The 2009 National Survey of Latinos released by the Pew Hispanic Center reported possible reasons for this gap between aspirations and actual enrollment & graduation, which included:
1. Students’ desires/need to help financially support their family
2. Lack of direction and mentorship
3. Language barriers
How exactly does financial responsibility and lack of mentorship affect the ability of Hispanic students to attend college?

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY WITHIN THE FAMILY
Nearly three-quarters (74%) of all 16 to 25-year-olds who cut their education short during or right after high school say they did so because they had to support their family. Most families work as a team, i.e. all family members contribute to the well being of the family. Parents will work to make money and provide food and shelter, while children attend school and make good grades to favorably represent the family.

On the other hand, some Hispanic families will rely on each other to be financially stable. This puts great responsibility and obligation on teenagers when faced with questions such as, “Will I go to college?” “Where will I go to college?” “Dad doesn’t want me to go to college; can I pay for college on my own?”

The answers to these questions are irrelevant, with at least the emotional support of the parents or someone, anyone (!), attending college seem a lot more realistic. Some parents place so much emphasis on basic necessities and being financially stable (TODAY), it is very unlikely that [most] Hispanic students will get the support they need, financially or emotionally.

An Opportunity for Discussion:
Students that successfully applied and enrolled in college now face the need to work and may not have a vehicle.  This could be challenging, time consuming, stressful and may end in bad grades, among other problems. Any thoughts on this predicament?

THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY AND QUALIFIED MENTORSHIP
A study published in 2004 stated that 62% of Hispanics report that neither of their parents went to college. This barrier faced by many Hispanic student implies a lack of strong family support (qualified assistance) during the entire college search and application process. This is a huge responsibility for the student to take on, mentally.

Parents who have not attended college themselves may not have the skills, funding, or social networks to help their child during his/her college search, SAT preparation, and application process. Some families are even unaware of the financial aid available to fund their child’s education and are uncomfortable with completing the Free Application for Student Financial Aid application (FASFA).

My Own Experiences and Opinions as a Hispanic Woman:
This notion that many Hispanics grow up in communities that fail to promote higher education, is something that I personally experienced in my own community while growing up. Thankfully, I have seen some improvements in my old neighborhood’s school system, one that caters primarily to Hispanics.

A Spark of Improvement in the System:
You can imagine my excitement when I see my five-year-old niece wearing a Longhorn t-shirt (UT is my Alma Mater) to school every Friday for College Spirit Day.  Most importantly I am delighted because looking back, at five-years-old, I cannot remember hearing the word college. The fact that my five-year-old niece is exposed to the notion,“Going to college is the next step after high school” is, believe it or not, very impressionable on her young mind and something that has been missing from a lot of the schools within my old neighborhood. Let’s remember that these small changes over time will significantly add up and essentially give students and parents the empowerment (courage and knowledge) needed to conquer such barriers listed above.

An Opportunity for Discussion:
How do we constructively address and change these things that hinder Hispanic students’ education? What do you think the problem is, and of course in order to be constructive, how do you think the problem should be solved?

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Don't Be Denied by your dream college! Research, plan & execute to beat your competition.

We are all aware of the pesky recession that has forced us into making some rather life-altering adjustments.  Because of its negative effect on the number of jobs available, many of those affected have resorted to going back to school.  Furthermore, deep budget cuts by public state universities and an increase in the number of college applicants have resulted in fierce competition for college admittance.

This means three things: A large number of college bound applicants will be:
•  Rejected from public schools due to limited budgets
•  Forced to attend expensive private institutions
•  Set back due to unavailable classes in overcrowded community colleges

For those planning your college search and application process, keep in mind that in addition to your peers, a higher number of your peers are resorting to college due to limited job prospects, you may have to also compete with laid off employees.  Therefore, make sure to do your research early; knowing what it takes to be accepted by your ideal college will definitely give you an advantage in competing with others.

I have listed a few sites that may help you in your college planning:
•    Plan for College offered by College Board. This will help high school students during their first phase of college preparation.


•    Wilson Daily Prep. This SAT Prep program is affordable and has been featured in Time, The New York Times, CBS, and on NBC & ABC news.  This site also gives an SAT prep timetable.


•    Apply to College offered by College Board. Find resources that will help you during your college application process including tips on essay writing.


If you have any suggestions for the college bound please post in comments below.

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College can be expensive; adopt smart budgeting habits and avoid financial debt.

Many of you are college attendees or graduates; therefore you know what it means to stretch a buck and what it feels like to have a bank account balance of $9.00 until financial aid is released for the semester.  A lot of us do not make the effort to research smart budgeting methods and/or execute these practices. 97 Ways to Save Money in College is a article posted on MRI Technician Schools blog site. I have chosen what I believe to be the top ten tips from this article that students can easily adopt and benefit from, financially, while attending college. Consider it a gift as I suspect many of you are currently headed into another semester of school and needless to say –another semester of spending.

10. Rent Movies From the Library: Public and school libraries alike often rent movies for free.

9. Take Advantage of Public Transportation: In larger cities with reliable public transportation or smaller towns conducive to walking, ditch having a car and all its associated expenses.

8. Barter With Friends: Figure out ways to trade goods and services with other students in order to get things done without ever having to spend a penny.

7. Buy Store Brand Goods: Store-brand goods are almost always as good as the name brands, and many stores offer additional savings when buying store brand products while using store discount cards.

6. Buy International Editions of Textbooks: In the occasional instance where used books are not available, buy international editions of textbooks online. They are usually much cheaper and contain the same content in the same language as the domestic.

5. Drink Tap Water: Ditch the bottled stuff and drink straight from the sink. You’ll save tons of cash.

4. Set Up a Definitive Budget: Budgeting money ahead of time is one of the best financial decisions anyone – not just college students – can make.

3. Apply for Scholarships: Apply to as many as possible to help defray some tuition expenses.

2. Eat at Home: Sometimes, the cost of a meal at a reasonably priced restaurant can be used to prepare 3-5 meals at home.

1. Save the Credit Card for Emergencies Only: Use your credit card only when faced with an absolute financial emergency…and sorry, but needing that adorable Coach purse does not qualify as a dire situation.

For more ideas on how to save money while in college visit 97 Ways to Save Money in College.

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College Campus Virtual Tours at OnlineUniversities.com

OnlineUniversities.com offers virtual tours of several college campuses. This site might be useful to those of you in the process of researching colleges to attend or if you are in the final stages of deciding what university name to fill in on your fall 2010 tuition check and are unable to travel.

The site also offers virtual tours of museums, famous landmarks and buildings and even has a list of Google Earth virtual collections. Check out these offering at Online Universities’ College Campus Virtual Tours page.

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According to the article, Co-curricular management tools make the following possible:

1.    Communication Management- Establish and enhance reliable communication systems to keep all members of student life informed, engaged and active.

2.    Promotion -Event promotion enables life on campus to be more active, engaging and invigorating.  Lively campus activity positively effects incoming freshmen applications and enrollment.

3.    Track and Asses -Track and assess different facets of campus life as well as student preferences and feed back on different events and programs.

Read more about OrgSync’s Co-Curricular management tools at OrgSync.  You can read the entire Article Alley at: Communication Software Improves Student Retention.

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In a 2007 New York Times article, Thomas Friedman, author of The World is Flat, called green the “new red, white, and blue.”  He claimed that environmental awareness and activism has become a central topic on Main Street but that we, particularly my generation, still need a greater understanding of and commitment to truly being green.

Start a Green Initiative on your Campus!

On the contrary, the green movement has been gaining momentum on college campuses around the nation for some years now, and today it continues to grow stronger. The next generation is in fact doing more than ever before to create a greener campus and graduating students carry this ideology into the world.

Since its introduction in 2006, 657 institutions have signed the American Colleges and University Presidents Climate Commitment. These institutions have agreed to completing an emissions inventory, creating an action plan and target date for becoming climate neutral, and taking immediate steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Often times, such commitment does not stem from the president’s office but originates among student’s themselves. Most schools have environmental clubs, which spearhead many of the initiatives taken at their respective institutions. Going tray-less in dining halls; reducing energy and water use in dorms; bike sharing programs; these are only a few examples of the slew of environmental-friendly activity that is taking place on college campuses around the U.S.

In addition to these more standard methods, some students have taken more creative approaches:
•    Students at the University of Cincinnati for example, set up an entire farmers market on their campus to promote local food.
•    Claremont McKenna Students took a particularly interesting approach and hosted a party called “Save the Ales,” in hopes of having a positive impact on the decrease in hops growth due to global warming.

Indeed, students play a vital role in increasing the movement to “Go Green.” Beyond these examples, students participate in panels to give long-term direction to their campuses. Such plans integrate sustainability into long-range models for campus development. Today, as campuses continue to grow, build, and expand, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification seems to be almost an epidemic. Such commitment to sustainable structures on campuses serves to show that students not only have a dedication to a green present, but a sustainable future.

Image originally found at UCSB Sustainability.

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Students can use the Netter's Anatomy Flashcards iPhone App to study for an exam!

Not just a fad, iPhones are rapidly proving themselves to be a successful tool for students in the classroom. Introduced back in Summer of 2007, Apple’s new and innovative cell phone was quickly named “Invention of the Year” by Time Magazine.

In an article written by Simmi Aujla, Abilene Christian University gave an iPhone to every first-year student in 2008 to increase the quality of communication between students and professors. Students admitted to using the technology at least once a day for their school work. Executive Vice President of the University had nothing but rave reviews on the students behalf for the new program. In addition, it was acknowledged that with the given time frame of how new the program is, there is not enough conclusive data to prove that the success rate of students has risen; but that the first step of getting students enthused has been accomplished.

As a devout BlackBerry user, I had to investigate further as to what applications the iPhone offers that would benefit students such as myself. Mental Case, an interactive application that begins with a Mac computer, allows flashcards to be created and synced to your device. I can see this application being most popular, as this is a great tool to cram in the last bit of studying while riding the never-ending bus ride to school.  Record a Lecture is a fantastic way to share class lectures with your fellow absent peers; another app feature allows the recording to be sent via email. Lastly, iHomework, is an assignment calendar allows you to stay organized using your iPhone and eliminates the need to carry around the obnoxious day-planner. This application allows the user to stay on top of deadlines by sorting assignments by day, week, and specifically by course.

iPhone is currently skimming the surface with all of the opportunities to reach the student demographic and to add value to the education system.  In my opinion, Apple is off to an incredibly engaging start!  Check out more Apps for Students!

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Michael Coomes, Ed.D.

I have had the privilege of knowing, learning from, and working with Dr. Mike Coomes for 2 and a half years now. Mike was my graduate school adviser for the College Student Personnel master’s degree program. The scope of what I learned from Mike is not easily stated because of his years of experience, dedication, and passion for college student development and higher education.  He brings to every conversation a fountain of knowledge that informs all those who encounter Mike. It cannot be denied or disputed that Mike is seen as a preeminent scholar and leading figure within the Student Affairs community and that is why I asked him to take part in a Q & A session regarding a varying range of topics. These include: the evolution of higher education, the importance of student involvement, and the use of technology to help in the management and facilitation of all of this.

This is the first part in a two part series, with the second set of questions and answers to be posted within the next few weeks.

· Please tell us a little about yourself.
I am currently an Associate Professor and the Chair of the Higher Education and Student Affairs Department at Bowling Green State University (BGSU). I have been a faculty member at BGSU since 1986. I hold a BA in Education from Western Washington University (Belllingham, WA) and an Ed.D. from Indiana University (Bloomington, IN). Prior to doing my graduate work I was the Director of Financial Aid at St. Martin’s University (Lacey, WA) and Seattle University. I have also taught 7th & 8th grade language arts. My scholarly interests include the history and philosophy of the student affairs profession and the generational characteristics of college students. I am married and the father of two adult children, one a BGSU graduate and the other a current student at BGSU.

· How has higher education changed during the time you’ve been involved in the field?
As someone who tends to take the long-view (befitting a faculty member with an interest in history), I believe in the adage that “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” The fundamental aspects of higher education in the United States are relatively timeless and include the quest for knowledge; facilitating the growth, development, and learning of students; and maintaining a place that is an important cultural institution. Having said that, there are changes, including:

(1) The growth of new student populations, most specifically adult learners (students age 23 and above) and students of color. The college campus is much more diverse than it was in 1973 and will become increasingly diverse in the future.

(2) In keeping with its role to respond to changing societal conditions, the curriculum of the university has become more extensive. New areas of inquiry and new majors (e.g., environmental studies, women’s studies, photochemistry, hazardous waste management) abound.

(3) The means of learning have changed. While much teaching is still done through “sage on the stage” pedagogies, new technologies, new philosophies of learning, and new approaches to teaching have made the learning experience deeper and more interesting. From totally on-line universities like the University of Phoenix to blended courses offered at most colleges, students are availing themselves of a wide-range of learning modalities. Perhaps more importantly, a new vision of education has emerged. This vision puts student success at the center of the educational enterprise and is predicated on the belief that constructing knowledge with students in more effective than simply asking students to memorize and regurgitate facts.

(4) Colleges have become less distinctive and more similar. Statewide mandates, federal legal requirements, and accrediting board standards, have forced colleges to adhere to similar sets of expectations. Those expectations have resulted in a homogenization of institutional processes and purposes.

(5) Policy makers at the institutional, state, and federal level have abrogated their responsibility for making college affordable and assessable. In the 1970s, in an attempt to broaden participation in student aid programs to the middle-class, the burden of financing was shifted from public to individual resources. In the past 30 years, this has resulted in a shift from funding education through grants and scholarships to student loans. Coupled with increasing costs (According to the College Entrance Examination Board, since 1979, average, public, 4-year tuition has increased by 222% in constant 2009 dollars. For the same period, private, 4-year tuition has increased by 178%), the redirection of financial aid is making it very difficult (if not impossible) for low- and lower, middle-class students to afford a college education.

· What are some of the challenges facing higher education today?
The obvious one is linked to #5 above—it is the combination of increased cost coupled with decreasing federal, state, and external financial support for higher education. The recent recession has played havoc with all state budgets and that has impacted public college and many private college budgets. Until other revenue streams can be developed, the public college will find it increasingly difficult to meet its social responsibilities.
 
I also believe that, even though a college education is still a large part of the American dream, we are at a low-point in public support for education in general, and college education in particular. This may be part of a large skepticism about public institutions, but regardless of the reason, that lack of public support is resulting in budgetary tentativeness at the state level—tentativeness that is having deleterious effects on higher education.

· Can technology play a role in alleviating some of those problems?
Many problems can only be solved with the application of technology. However, all new technologies come with unanticipated costs. The advent of the automobile gave people much greater mobility; it opened up new ways of interacting, new ways of doing business, and new forms of recreating. That said, it has also led to environmental degradation, the decline of urban centers, a sense of personal disconnection, and an increase in accidental death rates. In informally doing the cost-benefit analysis of automobile usage, most people would say the benefits outweigh the costs—that doesn’t make the costs disappear, however.

When technology is applied to education, most people think of how computer-mediated environments can make the provision of education more effective and efficient. Frequently, this assumption is grounded in an understanding of student learning that sees learning as the transmission of knowledge from sender to receiver. While computer-mediated learning environments can be much richer than this (I can see a future where SecondLife has morphed into something akin to the Starship Enterprise’s holodeck), as I noted above, we have rethought how students learn best, and computer mediated environments may not be particularly adept at fostering the construction of knowledge. I do not believe the computer (the next generation of technology) will replace bricks and mortar colleges. I believe this for no other reason than colleges play an important maintenance function. The national culture is not prepared to have young adults (i.e., traditional-aged students) on their own nor are most parents inclined to have their children stay at home longer than necessary. Residential colleges provide useful holding areas for young adults to develop a wide-range of personal and inter-personal skills.

· Should technology play a role in alleviating some of those problems?
If it does not, then it is part of the problem.

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College Funding is Possible for Anyone!

Guest Blogger: Whitney McGinnis, OrgSync Campus Liaison

Many young people are probably asking themselves, “How am I going to afford to go to college in this global financial crisis that we are in?” The more important question to ask is, “How can I NOT afford to go to college?” When the economy settles it will be more important than ever to have a college degree.

Lots of students think that college is too expensive and out of reach, but that’s where things such as scholarships, grants, and financial aid loans come into the picture. I have a lot of friends who are paying for college without any assistance from their parents, and say that it took a bit more effort to find the grants and scholarships, but that it is totally worth it.

It is important to compare cost of attendance (COA) when choosing which college you can afford to attend:

1. Look for the school’s total COA—which includes tuition, fees, room, board, books, travel, and miscellaneous living expenses. This information will be located on the institution’s website or at their financial aid office.
2. Make sure you are not given the total “direct costs,” which only accounts for tuition, fees, room, and board. Federal law requires schools to make their official total cost of attendance available to students.
3. You may want to subtract your grants and scholarships from the COA to see how much money you will contribute to your COA either out-of-pocket or with student loans and if this amount is feasible. Your prospective college’s financial aid office will help you with the math if you have any problems.

So, how can you pay for college? According to a study by US News, almost 87% of college students have some sort of Aid (scholarships, grants, or financial aid) to help them pay for school, with the largest majority of aid coming from federal financial aid.
How does a student choose which type of aid is right for them? Start by:

1. Filling out a FAFSA form (Free Application for Federal Student Aid; http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ ), to gain access to many unknown scholarships and grants.
2. Check with your school or University’s financial aid office to gain information about scholarships and grants that may be available to you by the school.
3. Talk with your school guidance counselor about scholarships they might know about. Many times community groups will have a scholarship set up that students are not aware of and the money goes unused.
4. Search the Internet for possible scholarships or grants.

Remember that there are people and institutions who want to give money away, you just have to be willing to put in the time to do the research, fill out the application, and write a few essays, (essays you can possibly utilize for multiple applications.)

Almost anyone will tell you that the expense of college is worth the benefits. This is my Cost of Attendance per semester:

Tuition :$2,000
Books: $500
Room & Board: $3,000
Lab Fees: $125
Miscellaneous: $500
Lessons learned, friends made, & experiences gained : PRICELESS

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Every year the world is continuing to advance itself and becoming more fast paced. People have become so accustomed to life on the web, we are technological people and our main source of connectivity is via the internet. Meeting up virtually eliminates many barriers and is beneficial for people and the environment.

Online Virtual Meetings are Green & Efficient.

Virtual Meetings Reduce Corporate Expenses
Introducing online conferencing into a company’s program could reduce costs tremendously. For example, meeting virtually can:
• Eliminate the cost of catering and other amenities provided at conferences
• Help large national corporations or national causes cut travel expenses necessary for internal strategic meetings

Virtual Meeting Help Faculty and Administration Become More Efficient
Faculty and Administration can also benefit from meeting virtually and manage office hours easier. They have the option of:
• Holding video conferences with several students at a time to make general meetings more efficient
• Keeping communication open with commuter students by conveniently meeting online

Virtual Meeting are Environmentally Friendly
E-conferences facilitate environmentally friendly or “green” initiatives by:
• Lowering car usage and gas emission into the air by reducing travel
• Increasing sustainability efforts by saving paper and money on handouts that are available online

Now and the Years to Come
Meeting virtually will be without doubt the way of the future. Generation Y will soon be out of college and enter the workforce; this generation was practically raised on the internet. With that said, online activity will pick up speed like a snowball coming down a mountain, thus increasing our efficiency and our contributions to green causes.

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