Straight Talk: August 31, 2011

Straight Talk:  The StraighterLine e-Newsletter Issue #18, August 31, 2011
Edited by Jeffrey Lee Simons

In this issue…

StraighterLine Welcomes New Partner School: WGU Texas

There’s just no stopping WGU! It seems every few issues, we’re announcing a new partner school from the rapidly growing, groundbreaking and highly acclaimed fully online non-profit Western Governors University organization. This issue, we’d like to announce the recent addition WGU Texas to our list of partner schools. That means that your courses automatically transfer for full credit if you enroll in and are accepted at WGU Texas. Read all about WGU Texas here.

StraighterLine Reports on Rising U.S. Tuition Rates

Did you know that tuition at private, nonprofit colleges is increasing an average of 4.6% for 2011-2012? Looking further out, some sources are predicting that by 2021, tuition costs at a public institution could be $95,000 for an undergraduate degree, and private colleges could cost $240,000? Whether you’re already in school or still in the planning stages, you need to read this free StraighterLine report from our newest reporter, Greg Roth, on what the future of higher education is going to cost. Read Full Report

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Get a Perfect Fit with Our No-Risk Free Trial

Would you ever buy a new pair of jeans or sneakers without trying them on first? At StraighterLine, we want you to be sure we’re a perfect fit, too. That’s why we offer a risk-free trial of 6 StraighterLine courses. Try us on… you’ve got nothing to lose, and thousands of dollars to save.

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Physics I and II plus Labs and 11 Other New Courses!

Get your Einstein on! General Physics I and II, each with or without Lab, are part of our Big Bang for the 2011 Back-To-School season. 15 New Courses – our biggest single semester expansion ever. These new courses will bring our total to 40, with even more planned for the future. Click here to be notified the instant they’re available:

  • Introduction to Business
  • Personal Finance
  • Introduction to Nutrition
  • Physical Education, Health & Wellness
  • United States History I
  • Western Civilization I
  • Pharmacology I
  • Pharmacology II
  • Physics I
  • General Physics I with Lab
  • Physics II
  • General Physics II with Lab
  • Introduction to Criminal Justice
  • Introduction to Sociology
  • Student Success

Best of The StraighterLine Blog

Which College is Right for You?
With nearly one-quarter of all college students transferring or dropping out of the school they first attended, there’s clearly something wrong with the college selection and admissions process. Using data from a recent study by U.S. News, Barry Lenson looks at why the process is broken, and how you can reduce the risks and make the right choice. Read Full Post 

Pell Grants: What You Need to Know about this Federal Loan Program
Chances are you have heard that Pell Grants are federally funded loan programs designed to help deserving students pay for college. But do you know whether you have to repay them or not, who can apply, or how much money you can get? In this post, Barry Lenson answers some of the most common questions about Pell Grants. Read Full Post

Push Comes to Shove: More American Parents Would Like Uncle Sam to Regulate College Costs
The nonprofit College Savings Foundation Parents Survey for 2010 is in, and the news is that 65% of American parents are now saving for their kid’s college educations, up from 59% last year. Whether that’s good news, or bad news reflecting increased costs and fear, is up for interpretation. Another number that’s up, and up for interpretation: the number of parents who want government to step in and regulate college costs has risen dramatically. Decide for yourself what it all means: Read Full Post

Online Education in The News

Once again, we’re happy to report that the news about online education is increasingly positive. This issue, three different articles trumpet the growing acceptance and perceived value of online education, especially within the ivy walls of higher education and the corporate boardrooms of America. Although, as you’ll read, that acceptance is still far from universal.

College Presidents Are Bullish on Online Education but Face a Skeptical Public
The Chronicle of Higher Education, Jeffrey R. Young, 8/28/11

In a recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center in association with the Chronicle of Higher Education, 51% of college presidents said online college courses offer an equal value compared with courses taken in a classroom, compared to 29% of the general public. 50% of those presidents say most students will be taking classes online 10 years from now, and 62% also say over half of student textbooks will be digital within 10 years. 

Clearly, college presidents see something the public doesn’t. Why the discrepancy? The Chronicle reports, “the relatively dim view of online-course quality by consumers of higher education suggests that colleges need to do more to make the case for Internet-based teaching as they increase their offerings, according to some proponents of online learning.” Read Full Article

Online degrees find acceptance as universities jump onto the bandwagon
San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Daniel Tedford, 8/27/11

USC is one of the worlds leading private research universities. The University of La Verne is a private nonprofit university chartered in 1891 offering undergraduate and graduate degrees. And Azusa Pacific Online University, which just opened its virtual doors in January, is the online arm of Azusa Pacific University. Located in southern California, this trio of very different schools is racing to embrace online education, according to this article in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

As they do, the stigma separating online students from offline is dropping. According to USC Professor Brooke Howland, “USC, I think, is doing a fantastic job ... so our online students feel like they are Trojans, because they are,” Howland said.

School motivations vary, but tend to concentrate in three areas: cost, space and the ability to reach adults and students across the country. APOU CEO John Reynolds says, "We are trending in higher education to a point with tuition increases that higher education will no longer be affordable to middle America. We have to find an alternative model to deal with that.” And La Verne’s online programs specifically target adult learners. “If your philosophy is to serve the adult learner, it is difficult for me to see how you would provide that and not have some online option,” says Dean Steve Lesniak. Read Full Article

Survey: Online College Degree Graduates Motivated and Valuable to the Workplace
University of Wisconsin-Extension, Anna Schryver, 8/23/11

According to the results of a survey conducted by the University of Wisconsin System eCampus, “nearly two-thirds of U.S. employers said that students learn valuable workplace skills through online learning.” The results, which are reported on in this news release from the University of Wisconsin, also say “In general, people who graduate from online degree programs such as those offered across the UW System are viewed by employers as motivated, self-directed people who can successfully manage multiple priorities.” 

The survey, which interviewed representatives from over 300 U.S. employers, also found that employers see online students as able to balance education with a part- or full-time job, which they recognize as indicating self-discipline, the ability to work independently, and have well-developed time management skills. Read Full Article

 

 StraighterLine Welcomes New Partner Schools