For years Kenyan officials in education have focused on investing in primary and secondary education. Like many developing countries, education has shown to be one of the most important factors in driving an economy upwards and restoring its community. Of course, primary and secondary education is a great place to start, where children can begin to read, write, and learn to create a moral grounding in how to interact with others. The Education Cabinet in Kenya, however, is looking to broaden its reach in educating its citizens and to grant access to what many young adult Kenyans do not have access to: higher education. However, with great intentions and important goals, come great barriers in gaining access to college. Higher education is quite possibly the most expensive luxury existing today, and very few are so privileged to acquire that gift. From the the Daily Nation reported in the All Africa Global Media website on acquiring higher education in Kenya, “Restoring order and sanity in higher education requires a comprehensive and well-crafted strategy that takes into account funding, staffing, infrastructure, admission, courses, teaching and learning resources, management, and quality of graduates.” In the U.S, where an economic crisis has made it […]
The 2008 Economic recession is known as one of America’s biggest financial crisis’ since the Great Depression. Millions of jobs were lost, families lost their homes, and inflation skyrocketed. Nearly everyone was affected by this giant financial crisis and are familiar with the affects it had on employment. However, what is less commonly known and recognized is the dramatic effect the 2008 recession had on higher education. This, however, could be one of the most important outcomes of the great recession, as our millenials are now suffering from some of the highest inflated tuition rates of all time. As Jeffrey Brown, the author of How the Financial Crisis and Great Recession Affected Higher Education, describes these effects, “The recent financial crisis had a profound effect on both public and private universities, which faced shrinking endowments, declining charitable contributions, and reductions in government support.” Of course, what happens when universities face a bleeding income? Tuition and other education costs must be increased. For the first time, young adults heading to college can no longer view higher education as an option, despite financial aid, scholarships, and grants combined. The inflation rate of universities has accelerated so much faster than that of the […]
The U.S. is flooded with an abundance of opportunities to further our education. Even more so, higher education degrees, such as a PhD, open up countless high paying jobs and can make a world of difference for those seeking a better future. Although the U.S. make offer these opportunities, for those living in underdeveloped countries, the pathway to obtaining any sort of higher education degree seems impossible. The European University Association’s Third Global Strategic Forum on Doctoral Education is looking for a way to change this. They have found that investments into research in developing countries have the potential to significantly improve the number of students graduation with doctorates. For example, Brazil had a 100% increase in PhD graduates between 2000 and 2009, and China had a 400% increase between 1998 and 2008. The Secretary General of the association, Lesley Wilson, claimed that what they are looking for a “move towards a more multi-polar research landscape”. Of course, investing into the education of multiple countries means there may be some barriers, both lingual and cultural. However, the association believes that through new knowledge and the presence of new technology, those barriers can be broken. Wilson continues, “the language of knowledge […]
The Ivory Tower: Is it worth the cost? In a CNN documentary, “The Ivory Tower”, addresses the question, “Is college worth cost?” With the thousands of students applying for college, the reality of college tuition becomes real. No longer is it a question of “Will I get in?”, but a question of “Can I afford to go?”. CNN analyzes the costs for the real-time students who are currently carrying the burden of yearly tuition, “when student loan debt in the United States grew to over $1.2 trillion and tuition increases continued at nearly triple the rate of inflation.” Young adults have been raised to romanticize the 4-year undergraduate degree as the ultimate goal. Often, students forget why the idea of a college education is so valuable–building skills and an education that will push them towards a successful career. But with big name, ivy-league colleges, attending a 4-year institution seems like the only pathway to gaining respect and landing a job. CNN, however, begins to analyze that new options for the every-day student that we didn’t have 20 years ago. Today, nearly all young adults have access the online world. For students in particular, technology has brought us more options than […]
As college tuition continues to rise, the possibility of attending a 4 year college for many students begins to fade away. After the 2008 recession, the entirety of the nation had taken a huge economic hit, especially affecting college bound students. We witnessed a rapidly increasing university tuition, disabling thousands of students from considering a 4-year college. Today, students still continue to struggle to pay for college, but the reasons may not be the same as they have been in the past. For example, according to recent research by College Board, the rate of tuition increase has slowed down significantly over the last couple years. In fact, over the past year (2013), the average tuition for public universities has only increased by 2.9 percent, one of the smallest increases for over 30 years. So, why are students still struggling to afford college? Instead, according to College Board, it is the lack of financial aid that has caused many students to fall under. Grants, scholarships, and many other forms of financial aid have failed to keep up with the tuition rise, leaving a much greater ‘net’ price for college paying families. This is not only for public colleges, but for private […]
It’s true- Students are getting more and more excited about technology as it’s development improves. The younger generation spends more time on technology than ever before, but for what use? Technology has allowed us to have many conveniences to make life easier, but what about building up a stronger, motivated generation of students who are eager to learn? Our entire lives are structured around the newest technological advances, but we never took technology in education seriously. Imagine the endless possibilities if we were to take the expanding technology revolution into the world of learning. Read this fascinating article with new, innovative ideas that could transform schools- or even the world. Check out “Technology: The Next Giant Leap in Education?” here.
We all know college and university tuition is skyrocketing – double the pace of inflation – not to mention the basic costs of campus life along with it. For those looking to enter college, whether for the first time or as a re-enrollment to upgrade work industry skills, the goals are threefold: 1. Cut tuition costs while minimizing living expenses As CNBC reports today, virtual classrooms – or “massive open online courses” – could slash college costs up to 33%, and perhaps more. That, on top of the flexibility to live off-campus with online resources, means that the virtual college experience also provides a way for middle- and lower-income students to access post-high school courses and a degree. It’s also a financial boost to colleges that, while trimming course fees, can also attract a much higher number of students. 2. Find new ways to pay for tuition and other expenses You’ve heard of Kickstarter, the online crowd-funding site that lets anyone donate to startup a business? Now college students are leaping on the trend and getting donors to fund their education. Pave, an online crowdfunding platform linking investors with approved applicants, is just one such resource for students. On the […]