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UC Berkeley Students Protest Fee Hike

Nealeigh Mitchell — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:23:00 -0800

Hundreds of University of California Berkeley students demonstrated against a massive fee increase, a slash in programs and sweeping faculty and staff lay offs.

FastWeb was on campus to bring you the action first hand.

Check Out the Video and Slideshow

UC Berkeley Student Protest Fee Hike

Nealeigh Mitchell — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:42:00 -0800

UC Berkeley students are up in arms over an approved 32 percent tuition increase for all ten campuses in the University of California system.

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The measure will raise yearly fees above $10,000 for the first time in history. Additional costs for books, room, and board could tack on an additional $16,000.

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The UC Board of Regents endorsed the hefty hike by a vote of 10-1.

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Regents claim they reluctantly made the decision to avoid further reductions in course offerings, student services and faculty hiring.

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UC President Mark Yudof recommended the tuition increase to help seal a state budget gap of $535 million. The extra cash is expected to generate more than half a billion dollars.

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UC is also restricting new admissions in an attempt to save money. The President says he's not opposed to raising fees again if the state doesn't lend a hand.

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This latest fee increase is the eighth since 2002.

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The fee jump is expected to hit middle-class students and graduate students the hardest. The university's Blue and Gold program for low-income students will continue to cover these students' tuition fees.

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Many protestors who say they depend on financial aid for a large part of their tuition funding fear the fee hike will deter them from going to the public institution.

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The record-breaking boost in undergraduate and graduate costs will go into effect next Fall.

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Campus police donned riot gear in an attempt to keep rowdy student, faculty and sympathizers in check.

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Dozens of protestors have been arrested on several different campuses over the three-day protesting period.

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Study Abroad? College Students Drop, Rethink Plans

Associated Press/AP Online via Yellowbrix — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:50:00 -0800

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Economic reality and money problems may be cooling the enthusiasm of U.S. college students to study abroad, just two years after students' interest in foreign study was at an all-time high.

Four times as many students went abroad in the 2007-2008 academic year as 20 years ago, according to a survey of 985 schools released this week by the Institute of International Education, a nonprofit advocacy group.

But nearly 60 percent of the schools and study-abroad groups surveyed in early September by The Forum on Education Abroad report decreased enrollment from a year ago, since the global economic crisis.

Brown University in Providence, which typically sends one-third of its junior class abroad, saw a 10 percent drop in such enrollment this fall compared with fall 2008, said Kendall Brostuen, director of the Office of International Programs and an associate dean.

"My sense is over the last year, there's probably been some very important dinner-table discussions about how to best go about using the resources that a family has," Brostuen said.

At Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn., which typically sends more than 60 percent of its students abroad, study abroad enrollment this fall dropped 25 percent from the same time last year, said spokeswoman Amy Phenix.

Enrollment in abroad programs at the University of South Alabama fell dramatically this summer, possibly because students had to use all their financial aid for the regular fall and spring semesters, said Jim Ellis, director of South Alabama's Office of International Education. For the academic year ending in summer 2009, enrollment in abroad programs dropped 50 percent.

"We're seeing an awful lot of students who are very interested in study abroad, but virtually every one of them is asking about funding," he said.

For generations of travel-hungry college students, the semester abroad has become a defining part of undergraduate life, in which students live immersed for months in a new culture and often return fluent in a second language and with an appreciation of life outside the United States.

But the economic decline is causing many students to rethink their plans.

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Liz Weaver, 23, a law student at the University of Texas at Austin, is trying to decide whether to enroll in a London program next fall for more than $21,000 for one semester, including tuition, room and board, compared with about $18,000 for similar expenses at Texas for one semester. Then there's airfare and the higher-interest-rate loans she'd have to rely on to pay for the program, which would saddle her with even more debt.

"You have to wonder, is it really worth it?" she asked.

At many schools, students on abroad programs pay their usual college tuition and are responsible for additional costs, such as airfare and living expenses. At other schools, instead of paying to their college, students pay tuition, room and board directly to the program, which could range from $3,000 to as much as $20,000 for a summer or semester.

A student at a public school, where in-state tuition is as low as a few thousand dollars a semester, may have to scrape up thousands more to attend a program in an expensive city such as London, for example. A student at an expensive private institution might actually save by going overseas, particularly to an inexpensive country.

The Forum on Education Abroad said 69 percent of its public institutions surveyed had seen drops in abroad enrollment, compared with 49 percent of private institutions.

Mark Lenhart, director of CET Academic Programs, a study abroad program that sends 1,000 students internationally every year, including 500 to China, said his programs often seem like a bargain to students who attend private colleges. He said he's seen just a marginal drop in enrollment, possibly because programs to China tend be more affordable.

David Lerner, a freshman at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says the potential debt is what's keeping him from going abroad. If he had gone to a less expensive state school, he might consider it.

"I knew if I came here, it was probably not an option," Lerner said.

John Regnery, 19, a sophomore Japanese major at Texas, has been dreaming of a six-week intensive language program in Japan. He's one-quarter Japanese and has always wanted to go there.

"I have showed my mom the cost and, of course, airfare. She recognizes that it's going to be over $10,000 and it's like, 'Oh my goodness,'" he said. "Is it worth this amount of money? Worth my parents possibly having to draw out loans?"

Not every school has seen recent drops in abroad enrollments, however, and some administrators believe their dips are temporary. At Brown and Macalester, for example, officials say interest is strong for spring programs; Brostuen said that may indicate people feel the economy may be turning the corner.

Student Group Blocks Regents Who Approved Student Fee Increases from Leaving Building

Associated Press/AP Online via Yellowbrix — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:43:00 -0800

NOV. 19-- LOS ANGELES - Some University of California regents who approved a student fee increase are trapped inside a UCLA building as protesters block the exits.

The demonstrators are being confronted Thursday by lines of baton-wielding campus police, California Highway Patrol officers and metal barriers.

University spokesman Phil Hampton says chains of demonstrators have linked arms to block the exits. One person inside the building says the regents have been held there for two hours. It is unclear how many remain inside.

Hampton says he can't confirm any injuries, although television footage shows one person was treated after being sprayed by an unknown substance.

Hundreds of protesters have marched at the campus for the past two days to oppose $2,500 in undergrad fee hikes through fall of next year.

THIS WAS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP's earlier story is below.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) - The governing board of the University of California approved a $2,500 student fee increase Thursday after two days of tense campus protests across the state.

The 32 percent increase will push the cost of an undergraduate education at California's premier public schools to over $10,000 a year by next fall, about triple the cost of a decade ago. The fees, the equivalent of tuition, do not include the cost of housing, board and books.

The vote by the Board of Regents in a windowless University of California, Los Angeles, meeting room took place as the drone of protesters could be heard from a plaza outside.

For a second day the room was closed to visitors, after the meeting was repeatedly disrupted by demonstrators' outbursts.

Hundreds of students and union members gathered at the arched doorways of the building, waving signs, pounding drums and chanting "We're fired up, can't take it no more" and "Shame on you."

Armed police in riot gear lined up behind steel barricades, watching over scores of protests. Some police carried beanbag-firing shotguns. Authorities said there was one arrest.

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Board members pointed out that students from households with incomes below $70,000 would be shielded from the fee increase, and financial aid would help others defray the higher cost. But that did little to ease the mood on campus, where some students wondered if they could afford the jump or qualify for more borrowing.

Ayanna Moody, a second-year prelaw student, said she feared she might have to attend a community college next year.

"I worked so hard to be at one of the most prestigious universities. To have to go back, it's very depressing," she said. Administrators "already cut out a lot of our majors and programs. I'd rather they cut some of their salaries."

UCLA graduate student Matthew Luckett agreed: "They should cut from the top," he said, referring to administration salaries.

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About 30 to 50 protesters staged a takeover of Campbell Hall, a building across campus that houses ethnic studies. They chained the doors shut and there were no immediate plans to remove them.

On Wednesday, 14 demonstrators were arrested at UCLA and demonstrations spread to other campuses.

UC President Mark Yudof told reporters Wednesday he couldn't rule out raising student fees again if the state is unable to meet his request for an additional $913 million next year for the 10-campus system.

"I can't make any ... promises," he said.

Foundation Gives Historically Black Colleges Money to Boost Fundraising

The State (Columbia, S.C.) via Yellowbrix — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:34:00 -0800

The presidents of six colleges and universities in South Carolina met Thursday morning with the chief executive officer of a private foundation that has given at least $2 million to a pair of historically black colleges and universities in this state.

Rip Rapson, president and chief executive officer of the Troy, Mich.-based Kresge Foundation, met with students and toured the campus of Benedict College, which, like Claflin University, has received a $1 million grant to boost its fundraising capability.

"This is a great shot in the arm," Love Collins, Benedict's executive vice president for institutional advancement said of the grant.

Kresge, which gave organizations $206 million in 2008, has teamed with the United Negro College Fund to enhance the fundraising efforts of historically black colleges and universities across the country.

Claflin got a $1 million grant last year. Benedict got the first payment of what will be at least $1 million in Kresge-UNCF funding in July, Collins said.

Benedict is to get $300,000 over the first two years of what is expected to be a broad, five-year effort to expand its fundraising system.

In year three, the school will receive $400,000.

Collins said the school could receive an additional $250,000 in each of the next two years if program development plans go well.

Benedict will use the money to hire fundraising staff, expand advertising and improve its computerized donor tracking system, Collins said.

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"We want to be able to raise money as the majority institutions do," Collins said.

Rapson said historically black colleges and universities serve an important role in higher education.

"The uniqueness of HBCUs is in serving kids who have not traditionally had the same opportunities as other kids," he said.

Cleveland Sellers, president of Voorhees College, was one of the college presidents who attended the breakfast with Rapson.

He said historically black colleges and universities often have struggled to secure private giving.

"We have to find more and more resources to have the kind of faculty and research and programs that will help our students become good students and successful citizens," he said.

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To see more of The State, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.thestate.com.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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University of California Regents Approve 32 Percent Student Fee Increase

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD, Associated Press via Yellowbrix — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:57:00 -0800

University of California students will get a much larger tuition bill next year.

The Board of Regents on Thursday approved a 32 percent increase in undergraduate student fees, despite protests by hundreds of demonstrators outside the regents' meeting at UCLA.

By next fall, undergraduate fees will be boosted by $2,500, sending the average annual education cost at a UC campus to more than $10,000.

Regents say they had to raise fees because the cash-strapped state government can't meet the university's funding needs.

The decision came as hundreds of students chanted and marched outside the meeting hall to protest the measure. Some students also took over another UCLA building and chained the doors shut.

Police in riot gear kept an eye on the protesters.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Officers armed with beanbag guns stood by as hundreds of protesters chanted, marched and even took over a building Thursday on the UCLA campus, where University of California regents were scheduled to vote on a 32 percent student fee increase.

The UC Board of Regents is considering boosting undergraduate fees - the equivalent of tuition - by $2,500 next year. The average annual fee for a full-time undergraduate would jump to about $10,300 - three times the cost only a decade ago.

For a second day, the proposal drew demonstrators to the University of California, Los Angeles. Some came from other UC campuses and stayed overnight in a tent city.

The demonstrators outside UCLA's Covel Commons building chanted, beat drums and waved signs urging "No fee hikes" and "Wanted: Leadership."

One student was arrested for obstructing an officer. She was cited and released, said UCLA spokesman Phil Hampton.

Campus police in helmets with face shields stood guard outside the conference building. The campus was also being monitored by police from several UC campuses and more than a dozen California Highway Patrol officers armed with beanbag-tossing shotguns.

Laura Zavala, 20, a third-year UCLA student, said she may have to get a second job to afford the increase.

"My family can't support me. I have to pay myself," she said. "It's not fair to students, when they are already pinched."

Ayanna Moody, a second-year pre-law student, said she might have to return to community college next year.

"I worked so hard to be at one of the most prestigious universities. To have to go back, it's very depressing," she said.

"I think it's outrageous," she said of the fee increase. "They've already cut out a lot of our majors and programs. I'd rather they cut some of their (administrator) salaries."

About 30 to 50 protesters staged a takeover of Campbell Hall, a building across campus that houses ethnic studies, Hampton said.

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They chained the doors shut but were peaceful and there were no immediate plans to remove them, Hampton said.

No arrests had been made, although 14 demonstrators were arrested on Wednesday and cited for failure to disperse or disturbing the peace.

Demonstrations also were held at other UC campuses.

"I can't make any ... promises," he said.

After a series of deep cuts in state aid, and with state government facing a nearly $21 billion budget gap over the next year and a half, Board of Regents members said there was no option to higher fees.

"When you have no choice, you have no choice," Yudof said after a Regents' committee endorsed the fee plan Wednesday. "I'm sorry."

The Los Angeles meeting was repeatedly interrupted by outbursts from students and union members, who accused the board of turning its back on the next generation.

"We are bailing out the banks, we are bailing out Wall Street. Where is the bailout for public education?" asked UCLA graduate student Sonja Diaz.

University of California, Irvine, economics student Sarah Bana told the board,

"You are jeopardizing California's future."

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Associated Press Writer Marcus Wohlsen in Berkeley, Calif., contributed to this report

Fall College Enrollment Sets Record in Maryland

Associated Press — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:09:00 -0800

ANNAPOLIS, MD. (AP) - Education officials say fall enrollment undergraduate and graduate students at colleges and universities set a record with an increase of more than five percent.

The Maryland Higher Education Commission says in a report released Wednesday that the gain of 17,641 students puts the total number of students at 354,858.

Fifteen of Maryland's 16 community colleges had overall enrollment gains. The exception was Allegany College of Maryland.

Enrollment at the University System of Maryland increased by 3 percent and at Morgan State University, 3.2 percent.

Op-Ed: A Flawed Case for Law School

Boston Herald via Yellowbrix — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:50:00 -0800

It is unfortunate that the University of Massachusetts is again the focus of criticism and public embarrassment due to a proposal that stinks of political motives, a proposal that we as trustees cannot understand or justify.

The university faces numerous obstacles in potentially seeking to acquire an unaccredited institution, Southern New England School of Law. First, the state is in a financial crisis and higher education is experiencing significant declines in state aid to community colleges, state colleges and the five campuses that comprise the university system.

The university's infrastructure is aged and decrepit. Many buildings, such as those in Boston and Dartmouth, are unsuited to teaching and need to be replaced, shored up or renovated at great cost. Our responsibility and focus should be on properly educating students in appropriate structures, not on expansion that will divert resources and delay or rule out addressing that responsibility.

Secondly, the alumni of the state's university system are indifferent when it comes to supporting their university and joining their alumni association. Membership is a mere 3 percent, and our endowment - although growing - pales in comparison to other states. Trustees and university officials have worked together over the past few years to adopt the best practices for cultivating alumni participation and a culture of philanthropy. But we have a long way to go to make progress on this most urgent priority - progress that requires more time and attention, not less.

The law school proposal is an unwelcome distraction from this effort. Alumni support and enthusiasm ultimately stems from a passionate feeling about the character and quality of the institution such as that of Penn State or the University of Michigan, where alumni involvement and endowments are the lifeblood of their character and success.

Even with one of the country's finest medical schools and research facilities, as well as the flagship campus in Amherst, UMass must still compete with more than 4,000 colleges and universities for students, faculty, resources and recognition. Modern facilities, smaller classes with more student-faculty contact, and greater attention to research and programs that promote excellence in our university will make us more competitive. Our limited resources should be devoted to maintaining and improving our system as presently constituted.

If the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute were to approach the university with a proposal to become a part of the system, we would have to seriously consider the acquisition of an institution that brings a history of excellence and real value. On the contrary, the proposed merger with a troubled, unaccredited law school will pose significant financial challenges to the whole system and prove to be an embarrassment to our UMass brand.

It will further alienate the public and alumni, given the political nature and motivation of the merger. Make no mistake, higher education in Massachusetts is in crisis. We, as trustees, are shaping a future. We cannot burden the university and future generations with acquisitions based on political backroom deals forced upon us.

As Ronald Reagan once said: "Balancing the budget is like protecting your virtue. You just have to say `no.' "

Now is that time.

Richard J. Lawton and Kenneth A. MacAfee II are trustees of the University of Massachusetts.

Originally published by By RICHARD J. LAWTON and KENNETH A. MacAFEE II.

One-Third of College Freshmen Consider Transferring to Another School

Business Wire via Yellowbrix — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:29:00 -0800

A survey of 800 college freshman representing schools nationwide found that 33 percent of students have thought about transferring to another college and 36 percent believe that there is a better college out there for them. The survey was sponsored by WiseChoice (www.wisechoice.com), a new online advocate that uses proprietary matching technology to pair students with colleges that meet their academic, personal, financial and lifestyle needs and that aims to lower freshman transfer rates by helping students -- and parents -- find the perfect college and a rewarding experience the first time around.

"Based on our survey results, it appears that many high school seniors need to do additional homework when it comes to choosing their college," said WiseChoice President Richard Taylor. "WiseChoice helps match students with schools that meet their learning style, budget, personality, preferences and interests -- a process which we believe can help lower transfer rates. Our ultimate goal is the same for every student: to place them in a school where they will thrive."

Launched in October, WiseChoice is the most comprehensive online college guidance solution currently available and features expert advice, scholarship information, personalized financial aid scenarios, school statistics, academic outlook and reviews by more than 85,000 surveyed college students. By matching students with the right college options across all facets, WiseChoice aims to leave both students and parents with as little debt as possible at graduation.

According to the survey, among the reasons that freshmen cite for wanting to transfer are:

Not the right setting (too rural or too urban)
Having nothing in common with fellow students
College does not offer the major of their choice
College environment is not to their liking (too much partying, immature student body, etc.)
Little community involvement
Lack of campus and student diversity
Hard to adjust to new culture and dynamics
Unhelpful or inaccessible faculty
Inability to make friends

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"Most of these situations could have been prevented if students did more research upfront," said Taylor. "WiseChoice offers detailed and niche information on all four-year, residential, accredited colleges in the country, allowing students to explore all aspects of college life before they make the final decision." Taylor notes that, according to ACT, Inc., the percentage of U.S. college freshman returning for a second year is 66%, the lowest level since data gathering began in 1983.

Unlike other college search and selection sites that offer limited resources, WiseChoice helps parents and students figure out how to pay for college, identify scholarships and financial aid, and develop a payment plan. WiseChoice can even calculate the true overall cost of college -- including tuition, room and board, fees, travel, personal expenses, books, etc. -- before students even apply to schools to better prepare them for the four-year investment and to avoid any unwelcome surprises when making that first school payment.

Other features of WiseChoice include:

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WiseChoice Matching: A patent-pending, individual analysis that matches a student's academic abilities, learning style, goals, financial requirements, social preferences, geographic desire, interests, personality and lifestyle with a selection of colleges that are the best fit for them. WiseChoice's matching process puts the student and parent in control by focusing on colleges that meet their requirements. Each analysis supplies up to 32 "best-fit schools" per student.

Odds of Getting In: Users can see how compatible a school is to the student, including the likelihood of being accepted (target, reach, safety) and a percentage showing how the school matches the student's preferences.

Extensive Database: WiseChoice gives students and parents access to options they may never have considered -- or even known about

-- with information on accredited, four-year, residential schools in the U.S. that are attended by 99% of all incoming freshmen.

WiseChoice, which follows a "pay what you want, pay what you can" business model, is headquartered in Alexandria, VA. For more information, please visit www.WiseChoice.com.

Working With Your Schedule - There Are Many Creative Ways to Get Your Masters Degree

The New York Post via Yellowbrix — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:15:00 -0800

WITH an influx of brand new students each year, and in our still volatile economic climate, today's business schools must keep up with the career path needs of today's MBA candidates.

"Some of the trends we're seeing are MBA specializations in entrepreneurship, sustainability and globalization," says Rob Franek, vice president and publisher of The Princeton Review, an education services company. "Accelerated class time and flexible schedules for working students are additional ways schools are accommodating graduate students," added Franek.

For example, a new early bird special has come to town - the first of its kind in New York City - with Adelphi University's MBA program. Launched last spring at the Manhattan Center on Varick Street, degree candidates attend weekly classes from 7 a.m. until 8.50 a.m. It's tough for commuters to use their main Garden City, L.I. campus, so the school came up with an innovative way help students with a limited interruption of their workday by adding the central location.

Classes meet once a week and programming content is the same as that offered on their main campus. For the past decade, students have taken advantage of similarly flexible MBA programming at CUNY Baruch College's Zicklin School of Business.

Through the school's accelerated, part-time MBA program, about 100 students who are also working professionals pursue their MBA, which takes 28 months to complete. Two nights each week and Saturdays, MBA candidates take a core group of foundation courses, including accounting, marketing and organizational behavior.

To succeed at the intense curriculum, the school offers advisors, said executive director of graduate programs for Zicklin, Frank Fletcher. "Time management is key. We have a dedicated, advising staff that works with these students and we offer workshops on such skills. You need to prioritize well to succeed in this program." Zicklin's Flex Time MBA enrolls about 1,500 students each term.

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Typically, the degree is completed in 3 to 4 years.

"A diverse profile of student pursues their MBA this way," said Fletcher. "There are career changers and working professionals who desire maximum flexibility. Courses are offered late afternoons, evenings and Saturdays."

If you're unsure that textbooks and case studies will prepare you for today's global business world, consider taking an MBA abroad. At St. John's University's Peter J. Tobin College of Business, about 40 students pursue their MBA at the school's Rome, Italy campus at any one time, according to associate dean for global initiatives and professor of management, Linda Sama.

"Over 10 years ago, we recognized the importance of global education. With our ties to the Vatican, Rome was a good location for us," said Sama.

Instruction is given by professors from St. John's New York campus as well as professors from Rome. Three majors are offered - international business, finance and marketing management. Some graduates have remained in Rome to pursue job opportunities.

"Two women are there at Ernst and Young in high positions. One student joined Bulgari there. Another, who is Italian, now manages the Sienna Soccer Club," reported Sama. Throughout the program, travel in Europe is woven in. "We might head to Naples to study operations management in shipping, or the European Union in Brussels, or a finance trip to London," explained Sama.

For many students, the experience abroad really broadens their horizons.

Said Sama: "With the opportunity to live in another culture and do business there, it's very enlightening. The feedback has been very positive." C

ONTACTS Adelphi University 516-877-4673 adelphi.edu CUNY Baruch Colleges Zicklin School of Business 646-312-1000 zicklin.baruch.cuny.edu St. Johns Universitys Peter J. Tobin College of Business 718-990-2000 stjohns.edu/tobin

Originally published by Erika Prafder.

Early college students serious about school

The Wilson Daily Times via Yellowbrix — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:06:00 -0800

Rayven Anderson has fallen in love with high school.

"I'm really serious about my education," she told the Wilson Community College Board of Trustees Monday afternoon.

Rayven was one of three freshmen from the Wilson Early College Academy, which is housed on the college's campus, to talk with the trustees about her high school experience thus far. Rayven is a high school freshman and a college freshman. When she graduates, Rayven will have a high school diploma and an associate degree. She's taking the college courses for free.

The academy, a joint project between the college and Wilson County Schools, has 49 students enrolled at this time. The academy, which is in its first year, lost one student to Fike High School.

Rayven likes how her peers are focused on learning and teachers don't have to stop classes to handle discipline problems. Rayven also the maturity level of the students and how they have all come together like a family.

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"There will be great scholars who come out of the program," Rayven predicted.

Robin Edmundson, the academy's principal, reviewed with the trustees how the 50 freshmen were selected and the demographics of the group. Edmundson said they looked for students who would be the first in their families to go to college and for low-income students. Selection was also based on interviews, essays, End-of-Grade test scores from seventh grade, report cards from eighth grade and discipline reports. Edmundson stressed the selection committee didn't go out looking for "A" students. Instead, they wanted to find students who need additional help and encouragement to be successful.

Out of the 49 students, 33 are girls, 16 are boys. Sixty-one percent of the students qualify for free and/or reduced lunch and 88 percent are first generation college students.

Edmundson said two of the three teachers have their National Board Certification, and the staff participates in professional development on how to teach these children differently. For example, 80 percent of the instruction is done by the students, and 20 percent is done by the teachers, according to Edmundson.

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Trustees raised questions about student performance, parent involvement, graduation standards, attendance and the school's schedule among other things.

Students must meet the same graduation standards as students in traditional high schools. They must pass all of the required state tests and must meet all of the requirements to pass the college-level courses.

Edmundson said during the first six weeks of school, 71 percent of her students made B's or higher. During the second six weeks of school, more than 50 percent of students made B's or higher. Attendance during the first six weeks of school was above 97 percent.

The students have already taken two visits to college campuses. Seven visits are scheduled this year.

Edmundson said parents are always calling or stopping by to check on their child's progress. She sends a weekly telephone message to parents to keep them updated on things happening at school.

Edmundson also pointed out how the students are getting involved in activities on the community college campus. They attended the jazz festival and participated in spirit week activities, for example.

Fifty students will be added to the academy each year. The project is funded through a five-year grant.

Brenda Soberano never thought she's say it, but she loves her school schedule. She likes the later classes and appreciates how the teachers and guidance counselor are interested in her progress.

Soberano also said she likes the positive influence and encouragement and the inclusiveness at the school. In middle school, Soberano recalled, students were more separated by race.

creech@wilsontimes.com -- 265-7822

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To see more of The Wilson Daily Times or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.wilsondaily.com/.

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Degrees Boost Cities' Economies, Group Says

The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio via Yellowbrix — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:58:00 -0800

It seems college degrees really do pay off, not just for the graduates but also for the cities in which they live, work and pay taxes.

The Columbus economy would gain about $1.3 billion annually if it could increase the number of adult residents with four-year college degrees by 1 percentage point, to 33.5 percent, according to a study by CEOs for Cities.

"Their numbers aren't a surprise for us," said Ty Marsh, the Columbus Chamber's CEO. "We have believed for a long time that the key to economic development is to attract talented people and retain talented people -- and that's college graduates."

CEOs for Cities, a national group promoting the development of urban centers, will hold a meeting this morning for local leaders. The event is part of the group's Talent Dividend Tour of about 30 American cities.

"You have to look at the system of education as an economic-development system," said Carol Coletta, who leads CEOs for Cities.

And this means not only getting students through high school and into college, but getting college dropouts to finish their degrees.

"There are 293,000 people in Columbus walking around with some college credit, but they did not graduate," Coletta said.

Overall, the CEOs for Cities study found that 32.5 percent of Columbus residents 25 or older have a four-year college degree, ranking it 17th nationally among the 51 largest metropolitan areas.

Washington led the way at about 46 percent.

An increase of one percentage point in four-year-college graduates in Columbus translates into about 11,300 people, Coletta said.

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"Columbus is doing well, but it's not as important where you start as where you finish," she said.

People with degrees earn more and are less likely to be unemployed during a recession, Coletta said.

"We've always had a higher number of college graduates than our peer cities, particularly in Ohio," Marsh said. "But we have to take this seriously, and we have to stay ahead of the curve on this."

The chamber has introduced several programs in the past few years to retain and attract young professionals to the area. One effort, its online internship program, has about 6,000 college students and 550 employers registered. Its goal is to link students with local internships, with the hope that many lead to full-time jobs.

"We have the assets," Marsh said. "We have 20 institutions of higher learning with an enrollment of over 120,000 students."

Increasing the number of college graduates in the work force is also a goal for Mayor Michael B. Coleman.

"This is not just an education issue, it's also an economic-development issue," he said. "If we want the kinds of jobs that will provide our citizens with security and stability for the future, we must focus on growing our pool of talent."

swartenberg@dispatch.com

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To see more of The Columbus Dispatch, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.columbusdispatch.com.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Are You The Next Marriott Scholar? ; 2010 Application Season Starts Today; $500,000 Awarded Annually to Support Diverse Students Pursuing Hospitality Careers

PRNewswire via Yellowbrix — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:33:00 -0800

The Hispanic College Fund (HCF) and UNCF - the United Negro College Fund are accepting applications today through Feb. 16, 2010 for the Marriott Scholars Program for the 2010-2011 school year. Eligible students can apply for renewable scholarships of up to $9,000 annually in tuition support for up to four years.

"We're excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for the Marriott Scholars," said J.W. "Bill" Marriott, Jr., chairman and CEO of Marriott International, Inc. "My parents were committed to building and investing in the lives of our young people and future leaders. The Marriott Scholars program supports their vision and encourages students to explore the many career options within our industry."

In 2007 in partnership with HCF and UNCF, the Marriott Foundation launched the Marriott Scholars program, which awards grants totaling up to $500,000 annually to students pursuing degrees in the areas of hospitality management, hotel management, culinary and food and beverage.

"The Marriott Foundation's investment in these young men and women will both help them prepare for careers in the fast-growing hospitality industry and produce the college-educated professionals that the industry needs to grow and to contribute to the communities it serves," said Michael L. Lomax, Ph.D., president and CEO of UNCF. "UNCF salutes the Marriott Foundation for their generosity and their forward-looking commitment to education and prosperity."

"We are thrilled to have Marriott as a partner in our scholarship program for the fifth year in a row," said Idalia Fernandez, president of the Hispanic College Fund. "Their continued support of our programs truly demonstrates Marriott's 'spirit to serve.' Thanks to these scholarships, this year, dozens of young Latinos will grow one step closer to the hospitality career of their dreams!"

Applicants interested in applying for the Marriott Scholars program must meet the following eligibility requirements. Candidates must be:

a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States
enrolled full-time in an accredited four-year college or university with a hospitality management program as an incoming college freshman, first year freshman or community college transfer;
pursuing or planning to pursue a degree within the hospitality management, hotel management, culinary or food and beverage field; and
possess a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale.

As a part of the program, Marriott International managers and executives from the hotels and corporate offices will provide career guidance, mentoring, development and internship opportunities to scholarship recipients.

Congratulations to the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Scholars:

Sherika Anthony, Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD
Semone Barnes, Howard University in Washington, D.C.

-- Eldridge Betts, The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY
Tomaso DeNiro, Cornell University in Ithaca, NY
Maria Edwards, University of Delaware in Newark, DE
Erica Ellis, Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI
Frank Fleming, James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA
Jamar Fletcher, University of Houston in Houston, Texas
Yonseili Flores, New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM
Jose Frayre, The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY
Christopher Garcia, San Diego State University in San Diego, CA
Jeffrey Gonzalez, San Diego State University in San Diego, CA

-- Lauren Goodrich, Penn State University in University Park, PA
Edward Lee, Delaware State University in Dover, DE
John Loredo, Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX
Brayan Melo, SUNY College at Buffalo in Buffalo, NY
Ariana Miller, University of Houston in Houston, TX
Cynthia Mondragon, New Mexico State University in Dona Ana, NM
Julia Nelson, Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, LA
Adunni Ogunlanoh, Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI
Ruben Ortega, Jr., Cornell University in Ithaca, NY
Evelyn Richardson, Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, AL
Kevin Rivera, New York University in New York, NY
Alyssa Rodriguez, The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY
Denise Rutherford, Purdue University in Purdue, Ind.
Pamela Salva, Penn State University in University Park, PA
Chloe Sena, Cal State Polytechnic University in Pomona, CA
Tyrus Sanders, New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM
Jocelyn Taylor, Johnson & Wales University in North Miami, FL

Those interested can apply online at www.uncf.org/forstudents/ scholarship.asp or www.hispanicfund.org.

About the UNCF

UNCF -- the United Negro College Fund -- is the nation's largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students' education and development through scholarships and other programs, strengthens its 39 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 18 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 900 colleges and universities across the country. UNCF's Institute for Capacity Building (ICB) strengthens the overall capacity of its 39 member private HBCUs by focusing on six programmatic areas: enrollment and retention, fundraising, academic programming and faculty development, financial management, executive leadership and governance and campus facilities. Learn more at www.UNCF.org

About the HCF

Founded in 1993, the Hispanic College Fund is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., with a mission to develop the next generation of Hispanic professionals. For 15 years, the Hispanic College Fund has provided educational, scholarship, and mentoring programs to students throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, establishing a career pipeline of talented and career- driven Hispanics who are trained in the fields of business, science, technology, engineering and math. The Hispanic College Fund has an annual budget of $6 million with 20 full-time employees. In 2006, the Hispanic College Fund received the Brillante award for "Nonprofit of the Year" from the National Society of Hispanic MBAs, and in 2007 was recognized by USA Today as one of the nation's top 25 charities. In 2009, the organization was honored with Charity Navigator's highest rating for non-profit management and financial responsibility. For more information, please visit: www.hispanicfund.org

About the Marriott Foundation

The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation was established in 1965 with the purpose of giving back to the community. Under the current direction of J.W. Marriott, Jr. and Richard E. Marriott, the Marriott Foundation is dedicated to helping youth secure a promising future, especially through education on the secondary and higher education levels, mentoring and youth leadership programs. Equally important are organizations that help provide relief from hunger and disasters; support people with disabilities; and create gainful employment opportunities for vulnerable youth and adults.

SOURCE Marriott Foundation

Originally published by Marriott Foundation.

Job Prospects Drawing Students to Agricultural Schools

Associated Press/AP Online via Yellowbrix — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:25:00 -0800

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Tristesse Jones will probably never drive a tractor or guide a combine through rows of soybeans at harvest time.

There isn't a farm within miles of where she grew up on Chicago's west side, but she's set to graduate with a bachelor's degree in crop sciences from the University of Illinois' agriculture school next spring.

"People ask me what is my major, and they say 'What is that? So you want to grow plants?'" Jones said.

She is one of a growing number of students being drawn to ag schools around the country not by ties to a farm but by science, the job prospects for those who are good at it and, for some, an interest in the environment.

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Enrollment in bachelor's degree programs in agriculture across the country grew by 21.8 percent from 2005 to 2008, from about 58,300 students to nearly 71,000, according to surveys conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And the numbers are likely higher - not all schools respond to the surveys.

National enrollment figures for 2009 aren't yet available, but numbers from major schools make clear the trend continues: The University of California-Davis has more than 5,490 students enrolled in agricultural majors - a jump of 210 from a year earlier. Purdue University has 2,575 ag students this fall, up 40 from last year.

Yet the number of farms nationwide has dropped for decades. There were about 2.4 million farms in the United States in 1978, and 2.2 million last year, according to the USDA.

Many students are choosing to major in agriculture, educators from across the country say, after finding out that much of what they'll learn is science - biology, chemistry and a long list of more specialized areas that can land them jobs at companies that produce the seeds and chemicals for farmers or in still-forming industries like biofuels.

Almost a quarter of the incoming freshmen at the University of Wisconsin each year say they want to do "something in biology," said Bob Ray, associate dean for undergraduate programs and services.

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Agriculture schools are doing their best to reach out to such students.

Texas A&M University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has several full-time recruiters on the road talking to high school students. It also uses its Web site, YouTube and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to reach prospective students. A lot of the messages boil down to job prospects.

"Every one of our poultry science graduates, they average about five job offers per graduate," college spokesman Bill Gibbs said.

Demand for science graduates, agriculture industry officials say, outstrips supply.

Monsanto, the St. Louis agribusiness giant that makes seeds, pesticides and an array of other farm products, can't hire enough.

"We find it really hard to find people in science, in particular, because they tend to get snatched up by medical and health care-related things," said Monsanto spokesman Darren Wallis, adding that it has openings for 100 researchers in St. Louis.

UC-Davis' College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is one of the country's biggest ag schools and still has plenty of students studying in traditional areas, said Diane Ullman, the college's associate dean for undergraduate academic programs.

But more than 3,200 of UC-Davis' ag students - almost 60 percent - are studying so-called human sciences, such as nutrition, or environmental sciences, such as environmental policy and landscape architecture.

"I think that young people are recognizing all of the issues that surround our society that have to do with food, and I think there's a real interest in new ways of doing things and solving some of these problems," Ullman said.

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Kate Molak is one of the students Ullman is talking about.

Molak is from Portola Valley, a suburb of San Jose, and plans to graduate in June with a bachelor's degree in community regional development. She wants to work in public health.

"I wouldn't say that agriculture necessarily has anything to do with that, but we do deal with a lot of environmental issues with public health," she said.

At Illinois, Jones said she wound up in the ag department after her high school pompon coach - who happened to be a biology teacher - steered her toward a summer science program at the university.

"I always liked to pick apart worms - I thought I was a weirdo," Jones said

Now she's applying to graduate programs and hoping she'll eventually be a research professor, maybe working on how to grow a better soybean.

"I love doing research," she said. "Just having that hands-on experience, and being able to see the product, even if it takes years to see it."

Study Suggests Students May Drink, Have Sex More if in Coed Dorms

USA TODAY via Yellowbrix — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:20:00 -0800

In the past 30 years, coed college dormitories have gone from rare to routine, with nearly all students who live on campus now sharing housing with members of the opposite sex.

But a study out today suggests that the shift may have had unintended results.

It finds that students in coed dorms are far more likely than those in single-sex dorms to drink alcohol regularly -- and nearly 2 1/2 times as likely to drink to excess on a weekly basis.

More than 90% of college dorms today house both sexes, generally separated by floors or building wings, say the study's authors -- yet very little research has accompanied the change.

The new findings, they say, suggest that colleges searching for ways to reduce binge drinking and other entrenched behaviors may consider whether the social pressures of coed housing are making matters worse.

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The study, appearing today in the Journal of American College Health, surveyed 510 students living on five college campuses. Most -- 442, or 87% -- lived in coed dorms.

These students were more likely to say they'd had a sexual partner in the past year and more likely to think it's all right "for two people to get together for sex and not necessarily expect anything further," the study says.

They were also more likely to say they drink alcohol at least weekly and far more likely to say they drink excessively on a regular basis -- 41.5% reported weekly binge drinking. Among students in single-sex housing, the figure was 17.6%.

The new numbers echo previous research, which has put the binge-drinking problem at about 40% of students nationwide. Since 1993, a longitudinal study by the Harvard School of Public Health has consistently found that about 44% of students at four-year colleges in the USA are binge drinkers.

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But the new findings on housing and heavy drinking "really caught us off-guard," says study co-author Brian Willoughby, who says the coed dorm students' responses represent "a difference that I think needs to be looked at in greater depth."

Willoughby, who conducted the research while at the University of Minnesota-St. Paul, now teaches at Brigham Young University in Salt Lake City, as does co-author Jason Carroll.

Some experts aren't impressed by the findings, though.

"Given the choice, only certain types of students would consider living in a coed residence hall, and the fact that they might be more 'libertine' than other students is hardly surprising," says William DeJong, a professor at Boston University School of Public Health.

"The authors want to suggest that (living in a coed dorm) leads to high-risk behavior, but that conclusion goes beyond their data, which only shows a correlation with choice of residence hall.

"What we can say is that college administrators and parents might want to pay extra attention to students who choose this living option, because they are in fact at higher risk than others."

But Willoughby says his analysis controlled for "potential selection effects" and found that virtually none of the students chose to live in a single-sex dorm; colleges simply placed them there.

Get into College: Advice to Prospective Students

McClatchy/Tribune via Yellowbrix — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:17:00 -0800

Applying for college? Here's some advice for prospective students from the book "Get Into College" (Hundreds of Heads Books, www.hundredsofheads.com, $17.95), straight from people who've done it:

WHAT IS THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU CAN OFFER A PROSPECTIVE STUDENT?

"Before you start looking at colleges, take time to reflect on who you are as an individual, and what you want to get out of your college experience. Then you can begin to search for colleges that might fit your particular needs. Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions, visit the campus, and go with your gut!" --Tony Bankston, Dean of Admissions, Illinois Wesleyan University

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"Two pieces of advice: Read. Act. Well-read students seem to have more active, flexible, creative minds. They put the pieces together. They see contradictions. They're great to have in class. And students who do things, who take their real interests and turn them into action, who follow through on their commitments, who are willing to explore something in depth, those are the students who make for a vibrant, exciting, and fun college community." --Christoph Guttentag, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, Duke University

"If you are going to do something, do it well. Be yourself and have some fun with this process. It's an exciting time in your lives and an opportunity to show off all you've accomplished and achieved in a thoughtful and concise manner." --Jean Jordan, Dean of Admission, Emory University

Hundreds of Heads Books' survival guides offer the wisdom of the masses by assembling the experiences and advice of hundreds of people who have gone through life's biggest challenges and have insight to share. Visit www.hundredsofheads.com to share your advice or get more information.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Students Get Plugged in at Two-Year Schools

USA TODAY via Yellowbrix — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:13:00 -0800

Social-networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter can help community college students become more engaged in their academics, a report out today finds.

But while large numbers of students say they use such tools in their daily lives, many two-year colleges have yet to mine the potential of the technology.

"The uses of social-networking tools are clearly growing in frequency," says Kay McClenney, director of the Texas-based Center for Community College Student Engagement, which released the report. But "colleges are not taking advantage of that particular set of tools for making connections with students to the extent that they could."

The report is based on a survey of more than 400,000 students from 663 institutions that assesses how much effort students invest in their studies, whether they interact with faculty and staff, and whether they are challenged by their academics. Studies show that the more engaged students are in such activities and relationships, the more likely they are to learn.

The survey found higher levels of engagement among students who said they used social media multiple times a day for academic purposes, such as communicating with other students, instructors or college staff about coursework, than students who said they don't use such tools at all.

It also revealed a potential downside for colleges that don't harness the technology: Students who frequently used social-networking tools but not for academic reasons tended to put less effort into their schoolwork.

Among details:

*95% of students ages 18 to 24 use social-networking tools, including instant messages and texting, 64% multiple times a day. Yet just 18% do so for schoolwork, and 27% never do. Just 5% never use social networks.

*Among older students, 68% used social networking, 41% multiple times a day. But just 10% do so for school; 49% never used social networking for school.

The report stops short of suggesting that social networking is the key to engaging all students, but it urges colleges to "find the right match."

Social networking seems a natural for Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas, based in rural Helena.

"We're always fighting the tendency of students to go from the parking lot to the classroom and back to the parking lot and into their jobs and homes and their other life," says chancellor Steven Murray. "A lot of our students do not have computers at home, broadband Internet access, but they all have cellphones with the capacity to text, and ... access Twitter and Facebook." (c) Copyright 2009 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

College Graduates Build Resumes as Interns

Messenger-Inquirer via Yellowbrix — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:06:00 -0800

The Class of 2009 at America's colleges and universities walked off campus into what some economists call the worst job market in 25 years.

A May survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that only 19.7 percent had a job waiting for them. That was down from 26 percent in 2008 and 51 percent in 2007.

That means that more college graduates have been accepting internships to pad their resumes while they search for jobs.

The NACE study found that 23 percent of graduates who had completed internships already had jobs on graduation day. Among those who had not completed an internship, only 14 percent had jobs.

And that's good news for places like the International Bluegrass Music Museum.

Gabrielle Gray, the museum's executive director, has hired three interns this fall -- all of them 2009 graduates.

Gavin Todd Christ graduated from Kentucky Wesleyan College, Megan Thompson from Princeton University and Lauren Woodruff from Western Washington University.

"They're bright and motivated and in that huge group of graduates who are seeking experience in order to find a way to wedge into the workplace in an economy that isn't being kind to college graduates or even graduates with advanced degrees," Gray said.

"Many are staying in school and continuing their education, getting masters, PhDs, and going to law or medical school, waiting for the economy to improve," she said. "We are going to have the best-educated new work force ever in a few years!"

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The job market is tough, Woodruff said.

"A lot of my friends are taking internships until they can find something full time," she said. "A lot are trying other areas than what their degrees are in. When people who have experience are getting laid off and taking entry-level jobs, it's hard to find a job."

Woodruff voiced something most young workers have said for generations.

"You have to have experience, but you have to get hired to get experience," she said.

Christ has already turned his internship into a full-time job at the museum. He began his internship in January, working several afternoons a week during his final semester.

"He was focused, tireless and effective, and I knew he would be an excellent hire," Gray said. "So, I offered him a job as soon as he graduated in May. He has done really well and has already been promoted from intern archivist to archivist and now to facility manager. That's quite a leap in 10 months."

"I had to do an internship for my degree in visual communications and graphic design," Christ said. "I hadn't even been in the museum before. But there's definitely a lot more here than most people in Owensboro realize."

He had expected to be working in advertising after graduation. Instead, he finds himself in charge of a museum building and helping program the museum's Internet radio station.

Woodruff, a Spokane, Wash., native, knew little about bluegrass or Kentucky when she accepted an internship at the museum.

"I was applying for a bunch of jobs and internships," she said. "I saw an internship advertised here. I applied for it and I got it."

"Lauren came to the museum right after Labor Day, driving cross country for three days," Gray said. "She wanted a new experience and to see a new part of the world. She is helping us greatly by archiving our collection and working in the Gift Shop."

And Gray said she is teaching Woodruff how to write grants "in order to be more competitive in the open job market."

"My degree's in anthropology and archaeology," Woodruff said. "I'm more interested in natural history museums. But I've been working with Gabrielle, doing grant writing. That's a good skill to have."

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Gray said Woodruff has been living in the "intern room" in her house. "She's the third intern who has lived at my house while working at the museum," Gray said.

Woodruff will be driving back to the Pacific Northwest in December to continue her job search.

Thompson, an Owensboro native, has a degree in sociology from Princeton. She hopes to find a career working for nonprofit agencies. But she's familiar with bluegrass.

"I had helped with ROMP (the museum's bluegrass festival) for several summers when I was in high school and when I was home from college," she said.

Thompson said, "This internship has been really useful. I've had a chance to do some grant writing."

She's been translating the museum's Web site into Spanish in the month she's been there.

Thompson is scheduled to leave at the end of the year.

"She's probably en route to North Carolina," Gray said. "But she can stay at the museum as long as she wants to.

"These young, well-educated adults are all doing an excellent job," she said. "I personally love helping young people get started and try to always make it a fair deal -- they make enough money to live, contribute to the museum with their considerable skills and, in turn, learn a lot about working in a museum, making them infinitely hire-able."

Gray hopes to have two interns at the museum for the spring semester.

"I wish our community would get behind a program that coordinated internships and lodging, and also provided opportunities for young people from other parts of the world to meet people their own age while they're here," Gray said.

"It's only to our great advantage to do this," she said. "I know most people in business don't take interns because it's considered to be too much trouble to train them and then they leave. But in truth, they give as much as they get -- or more -- and it's a great way to pass on the torch."

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Last summer, the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corp. launched a program called GO-INTERN, trying to make the community more attractive to college graduates. The first class had 15 members.

The idea was to show them what Owensboro has to offer in hopes that many of them will decide to live and work here, said Nick Brake, EDC president.

"What we consistently hear from local industries is that bringing a young, educated professional to Owensboro isn't a problem," he said last summer. "Getting them to stay sometimes is. We have to sell them on the community. They need to meet people."

"We remain active during the fall and spring semesters, though we can't do as many of the community events due to the varying schedules," Sharla Austin-Darnell, EDC's existing industry manager, said last week.

She said EDC has some internship opportunities posted on its Web site (intern.owensboro.com).

"The most success I've had, however, is for students to contact me directly and let me know what type of internship they are looking for, when they are able to work, etc.," Austin-Darnell said.

Keith Lawrence, 691-7301, klawrence@messenger-inquirer.com

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To see more of the Messenger-Inquirer, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.messenger-inquirer.com.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Promise is broken: Local kids won't get full college tuition

The Arizona Daily Star via yellowbrix — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:38:00 -0800

A nonprofit organization that promised a group of Tucson kids a full ride to college has gone back on its word.

In 2005, Arizona Quest for Kids guaranteed 23 local fifth-graders scholarships that would pay four years of tuition equivalent to the cost charged by Arizona's three public universities.

The students were told they needed to have a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average upon graduating from high school, participate in enrichment programs and meet with a mentor weekly for the next seven years.

On Wednesday, the nonprofit group told the five remaining students that it no longer could provide the funds, and it would instead offer assistance to find scholarships from other sources.

The announcement brought Ileanna Arispuro to tears.

Arispuro, 16, a junior at Pueblo Magnet High School, has been working to keep up her end of the bargain.

"It makes me really mad and sad and frustrated," Arispuro said. "They promised us the scholarship, and now they say they'll help us fill our applications?"

Arispuro said she dreams of attending the University of Arizona, where she would study criminal justice, but now she isn't sure that it is a possibility.

"My family has gone through so much, and I don't want my parents to worry about how I am going to go to college," she said.

Her mentor, Karen Christensen, tried to console Arispuro, but she also expressed her disappointment.

"Quest has removed the money from the equation, and that changes things completely," said Christensen, a senior systems engineer at Raytheon. "Ileanna is from a low-income family, and they've been banking on this agreement coming to fruition.

"Now is the time for Ileanna to start looking at colleges and applying, and they come and pull the rug out from under her. It's devastating."

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David Highmark, the founder of the Quest program, said he hopes no children will be let down.

"We're not guaranteeing anything, but we feel confident that every child will get that tuition money as promised," Highmark said. "By definition of the program, they must do well, and that qualifies them for a variety of scholarships and aid."

The reason for the change is that the money set aside for tuition has "eroded," Highmark said.

A combination of factors led to Quest's inability to fund the scholarships, Highmark said.

First, the cost of college tuition has increased significantly from when the Quest program began in Phoenix in 2000.

Tuition at the University of Arizona this year is $6,842. At Arizona State University, it's $6,840, and at Northern Arizona University, tuition is $6,627. In 2000, it was $2,344 at all three universities, according to the Arizona Board of Regents Web site.

"We had dollars available that we thought -- based on estimates -- would be good through 2014," Highmark said. "But the increase in tuition has outpaced the increase in inflation."

The recession is the second factor, he said.

"Like most foundations, we gave money to the Arizona Community Foundation, and they have the money pretty conservatively invested," Highmark said. "But still we lost 25 to 30 percent of our principal due to the market."

Now, Quest will guide students through the federal student-aid process to obtain grants that do not have to be paid back, and to find other scholarships.

Through the new process, Highmark said, students could receive more than the tuition Quest had promised.

In the event of a shortfall in scholarships and federal assistance, Quest can dip into its fund, which Highmark said has a "significant amount" left, to assist a student.

For Patti Courtney -- mother of 16-year-old Christina Drennan -- the organization's financial losses do not change the fact that Quest made a promise to her child.

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"We signed a legal contract with them, and it did not say that if the money was lost that the scholarships would not be honored," said Courtney, who has retained an attorney in the event that Quest does not uphold the bargain. "This is not right. Christina has done her part. Now they need to do theirs."

Before the loss of money, Quest funded scholarships for three graduating classes, the last of which graduated in May of this year, Highmark said. All were from Phoenix.

The first set of Tucson students who signed up has yet to make it through the seven-year commitment.

Christensen said she will do her best to help Arispuro find the money she needs for college.

Since being paired together, Christensen said, the two have formed a strong bond.

Christensen recently took Arispuro to a conference in California, where she was able to meet professional women and attend a job fair.

"I've really tried to open doors for her and give her opportunities that she wouldn't otherwise have," Christensen said. "I've learned from her, and she has learned from me. She's become like a third child to me, and I have a very vested interest in her future."

Contact reporter Alexis Huicochea at 573-4175 or ahuicochea@azstarnet.com

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Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

NYSE:RTN,

Mayor Defends Tuition Tax Proposal on College Students

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via Yellowbrix — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:32:00 -0800

Pittsburgh's proposed 1 percent tuition tax is just a nibble compared to the bite that college fees and tuition hikes take out of student and parent wallets, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl argued yesterday, as questions surrounded the unique levy he proposed Monday.

The mayor's attack on tuition and fee hikes came hours after eight leaders of local post-secondary schools gathered to blast the mayor's higher-education tax plan, saying it's illegal and would hurt the institutions' competitiveness. Mr. Ravenstahl said that if there's a competitiveness issue, it's the schools' fault.

"There isn't an institution in this city in the last five years that hasn't raised tuition, and in each and every case, the tuition hike has been far greater than 1 percent," Mr. Ravenstahl said. The city's proposed addition to the school bill "falls right in line with orientation fees, with transportation and security fees, with lab fees" and more nebulous charges that colleges could reconsider, he said.

The higher education leaders hope for rejection of the tax by City Council, which has been asked to pass a $453.8 million budget that includes $16.2 million from the tuition tax.

"We don't think it's going to pass, because we believe it is illegal, and if it does pass, we will have to do whatever we need to do" to oppose it, said Mary Hines, president of Carlow University and chair of the Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education. She did not rule out a court battle or a push to get the General Assembly to nix the tax.

The tax -- meant to help fill a $600 million hole in the city's pension fund and aid the Carnegie Library System -- must be certified by the city controller and approved by the state-picked Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority. Likely to end up in court is the question of whether the state must approve it.

Right now, though, the battleground is the court of public opinion.

"We're all about helping the students to receive affordable, accessible education," said Dr. Hines, after a news conference of college and university leaders. What would be the first tuition levy in the nation, "takes away our competitive advantage in attracting students to this area."

Mr. Ravenstahl later presented charts showing annual 4 to 6 percent tuition hikes and fee increases.

"If that increase, that $1,000 increase [this year] at Carlow and $1,300 increase at Carnegie Mellon University, didn't ruin education in Pittsburgh, certainly our 1 percent tax won't ruin education in Pittsburgh," he said.

He also pointed an accusatory finger at the add-ons that appear on college invoices, like the University of Pittsburgh's $160 "student activity fee," CMU's $192 "orientation fee," so-called "college fees" of $460 at Point Park University and $320 at Chatham University, and Carlow University's $866 "support service fee," as described in a list the administration generated.

"He doesn't have exactly a clear view on what the fees are that we charge," said Dr. Hines.

Some campus officials said Mr. Ravenstahl's criticism of college fees was misleading.

The list of fees assembled by the administration included eight fees charged by Duquesne University, the largest of which were a $2,083 university fee for such things as campus police, counseling and career services, a $1,042-per-semester M.B.A. sustainability fee, a $650 parking fee and a $330 per-semester Law School fee.

Duquesne spokeswoman Bridget Fare said the mayor's list included fees that only a subset of students are charged, like the M.B.A. sustainability charge for overseas study in that program.

"An unlawful privilege tax cannot be justified by comparing it to fees that students pay to their campuses for programs and support services," she said. "This is an attempt to divert attention form a proposal to fix the city's budget problems on the backs of college students."

Carlow University's $866 support service fee is only charged to full-time traditional day students and not to part-time or adult learners, spokeswoman Louise Sciannameo said. It's for various services including computer use, career services, library access and tutoring, among others.

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"Our charges are related directly to the services our students receive and are directly tied to their educational outcomes and goals," she said. "We believe that these fees are reasonable."

CMU spokesman Ken Walters said university fees support essential campus services, and in some cases are the result of student referendums.

In a pronouncement that could complicate final passage of the 2010 budget, Controller Michael Lamb said he's not yet convinced that the tax can be enacted without state approval.

"It remains questionable to me whether or not we have the authority to create a tax," he said, "that is basically taxing a fee at an institution, so I'm not sure you can do that." A legally questionable tax could be tied up in court and blow a hole in the budget, he said.

He said the better course of action would be to ask the General Assembly to approve an expansion of the city's payroll preparation tax, which currently applies only to for-profit companies, and extend it to tax-exempt institutions but at a lower rate.

Deputy City Solicitor Ron Pferdehirt said that the state Local Tax Enabling Act allows cities to tax "privileges," and doesn't bar a levy on tuition. Mr. Ravenstahl said the only way to test the tax's legality is to try to enforce it, and fight for it in court.

If Mr. Lamb doesn't certify the reasonableness of the administration's projection that the tuition tax will raise $16.2 million, the state-picked Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority could refuse to give final approval to the budget. That could theoretically result in a state seizure of some city revenue.

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Authority Executive Director Henry Sciortino said his board hasn't approved or disapproved the tax. "We continue to urge the city to maximize its operating efficiencies as its highest priority, and put forth all efforts to become the most efficient it can, before they go after new revenue," he said.

Harrisburg officials offered differing views on whether state approval is needed to tax tuition.

State Sen. Jeff Piccola, a Republican and chairman of the Education Committee, said the tax needs the state's approval and won't get it if he has his way.

"When times are already tough for students and families, why would we add to this expense and why would Pittsburgh put itself in such a disadvantage, particularly to tax an enterprise (higher education) that is actually working in their city?" he wrote in an e-mail response to questions.

But Bob Kassoway, executive director of the House Finance Committee, under Democratic control, said the city probably doesn't need state approval, noting that the Local Tax Enabling Act's nickname, decades ago, was "the tax anything act."

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