Workforce Competition Requires College
Workforce Competition Requires College
The Department of Education has published numerous studies about the status of higher education. What they all seem to boil down to is the definite need for a college degree to be relatively successful in our country. What they are also saying is that this avenue to gain required skills in our society is becoming more expensive by the day. This fact, combined with the sad comparison ranking US high school students far behind most other 3rd world country students is, to say the least, alarming.
The No Child Left Behind act was meant to fill the cracks within which many students in public schools seem to fall. Somehow, with this effort to establish the required skills for the students that are struggling, the overall achievement of the schools has diminished. The United States has already fallen below its potential for some time now. The effort, seemingly more politically motivated than logically planned, has had a positive effect for a select few that would otherwise have been unnoticed.
However, the reality of the situation is that there are more and more high school students that are looking at college as an unreachable goal, as early as their freshman year. These students are the ones that need the information focused on them. They need to see the true numbers of the amount of federal financial aid, and know that the amount of Pell Grants (which do not have to be repaid) are expected to have increased 76% for the 2009 budget. This increase is consistent with the steady rise in tuition.
Secretary Spelllings of the Department of Education has publicly announced the goal of the promote the positive benefits of federal financial aid, as well as a concerted effort to prevent lending institutions from obtaining borrowers that would otherwise qualify for student aid. This includes other federal agencies that administer funding.
In addition to these clear initiatives, there is a new program of grants that is going to help students with an affinity for math, science, technology, engineering, or a significantly needed foreign language obtain the required skills to fulfill much needed gaps in our country’s workforce. The grants will be geared towards low-income students that are able to maintain good grades within the necessary courses, and therefore the grants become a clear investment in our future for needed areas of employment.
The trend is all to clear for many high school students. A college degree is just as important to their future as a high school diploma. What is not so clear is that the federal government recognizes this, and has established ways to help meet tuition and attendance expenses. If you know someone in high school, or the parent of a student in high school, be sure to mention the negative spin the media seems to be putting on college expenses and student loans. It is not an unreachable goal to pay for college, and there is help available if you take the time to look.