Earlier this week in Chicago, Mayor Richard Daley said that he wants to close the “open-door” admissions policy at the City Colleges, which allows students to enroll in classes regardless of past academic performance. He says the system can’t afford to keep spending $30 million a year on remedial classes for students who aren’t prepared to handle college level work.
But for many students, remedial classes are their way into higher education, better jobs and more opportunities.
A new AP-Univision poll says more than eight out of ten Latinos in America believe the most important goal for high school graduates is to continue their educations. 94 percent of the more than 1,500 Latinos polled said they expect their children to go to college.
With the unemployment rate for people in their twenties hovering around 15 percent, it’s tempting for recent college grads to just skip the terrible job market and stay in school. And many of them are doing just that. Last year, there was a 6 percent increase in graduate school enrollment, and this year, 27 percent of college grads will go to grad school instead of entering the job market. But Takeaway work contributor Beth Kobliner says it might not be the best choice for everyone.
The unemployment rate remains sky-high at almost 10 percent, and for 20 to 24-year-olds it’s 15 percent — which makes graduate school attractive to recent college grads. Pretty tempting to just skip the terrible job market and stay in school! But before you head to grad school, it’s vital to consider the debt you’ll incur — and whether you’ll even get a better job out of it. Is grad school really worth the money?
Cheerleading is a staple of American culture. The mere mention of it conjures up images of high school — popularity, short skirts, pom poms, and elaborate, acrobatic routines. But is it really a sport?
That question is now before a judge in Connecticut. Five members of Connecticut’s Quinnipiac University volleyball team, plus their coach, filed a lawsuit against the University for cutting their sport, in favor of funding a cheerleading squad. The cheerleading team costs the University less, and has more members — which also helps increase the school’s Title IX numbers.
On yesterday's show, we discussed a new report which finds that, by 2018, 63 percent of the jobs in the Unites States will require a post-high school education. The problem is, at the current rate of college and high school graduations, there will not be enough workers with higher educations to fill these jobs. We wanted to know if you think colleges are properly preparing its students to enter today's workforce.
At a time when we have a 9 percent unemployment rate, a new study shows we may soon face a shortage of 3 million qualified workers. There are plenty of people to fill those jobs, but there won't be enough educated people trained for the positions, according to the study published by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.
The report finds that by 2018, 63 percent of the jobs in the United States will require post-high school education. At the current rates of high school and college graduations, there will not be enough workers with higher education degrees. And colleges aren't doing enough to emphasize the importance of employability.
Even if you don’t have kids yet, you’ve heard the scary numbers: the parents of an entering college freshmen this fall can expect to pay $161,000 for a four-year private college education and $121,000 for four years at an out-of-state public college. And the once bargain-basement priced in-state colleges don’t seem like such a steal anymore: in-state freshmen heading to the average four-year public college can expect to pay roughly $66,000 over the next four years.
All that being said, you still need to put your adult-self first and save for your retirement before you save for college. Here’s why:
In recent articles that have been getting a lot of buzz, the New York Times and Wall Street Journal took on the topic of unpaid internships...and suggested that many unpaid internships may, in fact, be illegal.
We wanted to find out more. And so we're talking with our work contributor Beth Kobliner about what kinds of internships are legal, which aren't, and whether they're even worth doing.
College tuition for a four year public school rose, on average, seven percent last year. That rise came in a year where many American families are already feeling squeezed for money.
For this week’s family segment, we discuss a topic that’s on lots of teenagers’ and parents’ minds right now, as April 1st ticks closer: college acceptance. And how to balance hopes for a dream school versus the reality of what a family can afford.
College applications used to be all about personal essays and letters of recommendation. Now YouTube videos are entering the mix.
Yesterday, we talked about high schools in eight states that are considering an initiative to let students place out of their senior year in high school and enter community college. It sparked a heated debate among listeners on the merits of the program, so we revisit the issue with a psychology professor and an expert in early graduation.
Eight states are implementing a radical new program in high schools for next year that will allow students to graduate early and enter into two-year community colleges, if they pass the right tests. We speak to a top education official and a high school teacher involved in the program to find out how the program will work.
Kristen Lombardi, investigative reporter for the Center for Public Integrity, just completed an in-depth investigation on how college campuses have created judiciary systems to handle rape cases, and how those systems sometimes fail. She talks with us about what she learned while investigating her piece, and shares a first-person account from one woman who feels her rape case was mishandled by her college: former University of Virginia student Kathryn Russell.
We also hear a response from the University of Virginia about what's happened in the aftermath of Russell's case.
To read Lombardi's entire 3-part series on collegiate rape judiciary systems, visit the Center for Public Integrity.
While college is the land of higher education and a college degree a prerequisite for career success, a new study finds schools are increasingly focusing on athletic, not educational, success. We speak to William "Brit" Kirwan, chancellor of the University of Maryland and co-chair of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, who claims that the majority of schools want to cut the size of their athletic budgets but can't quite figure out how to do that.
It's easy to see that things aren't going well for our economy: The Consumer Price Index is down, foreclosure rates are through the roof following the historic burst of the housing bubble, and more and more of the American workforce finds itself un- or under-employed. With all of these negative economic indicators, you wouldn't think it's a time for anyone selling anything to raise prices. Yet, across the country, public and private colleges have been raising their tuitions all year. In a report released yesterday by the College Board, four-year public college tuitions increased at an average of 6.5 percent from just one year ago.
For a look behind the numbers, and for the long-term effects of high-cost higher education, we speak to Patrick Callan, president of the National Center for Policy and Higher Education.
In July, President Obama spoke at Macomb Community College in Michigan about his commitment to supporting community colleges as a way to restrengthen America's economy. Following up on his promise, the president visits Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York, today for a speech on higher education and high tech jobs. We speak to Hudson Valley Community College Professor Rich Porter, department chair of Building Systems Technology.
We speak to Nicholas Lemann, Dean of Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and author of "The Big Test: The Secret History of the American Meritocracy
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Is the Private Era in Space Officially Upon Us?
Why Increased Immigration is the Solution for America's Ailing Economy
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