After getting so many calls and questions from distance learners, Oklahoma University’s College of Liberal Studies created online tutorials to help students navigate through the website. Soon they realized that the tutorials were not just for distance learners, but for everyone.

OU’s College of Liberal Studies has provided a 100 percent online degree program since 1996. Other distance learning courses offered by OU are provided through:

• Oklahoma College of Continuing Education
• Center for Independent and Distance Learning
• Navy PACE Program

There is a growing demand to accommodate distance learners, and this is just one example.
To access the tutorials, go to libraries.ou.edu and click on the Help section and find ‘Tutorials’.

Search through our distance learning section if you are or plan on taking online classes.

From OUDaily.com

I just read a great article from the Metro Times. It is entitled, “In Too Deep”, and covers a plentiful range of perspectives on the current generation’s college debt situation.

Should I start with some facts and statistics to bore you?

No!

I will address the problems and give solutions that are being enacted or solutions that should be enacted.

Problem #1:

College students are mounting more debt every year while the average tuition increases every year far beyond the rate of inflation.

Solutions:

1.) Write letters to local congressmen for legislation to halt the increase of tuition of public colleges and universities, provide more grants, give more funding, etc.

2.) Don’t go to college.

We all know performing solution 2 is straightforward. Solution 1 needs some answers. I’m not here taking sides on any one political party, but the ‘non-partisan’ group, the Project on Student Debt, stated in a press release regarding student loan assistance:

“While President Bush and his allies in Congress have given lip service to the importance of a college education, they have cut $12 billion from the student loan program, turning a blind eye to rising tuition and interest rates.”

I don’t think any American likes to hear this type of thing. I’m sure there are more important budget issues than education. Yeah, right.

Since I just brought up the importance of education, let us see if a ‘college education’ is worth the money for certain popular professions that usually require a degree.

Problem #2:

Careers such as social workers and teachers do not pay enough to comfortably pay off student loan debt over time.

Solutions:

1.) Pressure the federal and state governments to raise salaries for these jobs which are primarily funded by the state.

2.) Ask employers that these jobs not require a degree.

3.) Educate future college students that these careers will not comfortably pay off student loans.

This problem is the most obvious one in need. How would anyone go into a career where they will be confronted with debt that is hardly manageable?

Teacher salary is low, and we all know it. Why is this? That’s a whole other topic. My hunch is that it could be the establishment powers wanting to keep education quality low to keep the middle class from gaining too much power. I could be wrong. I must also note that if everyone REALLY cared about the children, voters would not be voting for the same people who keep teacher salaries low!!! Anyway, enough of the politics.

Problem #3:

College students are getting into student loan and credit card debt where they do not think of the real consequences.

Solutions:

1.) As the article states:

Debt consolidation consultant Dvorkin would like to see a mandatory fiscal education class at the high school level, covering everything from the working of credit cards to student loans.

2.) I really don’t think there is a better solution than number 1.

In the article, a student mentions that credit cards were, “being given to me like candy”. Oh, please stop with the innocent child defense. People get scamed, ripped off, and robbed every day. I do agree that credit card companies are rampant on college campuses. I do not believe it is their fault for mounting debt.

The irresponsibility of today’s generation with debt is not only a personal problem, but a national economic problem. So, actions must be taken such as teaching high schoolers the effects of student loan and credit card debt, along with enacting laws that make credit card companies state realistic debt scenarios before a student signs up. Here’s a nice example:

…a bill proposed by Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) would require credit card companies to disclose in plain English how long it would take to pay off the total debt when making only minimum payments.

We may, after all, be in for some progress.

Gail Buckner answers a question in Fox News’ Money Matters help section.

The woman wrote in for help asks about her son who:

…has a scholarship for $10,000 per year for 4 years. My husband and I have never really saved much for his education. We have agreed to pay $10,000 per year, as well, but he has to pay the rest. We have taken out parental Sallie Mae loans to cover our part of the bargain.

Would we be better off having him be independent, not declaring him, and taking the loans out as student loans?

The woman asking for help is perhaps a little confused about the difference between dependent and independent statuses in regards to tax and financial aid status. They are completely different

To claim your child as dependent in your tax return, you must prove that the child provides at least half of his own support. This is difficult for a full-time student, and is hardly ever the case. If it is the case, then Hope and Lifetime Learning tax credits (Form 8863) may be utilized if the student qualifies.
With financial aid:

…you’ve got to be 24 years-old or older to be declared ‘independent.’ The only exceptions are if you are a veteran, have a dependent yourself, are married, or have already received your undergraduate degree and are in graduate school.

In the end, the bottom line is what must be looked at. If you have the choice of declaring your child student as independent, then you must work out the two options. Just take note that a child must provide more than half of the support for themselves. Scholarships help, but one must look at the total cost of college, books, and all other costs of living.

Stafford Loans should be taken out first, and PLUS Loans for parents are a secondary option for high education costs.

Visit our page on student loans and taxes for more information.

Deleware is now seeing the summer program called, “Let’s Get Ready”, which originated in New York and now has a presence in New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachussetts and Rhode Island.

The program is for low-imcome or ‘first generation’ college hopefuls who are currently juniors or seniors in high school. The class consists of the students being taught by college students about preparing for college, choosing the right one, and finding financial aid assistance. Having college students as tutors brings about the advantage of having recently gone through the college admissions process. The students can also see themselves in college and can relate to the tutors since they are so close in age.

Let’s Get Ready boasts that its students, on average, increase their SAT scores by 103 points, and that 93 percent of participants go directly into college after high school.

For more information, see the Let’s Get Ready website.

Article from DelewareOnline.

An AP article in the Belleville New Democrat informs us of the Governor of Illinois signing a new law to provide middle and low-income students with $500 grants.

[The bill] provided $34.4 million for the new middle-income grants and the same amount for more relief for low-income students.

Any new laws helping students is a great accomplishment. But there may be a better way using government to help pay for state colleges and universities. Can’t we stop the problem before it starts? Are there any politicians raising this issue. Of course…the one who lost the election, how appropriate.

Blagojevich’s Republican opponent in the governor’s race, state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, criticized the governor’s record on keeping tuition costs down.

“Under Rod Blagojevich, tuition for students at Illinois colleges and universities has increased more than 50 percent in less than four years. It is the largest tuition increase ever for an Illinois governor,” Topinka said in a written statement.

Not to single out Illinois, but the actual nationwide tuition rate increase from 2000-2005 was 40%, according to the College Board. It’s a national trend, and students have no choice but to pay it if they want higher education or a degree as a job and resume credential.

The Statesman (requires registration to view) reports about Central Texas Community College located in Killeen, TX and its role of educating memebers of the armed forces. It’s the second largest college to contract with the military, along with being the nation’s fifth largest offering online degree granting programs.

74% of enrolled students are members of the military. Notably, the Army offers $4500 per year to pay for tuition.

College degrees are increasingly becoming a prerequisite for promotion. The Chronicle reported that the Navy in August adopted a rule effective in 2011 requiring all sailors to hold at least an associate degree to qualify for promotion to senior enlisted ranks.

If you are currently serving or thinking of signing up, check out Central Texas College’s website for enrollment, tuition, and benefit information.

For other military options for active duty, reserve, and veteran servicemen and women take a look at our military grant section.

There’s an article on distance learning in the NY Press entitiled, “The Dawn of Distance Learning“.

I found some cool information and statistics. Let’s examine, shall we?

The Good: On average, a college degree nearly doubles annual earnings

The Bad: According to a Washington Post article, it’s harder than ever to be accepted to college

The Distance Learning: Provides higher education to those students not accepted or others who enjoy the other multiple benefits.

In 1999, the National Center for Education Statistics found that, in 1997-98, almost 44 percent of all higher education institutions offered courses via distance learning. Today, many prestigious universities are counted among that figure but most don’t actually offer a degree. Harvard and MIT are such institutions.

MIT’s Open Courseware resource is an amazing collection of knowledge. It’s completely free and available to anyone. MIT does not offer distance learning diplomas, and believes the internet should not be used to monetize education and replace traditional physical campus education.

I guess it’s in the eye of the beholder. Some people can learn more efficiently via a computer than actual classrooms. Others may need the personal attention that professors, tutors, and other classmates provide. In my opinion, knowledge is knowledge no matter how it is acquired.

There are plenty of exceptions where distance learning cannot provide proper experiences since you can’t be ‘hands-on’ if you are only in front of your computer.

Certainly anyone wanting to broaden their knowledge should check out MIT’s Open Courseware. It won’t get you a degree, but who cares, it’s free!

The 2006 Utah recipients of the Jiffy Lube “Your Turn Behind the Wheel” scholarships were announced in the Deseret News.

The scholarship is offered to driver education students in Utah high schools and private driving schools.

After checking the Jiffy Lube scholarship website, it stated that you must first be eligible, then:

Simply write your 500-word (or less) typed essay about what drives you now.

That sounds simple enough, right? You can write about what you like! As a hint, try to tie in how your interests would benefit your community, help starving children, and single handedly create peace on earth. But honestly, applying for this scholarship is worth the short 500 words of effort. Go to the website and apply.

Oil Online reports that the Marine Technology Society recently awarded over $34,000 in scholarships.

The students, 20 total, are from across the globe in the United States, Canada, and England.

The money went to students majoring in a variety of subjects like:

• Marine Biology
• Ocean Engineering
• Ecology
• Environmental Science
• Biology
• Marine Sciences
• Mechanical Engineering
• Chemical Oceanography

Some of these degrees are combined to produce very specialized research and study such as Underwater Marine Robotics and Underwater Remote Sensing Technology.

The oil industry benefits from this type of research for their ocean drilling projects, which inevitably will garner increasing demand as the oil supply and instability of the Middle East become stonger concerns.