Post by jeffolie on May 13, 2013 12:02:53 GMT -6
college: 66% enroll was 70%, Saturday my last
" ... CSULB this year was again the most in-demand campus with 55,614 freshman applicants, according to CSU data. But largely due to state budget cuts, the school has had to shut out thousands of students ... The CSU system has seen a reduction of $1.5 billion in state funding since 2007. .. College enrollment down, experts cite low funding, high cost
Saturday, the last of my adult children will graduate from college, at CSUDH. 2 others of my 4 already degreed at CSULB located walking distance from our Long Beach home. 1 finished at LBCC.
============================
College enrollment down, experts cite low funding, high cost
05/10/2013
In the midst of a debate over the value of a college degree, recent findings by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show college enrollment among high school graduates is at its lowest in years.
Just 66.2 percent of high school graduates in 2012 were enrolled in colleges or universities in October - the lowest rate since 2006. The record high was 70.1 percent 2009.
The fall off among black high school graduates was far more dramatic than among whites, Asians and Hispanics. Just 58.2 percent of black youth were enrolled in college, down from 67.5 percent the previous year.
"That's an under-the-radar issue that we need to address and tackle, and those numbers pan out on our campus as well," said King Alexander, president of Cal State Long Beach, who is leaving to take the same post at Louisiana State University in the fall.
The CSU system had the lowest percentage of black students since at least 2003, at just 4.8 percent of the total student body.
Alexander said much remains to be done at the middle and grade school levels as far as preparing students for college. And mentor programs can go a long way toward helping minority students enter college.
They will be competing for spots in a crowded field, officials say.
CSU for a fourth year in a row has seen a record number of applications from new students. The system's 23 campuses seen a rise in applications from freshman students, which ballooned to 173,985 last year from 166,028 in 2011.
CSULB this year was again the most in-demand campus with 55,614 freshman applicants, according to CSU data. But largely due to state budget cuts, the school has had to shut out thousands of students, Alexander said.
The CSU system has seen a reduction of $1.5 billion in state funding since 2007. Proposition 30 - the tax measure passed by voters in November to fund education - will keep more drastic cuts from happening.
Enrollment in the CSU system this fall is expected to remain the same as fall 2012 at roughly 90,000 new students, according to officials.
"When state appropriations go down, access goes down," Alexander said. "On our campus it means about 4,000 students didn't get access. I know first-hand that state appropriations has a lot to do with access to institutions ... we need to build our budgets back up again. "
Freshman applications to UC schools reached a record high for the 2013 school year. More than 174,700 applied, marking a 10.7 percent increase across the nine schools, according to the UC system.
Parents worry about value of college
It isn't just tighter budgets that are keeping potential freshmen away from college. Skyrocketing costs and a crushing debt load after graduation are a key factor. And there's no guarantee of a career once the cap and gown are put away.
The Labor Department in April reported that the unemployment rate for 20-29 year-olds in October 2011 was 12.6 percent for those who had recently graduated from college, remaining above pre-recession rates.
"I was in a hotel last week in Indianapolis, and the guy who parked my car was a college graduate," said Richard Vedder, director of the the Center for College Affordability and Productivity in Washington, D.C. "And then my suitcase was carried up to the room by a college graduate. The benefits of going to college have declined and the costs of going to college have gone up, so the return on investment has turned negative. "
Many parents agree.
A recent poll of parents with children in the fifth through 12th grades reveals an increasing number of moms and dads showing skepticism about the need for college.
Inside Higher Ed and Gallup released a report in March that showed nearly 40 percent of parents strongly disagreeing with the idea that getting a good job is the reason why their child will get an education after high school.
The research showed that parents are more likely to strongly believe that their children can land a good job without college than they are to believe that a liberal arts education will pave the way for viable employment.
Rising tuition costs appear to be turning off more parents. Twenty percent of them said they were unwilling to take on debt for their child's education.
"Parents always want them to go to college," said Doug Homme, an academic pathway advisor at Summit High School in Fontana. "Their dream is to always have a better life (for their kids). They're very in favor of it, but their No. 1 fear is how I am going to pay for it? "
Not all majors lucrative
The frugal attitudes of parents are perfectly rational, said Vedder, who was a visiting professor of economics at Claremont-McKenna College in the early 1980s.
Vedder said as high school kids are pressured by teachers and counselors to go to college, they aren't clearly told what the job market is, or informed about other options that can lead to well-paying jobs without a degree.
And zeal for a field of study may not translate into a great paycheck.
"As the word gets out that you can make more money as a welder than having a degree in sociology, you'll have more welders and less sociologists," Vedder said. "What the hell do those kids do when they graduate? There's no budding market for Asian studies and African studies. There's no budding market for philosophy and history. "
Alexander said he knows Vedder and agrees with him to some extent, but also urged caution.
Programs like geography appeared to be unattractive two decades ago, but have re-emerged as the world looks at highly technical mapping systems and issues such as global warming, he said.
"Richard is right. Some of these fields that may not have been employable, we need to reassess and see if they are now," Alexander said.
Homme said at Summit High School, students are informed as to what their options are. Advisors there typically have students look at their dream school, a backup school and at least one alternative if they can't get into their college of choice.
They also show students what options are available for jobs training through the military.
"Most parents are willing to do it if it's affordable," Homme said.
However, more parents are becoming "suspicious" about the cost of higher education, Alexander said.
"Which is good," he said, adding that CSU has been transparent in the past few years when it comes to what graduates can expect to earn in their chosen fields. "We want them to have this good information. We want them know whether they are making not only good economic choices, but good college choices. "
Degree helps boost salaries
Most recent figures suggest college graduates will see a payoff in time.
The national unemployment rate was 7.5 percent in April, according to Labor Department figures released this month. Those over age 25 with bachelor's degrees fared better, with a seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate of 3.9 percent.
"I think that's a pretty telling number that a college degree is much more valuable (compared) to those that don't have one," said Cyndi Karapogosian, a senior regional vice president of professional staffing for Robert Half International, a firm specializing in job-placement for highly skilled workers.
Employers that are building their companies especially value a college degree, Karapogosian said.
The top three growth industries for college graduates are healthcare, energy and utilities, and financial services, she said. There is also high demand for accounting skills, and employers are particularly looking for those with expertise in Excel spreadsheets.
Other areas of high demand include technology professionals with a development background, and paralegals.
Karapogosian said it's critical for college graduates to have some experience in their field in order to get a leg up on the competition. That means internships and even volunteering go a long way to impress bosses.
"It's pretty important," Karapogosian said. "An individual that just has a college degree and no experience is not going to be viewed as high as somebody who has at least some of that work experience. "
The starting salary of recent college graduates may be on the rise. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, graduates in 2013 will see a 5.3 percent jump in pay over their 2012 counterparts, from $42,666 to $44,928
While some deride the unemployment rate as not reflecting the kind of jobs a college graduate would want - sometimes part-time and low-paying jobs - Alexander said college qualifies a person to get the second, third and fourth jobs in their career.
"College is not being devalued," Alexander said. "It's being increased in its demand and significance. What they fail to understand is the more you educate these students, the more they expand their enlightenment, the greater the likelihood they will will transform us into a new economy. The market is not a stagnant place. "
www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_23219490/college-enrollment-down-experts-cite-low-funding-high
" ... CSULB this year was again the most in-demand campus with 55,614 freshman applicants, according to CSU data. But largely due to state budget cuts, the school has had to shut out thousands of students ... The CSU system has seen a reduction of $1.5 billion in state funding since 2007. .. College enrollment down, experts cite low funding, high cost
Saturday, the last of my adult children will graduate from college, at CSUDH. 2 others of my 4 already degreed at CSULB located walking distance from our Long Beach home. 1 finished at LBCC.
============================
College enrollment down, experts cite low funding, high cost
05/10/2013
In the midst of a debate over the value of a college degree, recent findings by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show college enrollment among high school graduates is at its lowest in years.
Just 66.2 percent of high school graduates in 2012 were enrolled in colleges or universities in October - the lowest rate since 2006. The record high was 70.1 percent 2009.
The fall off among black high school graduates was far more dramatic than among whites, Asians and Hispanics. Just 58.2 percent of black youth were enrolled in college, down from 67.5 percent the previous year.
"That's an under-the-radar issue that we need to address and tackle, and those numbers pan out on our campus as well," said King Alexander, president of Cal State Long Beach, who is leaving to take the same post at Louisiana State University in the fall.
The CSU system had the lowest percentage of black students since at least 2003, at just 4.8 percent of the total student body.
Alexander said much remains to be done at the middle and grade school levels as far as preparing students for college. And mentor programs can go a long way toward helping minority students enter college.
They will be competing for spots in a crowded field, officials say.
CSU for a fourth year in a row has seen a record number of applications from new students. The system's 23 campuses seen a rise in applications from freshman students, which ballooned to 173,985 last year from 166,028 in 2011.
CSULB this year was again the most in-demand campus with 55,614 freshman applicants, according to CSU data. But largely due to state budget cuts, the school has had to shut out thousands of students, Alexander said.
The CSU system has seen a reduction of $1.5 billion in state funding since 2007. Proposition 30 - the tax measure passed by voters in November to fund education - will keep more drastic cuts from happening.
Enrollment in the CSU system this fall is expected to remain the same as fall 2012 at roughly 90,000 new students, according to officials.
"When state appropriations go down, access goes down," Alexander said. "On our campus it means about 4,000 students didn't get access. I know first-hand that state appropriations has a lot to do with access to institutions ... we need to build our budgets back up again. "
Freshman applications to UC schools reached a record high for the 2013 school year. More than 174,700 applied, marking a 10.7 percent increase across the nine schools, according to the UC system.
Parents worry about value of college
It isn't just tighter budgets that are keeping potential freshmen away from college. Skyrocketing costs and a crushing debt load after graduation are a key factor. And there's no guarantee of a career once the cap and gown are put away.
The Labor Department in April reported that the unemployment rate for 20-29 year-olds in October 2011 was 12.6 percent for those who had recently graduated from college, remaining above pre-recession rates.
"I was in a hotel last week in Indianapolis, and the guy who parked my car was a college graduate," said Richard Vedder, director of the the Center for College Affordability and Productivity in Washington, D.C. "And then my suitcase was carried up to the room by a college graduate. The benefits of going to college have declined and the costs of going to college have gone up, so the return on investment has turned negative. "
Many parents agree.
A recent poll of parents with children in the fifth through 12th grades reveals an increasing number of moms and dads showing skepticism about the need for college.
Inside Higher Ed and Gallup released a report in March that showed nearly 40 percent of parents strongly disagreeing with the idea that getting a good job is the reason why their child will get an education after high school.
The research showed that parents are more likely to strongly believe that their children can land a good job without college than they are to believe that a liberal arts education will pave the way for viable employment.
Rising tuition costs appear to be turning off more parents. Twenty percent of them said they were unwilling to take on debt for their child's education.
"Parents always want them to go to college," said Doug Homme, an academic pathway advisor at Summit High School in Fontana. "Their dream is to always have a better life (for their kids). They're very in favor of it, but their No. 1 fear is how I am going to pay for it? "
Not all majors lucrative
The frugal attitudes of parents are perfectly rational, said Vedder, who was a visiting professor of economics at Claremont-McKenna College in the early 1980s.
Vedder said as high school kids are pressured by teachers and counselors to go to college, they aren't clearly told what the job market is, or informed about other options that can lead to well-paying jobs without a degree.
And zeal for a field of study may not translate into a great paycheck.
"As the word gets out that you can make more money as a welder than having a degree in sociology, you'll have more welders and less sociologists," Vedder said. "What the hell do those kids do when they graduate? There's no budding market for Asian studies and African studies. There's no budding market for philosophy and history. "
Alexander said he knows Vedder and agrees with him to some extent, but also urged caution.
Programs like geography appeared to be unattractive two decades ago, but have re-emerged as the world looks at highly technical mapping systems and issues such as global warming, he said.
"Richard is right. Some of these fields that may not have been employable, we need to reassess and see if they are now," Alexander said.
Homme said at Summit High School, students are informed as to what their options are. Advisors there typically have students look at their dream school, a backup school and at least one alternative if they can't get into their college of choice.
They also show students what options are available for jobs training through the military.
"Most parents are willing to do it if it's affordable," Homme said.
However, more parents are becoming "suspicious" about the cost of higher education, Alexander said.
"Which is good," he said, adding that CSU has been transparent in the past few years when it comes to what graduates can expect to earn in their chosen fields. "We want them to have this good information. We want them know whether they are making not only good economic choices, but good college choices. "
Degree helps boost salaries
Most recent figures suggest college graduates will see a payoff in time.
The national unemployment rate was 7.5 percent in April, according to Labor Department figures released this month. Those over age 25 with bachelor's degrees fared better, with a seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate of 3.9 percent.
"I think that's a pretty telling number that a college degree is much more valuable (compared) to those that don't have one," said Cyndi Karapogosian, a senior regional vice president of professional staffing for Robert Half International, a firm specializing in job-placement for highly skilled workers.
Employers that are building their companies especially value a college degree, Karapogosian said.
The top three growth industries for college graduates are healthcare, energy and utilities, and financial services, she said. There is also high demand for accounting skills, and employers are particularly looking for those with expertise in Excel spreadsheets.
Other areas of high demand include technology professionals with a development background, and paralegals.
Karapogosian said it's critical for college graduates to have some experience in their field in order to get a leg up on the competition. That means internships and even volunteering go a long way to impress bosses.
"It's pretty important," Karapogosian said. "An individual that just has a college degree and no experience is not going to be viewed as high as somebody who has at least some of that work experience. "
The starting salary of recent college graduates may be on the rise. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, graduates in 2013 will see a 5.3 percent jump in pay over their 2012 counterparts, from $42,666 to $44,928
While some deride the unemployment rate as not reflecting the kind of jobs a college graduate would want - sometimes part-time and low-paying jobs - Alexander said college qualifies a person to get the second, third and fourth jobs in their career.
"College is not being devalued," Alexander said. "It's being increased in its demand and significance. What they fail to understand is the more you educate these students, the more they expand their enlightenment, the greater the likelihood they will will transform us into a new economy. The market is not a stagnant place. "
www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_23219490/college-enrollment-down-experts-cite-low-funding-high