Higher Education | Adult Ed

Volunteer Programs That Pay For Higher Education

If you’ve ever volunteered then you probably enjoy the feeling of giving back to your community; but did you know that many volunteer programs will give you grants to pay for higher education after you have met their minimum service requirements? Here are the top volunteer programs that can help in your continuing education goals.

1. National Health Service Corps
If your career goals are to work in the health field, especially for higher positions like nurse or physician then you know that the cost can be staggering. This organization accepts students who want to work in communities where most people cannot afford health costs. In exchange for 2 years of service NHSC will give you $60,000 to repay student loans and $170,000 to repay loans for 5 years of service.

2. Peace Corps
Volunteering for Peace Corps often involves working overseas teaching in high need areas. Upon return from overseas and completion of 27 months of service you will be awarded $7,425 to help in the transition back home. Additionally while overseas any prior student loans will be eligible for deferment or a partial loan cancellation.

3. AmeriCorps
Thousands of volunteers across the U.S. participate in AmeriCorps volunteer programs such as tutoring youth, cleaning parks and building homes. If you are able to volunteer fulltime you will be compensated with a small stipend to cover basic needs and plus after you have completed your required service you will be eligible for the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award worth $4,725 to pay for college expenses.

4. American Red Cross
For youth volunteers who want to pursue higher education, the American Red Cross created a scholarship grant in the name of Navin Narayan a volunteer who passed away at age 23. The award for this grant is $1,250 per recipient and in addition the recipient gets the title of national speaker for a year to uphold the concerns of youth issues.

Filed Under: Adult Education, Education Resources Tagged With: American Red Cross, AmeriCorps, Higher education, Volunteering

Top 5 Higher Education Scholarships for Minorities

According to the United States National Center for Education Statistics, there has been significant growth of college attendance for the minority population. Since the last statistics report in 2007, 32% of college attendees are minorities; specifically those from Hispanic, Asian and Pacific Islander descent. A strong factor in the increase of higher education for minorities is various scholarships that are available. Some of the top higher education scholarships that are available are:

1. Hispanic Scholarship Fund
This organization provides scholarships to graduating high school students, full time and part time community college students, and full time 4 year undergraduate and graduate students who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens. The HSF has several scholarships available most ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.

2. Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund
The APIASF awards most of its scholarships to high school seniors and GED holders. The due date for these scholarships is January 14, 2011, for a value of $2,500. Two scholarships for college students except college seniors are also due on January 14, 2011 for the amounts of $3,000 and $4,000.

3. United Negro College Fund
UNCF has been around since 1909 and is widely recognized for advocating the education of colored people. UNCF offers several scholarships to high school seniors, undergraduate and graduate students that can go up to $10,000. Additionally, UNCF has partnerships with many historical black colleges and some scholarships can only be used for certain schools.

4. National Association for the Advanced of Colored People (NAACP)
The NAACP offers several higher education scholarships for both undergraduate and graduate studies. Most scholarship awards range from $1,000 to $5,000 and are awarded to academically outstanding students.

5. Caribbean Students Scholarship Fund
This organization offers scholarships to high school seniors and fulltime undergraduate and graduate students from Caribbean descent, who resides in the Washington Metropolitan area; which includes Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia. CSSF receives contributions from individuals and business and amounts can vary.

Filed Under: Adult Education, Education Resources Tagged With: Higher education, United Negro College Fund, United States, Washington DC

Top 3 Reasons to Return to Higher Education

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It is becoming the norm for high school graduates to enroll in college. Along with this trend many adults are now returning to higher education. Some are pursuing degrees for the first time and others are changing careers. Whatever the case may be, going to college or returning to higher education is a wise and necessary goal. Here are the top 3 reasons why returning to higher education is important:

1. Higher Employment Rate
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released a document showing the most recent figures for employed civilians over age 25 among degree and non degree holders. As recent as November 2010, 55% of the population of those with high school diplomas are employed, versus 64% for those with an associate’s degree and 73% for those with a bachelor’s degree or higher. Having a degree makes you more marketable to employers, and especially in today’s tough job economy employers are looking for the best of the bunch.

2. Better Pay
The U.S. National Center for Education Statistics has done research showing that college graduates make a better salary than those with high school diplomas. In a 2008 study, bachelor’s degree holders earned 53% more income than those with high school diplomas, and on average those with a bachelor’s degree earn $46,000 annually compared to $30,000 annually for those with high school diplomas.

3. Ability to Compete Globally
The U.S. is a major force in the global economy so the ability for Americans to compete with the rest of the world is vital. According to the U.S. Department of Education, a 2008 study showed that our nation ranks well below average when compared to other developed an industrialized countries in areas like science, math, reading and problem solving. Needless to say, higher education will even the more be a necessary component for us to succeed and thrive in the global world.

Filed Under: Adult Education, Education Resources Tagged With: Education, High school, Higher education, United States

Benefits of Accredited Higher Education Programs

Higher Education accrediting agencies are private institutions whose purpose is to ensure that acceptable levels of education are in place. The U.S. Secretary of Education is responsible for publishing a list of regional and national accrediting agencies that have been deemed to be of good quality. Some of the benefits of attending an accredited higher education institution are: – Ability to Get Federal Aid and Private Loans Non-accredited institutions are most likely not among the eligible schools to receive federal aid and banks are unlikely to grant loans for institution whose legitimacy and authenticity cannot be validated. The loan making business is about making money and someone with a non-accredited education is less employable and therefore less likely to repay a loan. – Getting Employed A candidate with an education from an accredited higher education institution is more valuable and favorable than one from a non-accredited school. When a company hires you they are making an upfront invest in you that they hope will pay off later, so it’s a much more wise investment for a company to hire someone that has been educated from a legitimate and verifiable educational institution.- Ability to Transfer Credits You can almost guarantee for certain that if your previous credits are from a non-accredited school that those credits will not be transferable to an accredited institution; for the obvious reason that the authenticity of whether or not your previous course of study meets any basic educational requirements cannot be validated. If there is an accredited institution that is willing to accept your credits from a non-accredited school then you can expect to go through great hassle for them to recognize your previous study and make a determination that you posses adequate knowledge for those particular courses. It will greatly benefit you to save time and money by attending an accredited higher education institution to be more employable and reap the benefits of being educated by a reputable institution.

Filed Under: Adult Education, Education Resources Tagged With: Education, Educational accreditation, Higher education, School

How Adult Students Can Feel Comfortable Returning to School

Going back to school and returning to higher education brings some anxiety and trepidation to most. Worries about being able to keep up with the work load after years away from the school environment, and concerns about being in a class with people much younger makes many returning students fearful.
Luckily, many colleges are set up to help their adult students succeed and feel comfortable. These colleges have programs just for adult learners returning to higher education that address their needs. Some schools also have child care for adult students with children, which helps parents return to school. Other schools have adult student groups for adult students to come together to talk about their fears.
Most schools have tutoring available available to all students, but especially helpful for adult learners that need extra help or worry about their work quality. Starting out with basic classes like beginning math and English also eases worries for some adult students.
Besides the tutoring programs available at many colleges, students returning to higher education can also seek tutoring outside of their school. Private tutors work with adult students for a fee.
For the adult student that worries about being the oldest student in their class, seeking a school with many other students returning to college can help. These schools have classes full of other adult learners. This type of school can be found by asking the school. Often, community colleges, and satellite campuses of bigger schools have many adult learners returning to higher education and are a good place for adult students.
All campuses have some adult students, it’s just a matter of finding the community and reaching out for support.
Returning to higher education is a frightening prospect for some students, but with a little preparation, and by seeking out available resources, students returning to school find themselves comfortable and succeed in the classroom.

Filed Under: Adult Education, Online Education, Tech/Vocational Schools Tagged With: Adult learner, Higher education, Tutor

Financial Support for Returning to Higher Education

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College costs are on the rise with the cost of going to school growing much faster than the rate of inflation. For adults coming back to school, cost can be a huge hurdle to cross before they can think about returning to higher education.
Luckily, even if an adult can’t afford to return to school based on savings or work earnings, help is out there. Sometimes help means going in debt to go to school while other times, an adult can get free help for returning to higher education.
One of the most readily forms of financial help for adults returning to school is federal and state financial aid. These programs give people money to go to school. Some of the funds are in the form of grants which students don’t have to pay back. These are available from individual states and also from the federal government in the form of Pell Grants.
Another type of financial aid available to students returning to higher education is student loans. Several different types of student loan programs exist from the federal government, but in general, students don’t have to qualify based on their credit history. The grants and loans from the federal government are largely based on financial aid.
Many banks offer private loads to higher education students. These loans are almost always based on the students credit history, and if credit history is spotty or not good, a student might need to seek out a cosigner to get the loan.
Finally, a student can look to an employer for help returning to school. Some employers pay for their students to go back to school to get further degrees and certifications. Or other employers pay a portion of the cost of tuition.
Returning to higher education is expensive, but through federal financial aid programs, private loan companies, and employer help, adults can get help baying for school.

Filed Under: Adult Education Tagged With: Education, Federal government of the United States, Higher education, Pell Grant, Student, Student financial aid, Student loan, United States