Home > Blog > September 2008 archive

September 2008 archive

Exhorbitant Tuition Costs Get National Attention

Posted on Wednesday, September 24, 2008 | 0 comments | Permalink |

With the near collapse of America's financial market, the national media is finally taking a look at the skyrocketing cost of tuition at the nation's institutions of higher education. Good Morning America recently highlighted the frightening reality that tuition at a private university averages $23,000 while median income in the US is $50,000.

Sadly, the only solution they featured was from a student at the University of North Carolina: "I think tuition has gotten to the point where government, schools, charities need to start stepping in." Because most Americans cannot imagine what a college education would look like outside the normal university system, their solutions still fit within a framework fast becoming outmoded and obsolete.

The BBC recently noted that even universities like Harvard, who are prestigious because of their research and not so much for their classroom instruction, are doing little to actually educate their students for the real world. While the BBC called their guest's remarks "scathing," they also noted that Harvard declined an invitation to vindicate itself.

These trends make less classroom instruction increasingly appealing. Dartmouth's Professor Emeritus of English Jeffrey Hart recently noted that "the main job in getting a college education is to make sure the large essential parts are firmly in place, after which you can build upon them."

For Hart, the large essential parts are a strong understanding of history, literature, and critical thinking skills. These are the vital aspects of a real education and make paying ten's of thousands of dollars to listen to countless hours of lectures from humanistic professors seem unnecessary at best, spiritually subversive at worst.

Posted by Shawn Cohen

Higher Ed Top Political Issue in 2008 Election

Posted on Monday, September 22, 2008 | 0 comments | Permalink |

34% of Americans feel that higher education is their number one concern in this year's election, according to a recent survey from "Got Tuition," a bipartisan campaign to make college tuition affordable for every student who wants to get a degree.

Here are some other startling findings from the survey:

  • 78% of those surveyed said it is now more difficult to afford a college education than it was 10 years ago

  • 64% said higher education is no longer a luxury, it’s necessary to make ends meet

  • 64% also agree that the middle class doesn’t get enough help paying for college

The troubling trend in these numbers is that Americans are increasingly putting the burden on the federal government to provide their children with schooling, from pre-kindergarten to college. This is surprising considering the reality that the United States trails so many developed nations in education outcomes. Sadly, Americans are still looking to the government for help instead of breaking out of the system that produces such dismal academic results.

Posted by Shawn Cohen

Doug Phillips teams up with CollegePlus! for free webinar!

Posted on Monday, September 15, 2008 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Does Doug Phillips of the Vision Forum believe in the CollegePlus! program? He sure does and he's joining us Tuesday, September 23 from 8-9 PM CST to talk about alternatives to higher education with a multigenerational focus.

You'll also have the chance to ask live questions and meet CollegePlus! students. If you're interested in finding out more about CollegePlus! or know someone who is, invite them to join us for this free event or register now!

Here's what we'll talk about with Doug:

  • The Need for a College Alternative

  • The Three Foundational Stages of CollegePlus!

  • Discover the Multigenerational Philosophy of CollegePlus!

  • Meet Live CollegePlus! Students

This informative webinar will end at 9 PM CST but we'll stick around for your questions afterward!

Click here to register for this free event with Doug Phillips of the Vision Forum!

Posted by Shawn Cohen

CollegePlus! Grad Writes Ebook!

Posted on Monday, September 15, 2008 | 0 comments | Permalink |

CollegePlus! graduate Amanda Suryan is telling the world about her distance learning experience with a new ebook, Earning a Degree With Accelerated Distance Learning. Earlier this year, Suryan shared her story in Acceleration, detailing her journey away from the traditional college campus to the cutting edge approach of distance learning.

Now she's sharing her story and a lot more great information in ebook form. Here’s what Suryan is saying about it:

One of the main problems many Christian families deal with today is the question of what their children should do about college after high school. Amanda is a homeschool grad who got fed up with the secular college scene and wanted to take her education into her own hands.

She left college even though she was an "A" student who only had a little over a year to go before finishing her BA. All she wanted was a God-honoring way to earn her degree without having to compromise her faith or time with her family.

Now she shows how just about anyone can get a 4-year degree in half the time at a substantial savings from the comfort of their own home!

One of Suryan’s readers is ecstatic about her book:

"I know this stuff works because my own daughter will get her 4-year marketing degree in about a year and a half! Amanda offers so much CONTENT and so many BONUSES...and this ebook will save you tons of time, gobs of money and loads of frustration!"

Check out Earning a Degree With Accelerated Distance Learning today!

Posted by Shawn Cohen

WORLD Magazine Features CollegePlus!

Posted on Wednesday, September 10, 2008 | 0 comments | Permalink |

WORLD Magazine, a bastion of conservative Christian news for the past two decades, has featured CollegePlus! in its upcoming September 20 edition! The column, written by Janie B. Cheaney, is called "If Not College, What?" This is the question CollegePlus! has been answering since its inception in 2005.

Cheaney's positive description of CollegePlus! will appear in print next week but is available online for premium WORLD Magazine content members. However, this is her description of CollegePlus! in the piece:

For homeschoolers, fast-trackers, and others who want an academic education but are short on time or money, a combination of pre-testing and distance learning may be the answer. For instance, CollegePlus! (see CollegePlus.org) offers guidance and support by assigning a coach to each student, first to help identify goals and develop a plan. Step two is to accumulate 90 credit hours or more by "testing out" of introductory classes, and finally students enroll in a distance-learning program to complete their degree—possibly even by the time of high-school graduation. (Copyright © 2008 WORLD Magazine September 20, 2008, Vol. 23, No. 19)

CollegePlus! remains the most economical means for attaining a bachelor's degree in the US. As the economy continues its slow pace and unemployment rises, families across America will need an alternative to the modern university system that's both cost and time effective. And they're finding it in CollegePlus!

Posted by Shawn Cohen

College students on a spiritual journey...to where?

Posted on Friday, September 5, 2008 | 0 comments | Permalink |

The UCLA Higher Education Research Institute recently released numbers on its "Spirituality in Higher Education" survey. According to the research, of the 112,000 students surveyed, 75% of them are "on a quest to find meaning, purpose, and God," as mentioned in a World Magazine tidbit.

However, most students who attend worship services in high school abandon these by their junior year in college, the report said. In a recent edition of World Magazine, Gene Edward Veith laments the reality that parents send their kids to a particular college because of the prestige, sports program, or perceived economic advantage and not based on the information that's promulgated in the classroom.

Distance learners, including CollegePlus! students, have much less concern of walking away from God than their traditional college counterparts. Instead of subjecting themselves to the rantings of liberal professors, they have the final say on all information they take in. Regardless of how much college professors indoctrinate their listeners, CollegePlus! students continue to be the masters of their education.

Posted by Shawn Cohen