Online Universities - Page 3

*winter* · #31 02-07-2013, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

I believe I've heard Suze Orman say going back to school for another degree in order to make more money isn't a good investment.

Meh. Suze...she bugs me. And it really depends on what you go to school for. If I go back to school for nursing, I CAN make more money than I do now...more, in fact, than I currently make with two jobs. The investment will be about 8k. Not a bad investment, considering most people spend 2-3x that on a car that will be value-less in 10 years.

For profit schools are a scam, basically. Check out the Frontline PBS site for some info. "Educating Sergeant Panske" is one episode on there that deals with the issue; there are others as well.

*winter* · #32 02-07-2013, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixAzul

This.

I went to what we could safely class as an "inner city" public high school in a major metro area. We constantly (as in two to three times a year) had hour long free info-mercial style presentations, in class, only from for-profit institutions. The reps went on and on about how traditional colleges "waste your time" with classes you don't need.

It annoyed me then, and it infuriates me now. Traditional colleges got a table in the library, no announcements of their presence, and no hall passes to go and talk to them.

What sort of message are we sending to those students? The message I got as a 17/18 year old was "You're not bright enough for real college" or "This is your only option" or "They'll never accept you". Despite the fact that a number of my peers went to Northwestern, the Air Force Academy, Gonzaga, Pitt, PSU, and a slew of other great SLACs...we only were able to do that by doing our own research, no advising help (Advisers were always available to send you to the military recruiters though.)

Ugh. Sorry. Major thread hijack.

Word! And...she's from Pittsburgh

These schools are notorious for preying on the poor. Just call off work one day and watch all the commercials on daytime TV. Get your Associates for only $40,000 and enter the workforce making $9/hr.

/hijack

PhoenixAzul · #33 02-07-2013, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

Wow. Take a bow, PPS. That's hideous. I hope they've stopped that in light of all the shadiness that's been brought to the forefront about these schools.

It is truly hideous. None of my friends who went to suburban schools had this experience. I was lucky- my parents pushed my brother and I to go to college (as in: non-negotiable since we were in diapers) despite not having gone themselves. But not every kid had parents around riding their butts to turn in forms and essays and applications and show up on time to their SAT's and ACTs with calculators (hello, classmate, I'm looking at you and you're welcome for my spare calculator that I happened to have on ACT morning), and the school certainly wasn't there to guide anyone along the way.

I'm thinking about investigating becoming a Pittsburgh Promise mentor to see if I can help kids take more of a risk in getting in to college...broader horizons than Allegheny county and seeing that they truly can do well in a challenging environment, if they take the leap.

It just kills me, because I know so many kids I went to school with are resourceful, intelligent, hardworking people who never were offered the option of four-year college, where they would have done well. We were almost universally "for profit" or "community college then transfer!" or "try to get in to a satellite school first" tracked- never pushed to go for honors colleges, Ivy League, SLAC's, or other opportunities.

KSUViolet06 · #34 02-07-2013, 12:30 PM

In addition to preying on the poor, they also prey on individuals with special needs.

For example, there are some kids with learning disabilities or intellectual disabilities who while they may not be a good fit for say, 4 year college, have the potential to go into a career-technical education program (ex. auto tech, administrative, etc.) and do very well.

Generally speaking, college is not for everyone. This is also true for these kids. In many cases, they just know "I want to go to college" but do not know what it entails, that it costs, and that they may not be able to handle college level courses. School counselors and special ed teachers don't DISCOURAGE checking out college, but also make sure to present them opportunities to check out these types of non-4 year degree programs (run via our local career centers and other non-profits) or other career paths in addition to state universities and such.

The big for-profit schools KNOW that these kids are not aware of what it takes to get a college degree. They prey on that by presenting at special needs HS transition fairs (events that help to prepare kids with disabilities for life after HS.) Parents (especially those who have never been to college) buy the whole "your kid can totally graduate from For Profit U! don't listen to what the SPED teacher is saying. Come register with us!" Mind you, many of these kids need certain accommodations to access their HS classes IN PERSON. There's no way they can handle an online learning environment if they've never done it before.

They register, pay $$ to take a class, kid fails. For Profit U does not care because it just made a ton of $ preying on kids/parents who just want their kids to "have degrees like everyone else."

There's a particular for-profit who notorious for this, to the point that most Directors of SPED in the area don't invite them to things like Life After HS Day for their special needs students.

Kevin · #35 02-07-2013, 12:33 PM

Slightly off subject, but wouldn't it fix a lot of problems with for-profit schools if they had to underwrite their own student loans or at least find some private entity to do so on their behalf? I have a big problem with these things leaching off of federally backed, non bankruptable loans.

33girl · #36 02-07-2013, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin

Slightly off subject, but wouldn't it fix a lot of problems with for-profit schools if they had to underwrite their own student loans or at least find some private entity to do so on their behalf? I have a big problem with these things leaching off of federally backed, non bankruptable loans.

Yes, it would. But I'm guessing some sort of law would have to be passed that doesn't exist at the present. One more instance (sort of) where legality hasn't caught up with technology.

knight_shadow · #37 02-07-2013, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin

Slightly off subject, but wouldn't it fix a lot of problems with for-profit schools if they had to underwrite their own student loans or at least find some private entity to do so on their behalf? I have a big problem with these things leaching off of federally backed, non bankruptable loans.

Agreed.

*winter* · #38 02-07-2013, 10:58 PM

There is an effort to pass laws to protect GI Bill recipients. Once you burn through your GI Bill, that's all you get. One year at a school like that will do it...That's the thing... In this Economy most will only get one chance to go to college, so if it's wasted on dropping out of an expensive school, that person may never get the chance to go back...

Basically they want them in the door, cash the check and then if they fail out, it's on them. The support is nothing like what is available on a traditional campus.

These schools can receive up to 90% of their funding from the government- grants and loans. So, basically, the government is subsidizing them and they are for-profit organizations pocketing millions.

NinjaPoodle · #39 02-07-2013, 11:24 PM

I found this while searching for graduation rates, by the way, my schools rate is 29.2%

The table below shows the overall rank of the top 10 online schools.
http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/...ges/for-profit

Kevin · #40 02-08-2013, 12:50 AM

Wow.

NinjaPoodle · #41 02-08-2013, 01:49 PM

Yup. AAU is suing to get reinstated, saying that number is old. #Goodluckwiththat.

Kevin · #42 02-08-2013, 03:35 PM

I'm glad California is doing something about that. Those numbers are just hideous. I'd like to see these guys hit with an enormous class action or something. This just ain't right.

NinjaPoodle · #43 02-08-2013, 05:27 PM

I agree that it's not right. The sad thing is, these schools do serve a population that may not be right for the traditional Old College U. The idea was good but the execution sucks.

Oh, and that Cal Grants document is 4 pages long.

Kevin · #44 02-08-2013, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NinjaPoodle

I agree that it's not right. The sad thing is, these schools do serve a population that may not be right for the traditional Old College U. The idea was good but the execution sucks.

Oh, and that Cal Grants document is 4 pages long.

Does California not have community colleges serving those populations?

NinjaPoodle · #45 02-08-2013, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin

Does California not have community colleges serving those populations?

We do but the CC's are full.

Source wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Califor...ystem#Students
from wiki:

The California Community Colleges System (CCCS) consists of 112 community colleges in 72 community college districts in the U.S. state of California. Created by legislation in 1967, it is the largest system of higher education in the world, serving more than 2.4 million students with a wide variety of educational and career goals.

I also attend City College of San Francisco which serves over 90,000 students annually on 9 campuses through out San Francisco. A LOT of people go to cc's for a semester or two then drop out to: join the work force, military, have kids etc. The school (CCSF) has a transfer program and all kinds of resources but for some people, just getting past jr. college can be an issue money wise.
If you're interested, you can probably find more info on the California Community Colleges website http://californiacommunitycolleges.cccco.edu/