Monthly Archives: March 2012

So, is WGU the kind of educational bargain you’ve been looking for? Yes, it is. And thanks to StraighterLine, you can reduce the costs of going there even more.  

Sorry to dash your hopes of finding an educational Shangri-La where you can go to college without owing a fortune. But if you’ve been reading this blog for long, you already know that online learning offers a great cost-saving alternative to traditional brick-and-mortar colleges. After all, the best way to owe less money is not to borrow it in the first place.

“What the Fate of One Class of 2011 Says about the Job Market,an article by Lily Altavena;in The New York Times on March 26, 2012, tells a harrowing story about how difficult it is for college grads to find jobs today.

So despite all the problems of American higher education – the high costs, crowded classrooms and all the rest – here’s one thing Americans need to remember about ourselves and our system of education. We might not be perfect, but nobody does it better than we do.

If you are a member of the boomer bulge, there are many reasons you might want to go back to college. Maybe you want to earn a degree in a new field, like education, so you can begin to teach. Maybe you want to start a company, and need to add some skills. Or maybe you simply want to energize your life by learning more.
Our parents thought that they already made their greatest contributions by the time they retired. In contrast, we boomers want to find new causes and new ways to “give back” to our country, our society, and the world. 

It's spring break!  After all your hard work, you have earned the right to put the coursework aside, forget about research papers and exams – and hopefully, kick back and relax with your best friends in a setting that is miles away from your school. If a beach and some fun nightspots are part of the equation, all the better.

Thomas Edison State College in New Jersey is a highly innovative college that is a pioneer in online learning. If you’re considering Thomas Edison in your educational plans, how much debt can you expect to incur while you earn your college degree there?

So the bottom line is, most of us can either feel excluded and lick our wounds and feel terrible because we would never have a chance of getting into an exclusive university, or we can get motivated and become successful and make a difference in the world. I think it is a pretty simple choice when you put it that way.

If you are caring for an aging parent, spouse or other elder, you already know how time-consuming it can be. Some elders require only minimal help you could be taking an online course – in effect, going back to college instead of watching afternoon TV. 

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a federal agency, has just opened a new online complaint center that is dedicated to addressing the problems of students who have borrowed unwisely. To see what it offers you can call the Bureau toll-free at 1-855-411-CFPB.

According to About.com, the median medical school tuition in 2010-2011 was $28,685 at a public institution, and $46,899 at a private institution. But that does not include books, lab fees, and other costs. 

How will the digital Distancers and the Sharks play against real, living, tall humans in short pants? Details are still being hammered out by NCAA officials, but will be in place by the time our virtual teams stride onto the court for the NCAA Final Four rounds in late March.

What’s the best way to celebrate Pi Day? Go get a pie and eat it while you calculate its area and circumference as you watch the new StraighterLine Pi video, that’s how.