People that attend college and universities have many options to consider why they consider the type of education they will receive after graduation from high school. Some college students are unsure about what type of career they will need training in and will spend the freshman and sophomore years taking classes at a local university that will count toward a degree in arts or sciences.
Other college students already know the career path that they want to take and will look at all of the specialized college education options being offered at colleges and universities across the United States. Those that want to become lawyers one day might think of attending Harvard Law School. They will know that this type of specialized training at such a prestigious school will require excellent grades and a surmountable amount of tuition. Finding the monies to attend these colleges might require a considerable amount of effort.
The monies obtained from student loans can be used toward the completion of any degree program. The specialized education options could also make the student eligible for grants from colleges that specialize in educating students in medicine, education, or those that provide computer science programs of different specialties. Most students that qualify for scholarships will learn about the awards before they have graduated from high school.
Most of the scholarships are funded by educational foundations, corporations, or from trustees who manage a scholarship program that was created by a benefactor who was an alumnus of a college or university. Someone who wanted to ensure there were enough qualified doctors, nurses in the world could fund the specialized education program. In exchange for an education, the student might be required to perform community service at a local hospital or clinic after they receive their degree. Since education costs are rising, very few students would turn this down.
School guidance counselors often advise high school seniors about the benefits of obtaining a college education. The counselor will provide competent advice about the universities in the local area and the course programs they offer and will point out the salaries that each job specialty currently features in the marketplace. While some specialties will require additional schooling that extends past the typical four-year program, the salaries for these positions are what tempt students into pursuing the specialized education opportunities.
Other specialized educational programs will allow college students to remain competitive for those large salaries but the student will not have to incur additional courses to become certified. A high school counselor might point out the benefits of attending a technical college that specializes in teaching college student's computer programming, computer assisted drafting or computer networking skills. Some people might prefer to earn a degree in criminal justice or one that will certify them to work in the medical field as a nursing assistant.
The associate degree program allows these technically minded individuals to enter the work force and earn a lucrative salary while pursuing a bachelor's degree at night. Many people chose this type of specialized training simply because the curriculum does not require the completion of academic courses such as biology, science, psychology, economics, or anatomy. The specialized courses of instruction offered by a technical college or university are concentrated on teaching the skills needed to perform a task in a job specialty.
Pressure, pressure, pressure. Students in all grades can be under an enormous amount of pressure to succeed while in school. Kindergartners must learn to read, add, and subtract before they finish their first year of school. In some places, students must pass certain state tests in order to be promoted to the next grade level. More and more emphasis is being placed on the importance of a rigorous academic program for middle- and high-school students, with the end result of attending a college or university. Is all this necessary? Well, legislators, the president, and local district officials believe so. Many parents also agree that kids need to graduate from high school ready to go on to college. Leaders of Pittsburgh Public Schools and of Pittsburgh itself plan to institute a new plan to motivate even more students to seek out a college education.
The Pittsburgh Schools have issued what it calls "The Pittsburgh Promise," pledging that starting in 2008, all graduates who meet certain Pittsburgh Schools standards will have the means of getting post-secondary education. Wow! What a great idea! There are most likely some Pittsburgh Schools students who don't even dream of going to college, simply because their families can't afford it. Imagine, if you will, a Pittsburgh Schools family of blue-collar workers who have not had any of its members attend college. It is their dream for their children to go to college and have a better life; if this new program is indeed successful, this dream will most likely become a reality!
The Pittsburgh Schools district and the city hope to raise $5 million to $7 million a year to make college or other post-secondary education affordable. To access the money, Pittsburgh Schools students will have to attend one of the Pittsburgh Schools, do their work, stay out of trouble, and graduate. It's truly admirable to see that the city leaders, community leaders and the Pittsburgh Schools leaders recognize the difficulties that lay in the path of some of these students to actually attend college.
More and more, even some ?blue-collar? jobs are requiring a minimum of a 2-year degree. Firefighters, carpenters, even cosmetologists can attend a community college where they receive the training their prospective employers are looking for. The students of Pittsburgh Schools who are on the vocational path will now have the opportunity to go to college, no matter what their family's financial situation might be. What a wonderful graduation gift Pittsburgh Schools students could receive upon leaving high school! Since society and the government are forever clamoring about how far behind our students are as compared to other students around the world, kudos to Pittsburgh Schools and the city of Pittsburgh for doing their part to get more kids in college.
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Patricia Hawke has sinced written about articles on various topics from Education, Food And Drink and Education Toys. Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. For more information please visit. Patricia Hawke's top article generates over 246000 views. to your Favourites.