Comments on: Getting Their Hands on the Money: The Financial Aid Counselor http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/12/getting-their-hands-on-the-money-the-financial-aid-counselor/ a radical newsletter in the struggle for peace and social justice Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:07:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: cleondann http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/12/getting-their-hands-on-the-money-the-financial-aid-counselor/#comment-61700 cleondann Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:01:43 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=12438#comment-61700 Hi i m cleon .. can i get any suggestion on criminal justice online degree as i m pursuing this from university of phoenix... regards cleon dann Hi i m cleon .. can i get any suggestion on criminal justice online degree as i m pursuing this from university of phoenix…

regards
cleon dann

]]> By: Michael http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/12/getting-their-hands-on-the-money-the-financial-aid-counselor/#comment-61298 Michael Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:00:16 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=12438#comment-61298 You have obviously done a lot of research here, and you have a big axe to grind (with justification). I'll point out just a couple of items. One of, if not the most confusing issues (to us) is that families don't plan for college by the time the sophomore year comes around. Things typically get left until late in the junior year, or even well into the senior year. This leaves the family and the student at the mercy of the system, regardless of the direction the student will take. This is not a user friendly system. The growth of the online/for profit schools seems to reflect the absence (or ignorance of) of appropriate community college courses or adequate technical/vocational schools. That they go for the growth industries you mention should not come as any big surprise. The approach made to you regarding student financial aid is typical, and is a standard online practice to gather information. These outfits pay high "pay-per-click" fees, so you know there is a lot of money to be made. It has been reported that a class action suit is being filed against a well know for profit school here in Atlanta for failure to deliver service. Another quite famous school in Florida has counselors that are regularly described as sales consultants, and teachers that are barely more qualified than incoming freshmen. So, faced with the reality, the best advice is to plan ahead, research, and "buyer beware". You have obviously done a lot of research here, and you have a big axe to grind (with justification).

I’ll point out just a couple of items.

One of, if not the most confusing issues (to us) is that families don’t plan for college by the time the sophomore year comes around. Things typically get left until late in the junior year, or even well into the senior year. This leaves the family and the student at the mercy of the system, regardless of the direction the student will take.

This is not a user friendly system.

The growth of the online/for profit schools seems to reflect the absence (or ignorance of) of appropriate community college courses or adequate technical/vocational schools. That they go for the growth industries you mention should not come as any big surprise.

The approach made to you regarding student financial aid is typical, and is a standard online practice to gather information. These outfits pay high “pay-per-click” fees, so you know there is a lot of money to be made.

It has been reported that a class action suit is being filed against a well know for profit school here in Atlanta for failure to deliver service. Another quite famous school in Florida has counselors that are regularly described as sales consultants, and teachers that are barely more qualified than incoming freshmen.

So, faced with the reality, the best advice is to plan ahead, research, and “buyer beware”.

]]> By: Jim http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/12/getting-their-hands-on-the-money-the-financial-aid-counselor/#comment-61277 Jim Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:19:10 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=12438#comment-61277 One should also note the fact that many of the degrees granted by our colleges and universities 1) do not lead to gainful employment, and 2) are not at all socially beneficial. Our educational institutions preserve and division of knowledge into areas of study, such as literature, sociology, art, drama, philosophy and biology, and many degrees are unrelated to the needs of our fellow citizens/society, let alone the realities of the job market. No one informs students with dreams of careers in this or that area of knowledge that few no jobs await them with only a bachelor's-level education in many disciplines. In this sense, higher education is a scam that keeps institutions functioning and professors at the top of the academic heap employed, but offers little to nothing to many of those who pursue knowledge. I personally know three young men who are forced to live together in a small apartment and work in home remodeling, a terribly insecure "career" because of debts of $50-60 thousand because they'd blindly followed their inclinations, interests and talents in drama and other liberal arts disciplines. Someone needs to put warning labels on universities. One should also note the fact that many of the degrees granted by our colleges and universities 1) do not lead to gainful employment, and 2) are not at all socially beneficial. Our educational institutions preserve and division of knowledge into areas of study, such as literature, sociology, art, drama, philosophy and biology, and many degrees are unrelated to the needs of our fellow citizens/society, let alone the realities of the job market. No one informs students with dreams of careers in this or that area of knowledge that few no jobs await them with only a bachelor’s-level education in many disciplines.

In this sense, higher education is a scam that keeps institutions functioning and professors at the top of the academic heap employed, but offers little to nothing to many of those who pursue knowledge. I personally know three young men who are forced to live together in a small apartment and work in home remodeling, a terribly insecure “career” because of debts of $50-60 thousand because they’d blindly followed their inclinations, interests and talents in drama and other liberal arts disciplines.

Someone needs to put warning labels on universities.

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