The article about the University of Phoenix was really unfortunate to read. As a college student on scholarship, I understand the looming anxiety associated with taking our private loans to pay for school expenses, but it's ridiculous that even after spending all of that money, there's nothing to show for it. I honestly had no idea that these issues were going on in the for-profit education realm until mentioned in this course. I always saw the commercials and thought, wow what a great way for working adults to earn a higher education without sacrificing their current lifestyle; wow was I wrong.
Will the For-Profit Education Bubble Burst in 2011 was interesting. As I read this article, I couldn't help but wonder why everyone thinks they need a degree to be successful? Honestly, there are so many avenues that are in constant demand that don't requirement thousands of dollars in loans and years spent behind a desk. I recently read an article about vocational training vs. a traditional higher (college) education which really shed a new light on the thought that college might not be necessary for everyone. It's an older article, but I think it really speaks to the fact that plumbers and electricians are always going to be needed and though it may not be glamorous like working on Wall Street, it still brings in the bacon. http://www.getdegrees.com/edecisions/benefits-of-post-secondary-or-vocational-training/
The last article covered a lot of unanswered questions. It's interesting to learn the difference between for-profit schools and read about some of the positives.
I see both sides of the argument about needing a degree to succeed in life or not. I have noticed that more and more older adults are going back to school because they have hit a dead end in their careers. Without a college education it is hard to get past most entry level positions. And even now companies are looking for future employees with Masters degrees. The need for higher education seems to never end. Plumbers and electricians make good money, but more often than not, I think it is changeling to live a non pay check to pay check life without a college education.
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty disheartening to learn that a lot of the for profit schools offer programs that don't translate to anything in the real world. I think as college becomes more expensive, we'll begin to see more apprenticeship type programs. Most of the building trades you mentioned have a program like that. The interesting part is that most of them require college level classes (usually through a community college) as part of the training.
ReplyDeleteI think that what the article (Subprime Opportunity) was highlighting was more so the type of people that most often become students at for-profit colleges and trade schools (particularly the predatory varieties of these institutions) . We need to remember that people targeted by these aggressive recruiters are typically the first generation to reach higher education (or formal education for that matter). The other factor that plays into the issue is achievement and resource available--when students were not able to achieve a high GPA in high school and/or lives in an impoverished area, they lack the knowledge and resources that would prevent them from becoming victimized by the predatory for-profit institutions.
ReplyDeleteI also feel totally lied to in a sense. Before reading all of these articles, I thought for-profit schools like University of Phoenix and what not were a great option for working adults trying to go back to school; that what they were doing with night and online classes was innovative and praiseworthy! While I still feel that way in principle, everything about this weeks' readings showed me that these for-profit schools are not what they seem, and that's a bummer.
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