terms of equal athletic opportunities, the law covers all aspects of a school’s educational experience including the way sexual assault and harassment charges are handled on the college campus. Federal investigators are now examining more than 250 cases that remain unresolved. Since 2011 only 19% of the cases reported on college campuses have been resolved. [Read more]
On January 1, 2016 Texas joined thirty five other states known as “open carry” states. Many parents have questions about how this affects life on the college campus, especially life inside the dorms. The Attorney General of Texas has issued a statement citing the legality of prohibiting guns on public institutions of higher learning. [read more]
Happy New Year!! January 1st marks the beginning of FAFSA season. You can now file your Free Application for Federal Student Aid at www.fafsa.ed.gov to see what you qualify for in terms of aid for the 2016-17 school year. Be sure to use the fafsa.ed.gov website because it is free. There are other websites that are similar but they charge you. You should file as soon as possible even though you do not have your 2015 tax information; just use your 2014 tax return. In many colleges aid is filled on a first-come-first-serve basis so do not delay.
The East Texas Communities Foundation has a generous number of local scholarships for local students. Read the student guide and decide which scholarships you are qualified to apply. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2016 at 3:00. Click here for the Student Guide & Available Scholarships.
The Chronicle of Higher Education posts an article hot on the list of topics in college advising circles. “Higher-education purists may not like it, but going to college and getting a job are tightly connected in the public imagination, and that seems unlikely to change.” [read article]
The CollegeBoard has released the findings of a study that investigated the cost of a college education in the United States. The study considered several factors: tuition, books, fees, housing – including food. The report noted that college prices have been rising more rapidly than the prices of other goods and services over the last three decades and that “the increasing economic inequality in the United States over recent decades has exacerbated the difficulty in paying for college for many students, in addition to straining federal, state, and institutional budgets.”
CommonApp now has more than 500 of the nations colleges/universities on their register. A program that used to provide students with the opportunity to be quite creative and individualistic has fallen far short of that goal. This year CommonApp released a new version of the application and has been plagued with problems ever since for all involved. As different problems are exposed, the company has worked feverishly to find solutions. The problem lies in the fact that students do not necessarily know that there is a problem. CollegeBound strongly suggests that students check back regularly to verify that completed applications have been submitted. A completed application includes the general application, application fee, supplement (if the college has one), and supporting documentation from recommender(s) and counselor, which includes the transcript. The student must also remember to send their official scores from the testing agency.
The Chronicle of Higher Education posts a timely article discussing the affects of the US Government shutdown on the higher education system. All but a handful of colleges and universities receive some sort of federal funding in the form of student financial aid, research grants, federal training programs, etc. Grant proposals are due this week for the next round of research funding and much is on the line. Many of the largest institutions in this country are heavily funded by federal research grants. Another area of concern is access to databases and other technical information housed on government sites. As of this writing the Bureau of Economic Analysis is inaccessible via the internet, posting a shut down for lack of government funding. Although the Chronicle’s article discusses possibilities that affect the fiscal viability of colleges and universities, it does not address the very real ramifications of inaccessibility to information–a very real and present danger.
Jeffrey Selingo, editor at large for The Chronicle of Higher Education and author of College (Un)Bound: The Future of Higher Education and What It Means for Students, posts an article with some strong advice for college students — choose a major with rigor. To many college students opt for a major that requires very little high-level reading and writing. Many students use professor rating sites to choose the class with the least amount of out-of-class work and in the end, pay for this decision in the job market. Mr. Selingo’s advice, challenge yourself in college with difficult courses. “Look for classes that require you to read more than forty pages a week or write more than twenty pages over the course of an entire semester. Such deep experiences writing and reading improve your reading comprehension and communications skills, both important markers for employers.”