Thursday, January 27, 2011
We've got a goal, let's get a plan
During the President's State of the Union Address on Tuesday January 25th, he said the future of America's jobs would require higher education. He went on to say, "America has fallen to ninth in the proportion of young people with a college degree." I admire the goal that higher education must be within the reach of every American, that by 2020 the President hopes America will be in the top ranked spot for college graduates. This is a great goal, but how are we going to get there? The $10,000 tax credit for four years is a great step, but only if the cost of tuition remains stable. The Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S Department of Higher Education, "ensures that all eligible individuals can benefit from federal assistance for education beyond high school" (federalstudenaid.edu.gov). This is where I have personally experienced a problem...to be eligible for federal aid, the figure is based off your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). I have been considered a dependent, even though I moved out before I was eighteen because my parent's house was foreclosed on. My parents have had to put their information on my FASFA, even though my mother has been unemployed since 2007 and my father has worked in a significantly lower position, to just have a job, since he was laid off for sixteen months. Yet somehow the EFC formula calculated my parents, that don't even have their own place to live, as contributing over $15,000 a year towards my education. My parents have not been able to help me, and despite countless communication to the school, my state legislation, and even the federal government I have not been heard. I think it is wonderful, the idea of the federal government helping support higher education endeavors. I just think as in the words of our President, "anything can be improved." We must make sure tuition costs are stable, that we understand private funding is decreasing and more students are expected to enroll, we must take strides to make sure the formulas for distributing funds don't cause more harm than good, and make sure we are making constant improvements to make the higher education system better for the people of the United States of America.
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I work in a higher education institution and I wonder what your take would be on free higher education? I have often entertained the thought that if a student who graduates high school with a 3.5 or better GPA should be allowed to earn a bachelor's degree (in-state) for free as long as the GPA is maintained. We need to give our youth in America an incentive to excel, even if their parents can't afford for them to attend college and obtain a college degree. What do you think about this concept?
ReplyDeleteI agree the system needs work. The funding must some from somewhere. I am tempted to say that so much focus has turned to sports (please sports fans don't behead me) that education is sometimes secondary. If education for all were the primary interest, there would be funding available for any individual who demonstrated capability and ambition.
ReplyDeleteI do understand the financial aid process within the college school system. I also can appreciate that everyone does not qualify for what ever reason. However, I do not understand why there are so many other programs on campus that offer monies to students in forms of grants and scholarship don't advertise in the financial aide office. Or even better I don't understand why the financial aide counselors don't recommend going to other sources like on campus programs such as Student Support Services or Student Government, or even the external ones like AmeriCorps or the WIN program.
ReplyDeleteFunds do run out or do become restricted but I do agree that it needs to be known that if I can't get financial aid from the government then point me in the direction where I can get these funds.
Education is only one of the few most important decisions that we will make as individuals and I should not be forced to show my parents income to prove whether or not I qualify for monies from the government especially if i am not living with them nor depend on them for financial help.
As far as for higher GPA, dn't know. But if there are students that are wanting to come to school and are trying to accomplish graduating then I think it is progress. Many students are hands on and may not be able to be 3.0 or greater because they may have to work or maybe other deficiencies. Where the restriction on funds needs to be upheld is with these people that come to register and get the refunds and cut out, often times without dropping the classes. That is money wasted and that also means one less student that is able to get an education.
I love you post overall :-)