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Vol. 23 No. 3
November 2008
Hard Times Impact
Loans
and Other Aid Issues
THE CREDIT CRISIS, anticipated
recession and rising unemployment may fuel a college financial
aid crunch. According to the October 17 New York Times,
more families are applying for financial aid. And the increase
is likely to continue. An October Fidelity Investments survey
of 3,000 parents revealed that 62 percent planned to use student
loans, up from 53 percent last year.
Student debt is at a record level. And colleges are worried
that with their own endowments hurt by severe market declines,
they may not be able to meet all student need. Additionally,
several states are faced with billion dollar budget shortfalls
and some like California even have called for federal bailouts.
That is certain to impact future state education spending.
The credit crisis also has made private borrowing much more
difficult for students and families. "When conditions improve,
we hope to relax our underwriting criteria and serve more students,"
Sallie Mae, one of the biggest lenders, told colleges across
the nation.
Fortunately, the Times reported that the fall enrollment
went forward without many student financial aid problems. Federal
loans account for three fourths of student borrowing and the
U.S. Dept. of Education says those programs will not be disrupted.
This year 13.5 million used the federal aid programs, up 10 percent
over last year.
But, the Times also said some college administrators
"wonder privately whether there will be a rebellion by parents
about paying so much for education if the country's economic
distress is prolonged."
Survey of Private Colleges
In related news, the National Association of Independent
Colleges and Universities (NAICU) reported its own survey of
members in late October and said "there were multiple instances
of students taking time off of school, switching to part-time
status and turning to alternative forms of financial support."
David L Warren, NAICU president, said, "In the main, the
survey shows that independent higher education and our students
weathered the student loan crunch through September." He
added, "However, the full-blown effects of the credit crunch
and the nation's economic struggles are yet unknown."
Limiting Choices?
In an additional poll, www.ApplyWise.com,
an online college admissions counseling service, found that the
economic turmoil has caused half of families it surveyed to limit
their child's college choices to less expensive options and more
than half are considering instate, public colleges.
College Savings
To further complicate matters, last year, 41 percent of parents
responding to a Upromise survey said that if they had an extra
$10,000, they would save it for college. This year, only 14 percent
of parents said they would save it for college, while 44 percent
said they would use it for daily expenses and to reduce debt.
Fully 80 percent admitted that they hadn't saved enough for their
children's college.
Pell Infusion
Congress recently voted to increase the Pell Grant maximum
from $4,241 to $4,310. But according to the Dept. of Education
that means Congress will have to come up with some $6 billion
in extra appropriations to fund the commitment, at a time when
the budget could be leaner. DOE expects that the economic situation
will mean "significantly higher" numbers of students
applying for the grants.
Debt Loads
Meanwhile, the average student debt for graduates who go
to work in social services is $13,750, while the median annual
wage in that field is $25,136, according to a recent Chicago
Tribune. Arts/sports and media workers carry an average debt
of $23,250 with a median salary of $31,679. Teachers and other
educators leave college with a debt load of $30,000 and median
salary of $36,289. Business graduates are in debt to the tune
of $46,000 with a medium salary of $47,376, while computer scientists
and engineers racked up a debt of $76,500 and earn a median income
of $68,450. And lawyers graduate with an average debt of $122,000
with a median salary of $100,000.
Generational Education Gains Stall
The upshot: throughout U. S. history, each generation of
Americans has learned more than its predecessors. But according
to a new report from the American Council on Education, the "tradition
of young adults in the United States attaining higher levels
of education than previous generations appears to have stalled."
In fact, "the percentage of young adults with some type
of postsecondary degree compared with older adults has actually
fallen."
The ACE report, Minorities in Higher Education 2008, Twenty-third
Status Report, released last month, found that in 2006, 18
percent of older Hispanics had at least an associate degree,
but that just 16 percent of young Hispanics had reached that
educational level. Among American Indians, 21 percent of older
adults had achieved at least an associate degree compared to
only 18 percent of young adults. The postsecondary attainment
of both older and younger African Americans remained at about
24 percent.
However, 66 percent of young Asian Americans had at least
an associate degree compared to 54 percent of older Asian Americans.
And 41 percent of young whites had earned an associate or better
compared to 37 percent of older whites. But, with escalating
demographic changes, the trend of better education has stalled.
Student Loan Defaults
Finally, amidst the new economic data comes this: The nation's
student loan default rates remains historically low, at 5.2 percent,
according to the U.S. Department of Education. By contrast, in
1989, 22.4 percent of federal loan borrowers defaulted.
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News from NACAC
THE 64TH NATIONAL CONFERENCE
of the National Association for College Admission Counseling
in Seattle end of September had record attendance-more than 5,640
people registered from 39 nations. The most talked about session?
The release of the new report, from NACAC's Commission on the
Use of Standardized Testing in Undergraduate Admission, headed
by Harvard's William Fitzsimmons. It called for "core education
and training on admission testing for college admission counseling
professionals" and it included recommendations for action
against test-score misuse.
Acceptable Test Uses
"Test scores appear to calcify differences based on
class, race/ethnicity and parental educational attainment,"
the report concluded and reemphasized that standardized tests
should not be used to determine who is eligible for merit aid
and that the scores of admitted students should not be used as
a measure of the quality of a university.
"Individually, colleges will always try to build the
strongest entering classes they can, often as measured by test
scores, but collectively they bear a larger responsibility to
make the American educational system as good, as fair, and as
socially beneficial as possible," the report said.
NACAC charged that, "Many colleges have already opted
out of the test race." In fact, according to the National
Center for Fair and Open Testing (FairTest.org), 775 colleges
and universities now have become "test optional." For
more info see http://www.nacacnet.org.
Apps Increase and Other Trends
NACAC also released its sixth annual report on the State
of College Admission. One surprising statistic: "While the
number of students and applications reached another all-time
high, the average (mean) acceptance rate for four-year colleges
and universities is much the same as it was when such statistics
were first measured nationally in the 1980s."
According to NACAC, colleges accept 68 percent of applicants.
The average institutional yield rate was 46 percent. Other stats
of note: More than one-third of colleges reported that they had
revoked an offer of admission during the Fall 2007 admission
cycle. The most common reason: a decline in the final grades.
Talk of the Town
Conference goers discussed other issues.
- Paying SAT Test Repeaters? Mean-while, in a related
testing development, Baylor U. in Texas was much talked about.
It had announced this fall that it would be doing all it could
to climb into the "first-tier" of national college
ratings by offering financial incentives to students who retake
the SAT and raise their scores. Indeed, last June it offered
admitted freshmen $300 each in campus bookstore credit to retake
the test and $1,000 in merit scholarship aid if they raised their
scores by 50 points or more, according to The Lariat online.
Some 861 students took up the offer and received bookstore credit,
while 150 earned the $1,000 scholarships. The result? Baylor's
average SAT score for incoming freshmen rose from 1200 to 1210.
However, a torrent of criticism has since forced the school to
admit it "goofed." A school spokesperson said the intent
wasn't to boost its rating, but to improve the chances of financial
aid for students who tested better. So it has stopped offering
financial incentives, but will still encourage students to retake
the test.
- New Economic Challenges. Another issue much discussed
was the impact of the recent economic news on college admissions.
NACAC Past President Kimberly Johnston from the U. of Maine,
noted the "Recent economic factors such as falling housing
prices, mortgage defaults, corporate losses, the closing of long-standing
investment and insurance organizations, all of which have affected
our lives and the lives of our students. Economic conditions
that have resulted in less security for our jobs and housing
and that have raised concerns about support for our educational
institutions and educational opportunity for all. As a profession
that relies on travel to venues to recruit students or bring
them to our campuses, many of us must face higher travel expenses,
reduced budgets or even the reduction or elimination of airline
service to our communities."
- New Counseling Curriculum. NACAC has created a number
of new tools to meet the challenges of the day and made these
tools available on its web site. Among them: NACAC's new curriculum,
"Guiding the Way to Higher Education: Step-by-Step to College
Workshops for Students." The curriculum is divided into
three sections: one for middle school students, early high school
students and late high school students. Another item available
is NACAC's "Families, Counselors and Communities Together
(FCCT)," a training program on working with first-generation
students and their families.
- New Workshop Topics Discussed. Two sessions that struck
CB centered on two relatively new issues confronting counselors
and admissions officers. One was "Understanding the Impact
of Social Media on College-Bound Youth," by David Peck,
Azusa Pacific U. in California and Pamela Kiecker, Royall &
Co. in Virginia. The other was called, "Assessing Executive
Function When Counseling the College-Bound Student," by
Peggy Hock and Jane McClure, McClure, Mallory & Baron in
California.
- Both presentations are available on the NACAC web site www.nacacnet.org.
- New Textbook on Counseling. Fundamentals of College
Admission Counseling: A Textbook For Graduate Students and Practicing
Counselors, Second Edition; from NACAC (National Association
for College Admission Counseling) and Kendall/Hunt Publishing
Co.; ISBN 978-0-7575-5158-1; see www.nacacnet.org.
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Going Global
THE
COUNSELOR'S CORNER
AS THE WORLD focused
on the global economy, colleges and students focused on other
global issues. Here is a roundup of recent activity.
Who Goes? According to a recent report from the Institute
of International Education, 55 percent of college bound high
school students say they want to study overseas during their
college years. Yet only 1 percent ends up going overseas to study.
Kalamazoo C. in Michigan and at Dickinson in Pennsylvania are
two schools attempting to change that. Virtually all of their
students study overseas. And Goucher C. in Maryland has instituted
a mandatory overseas study requirement. The new emphasis on global
education should help increase the number of students who study
in other nations from other schools.
Applications Up for Business Schools. Worldwide, business
schools received more applications in 2008 than in 2007, according
to the Graduate Management Admission Council. Some 77 percent
of the 277 programs in the U.S., Europe and other nations surveyed
reported increased applications. In 2007, only 64 percent attracted
more applications. To find out more, go to www.gmac.com.
International Graduate Admissions Grew. Meanwhile,
U.S. graduate school admission offers to overseas students grew
by 6 percent from 2007 to 2008. In 2007, international graduate
admission offers grew by 8 percent, while it jumped by 12 percent
in 2006. However, about 60 percent of U.S. graduate schools have
fewer international students than in 2003.
International Students Value U.S. Education. Despite
continued difficulties in obtaining visas, 85 percent of foreign
students surveyed by StudyAbroad.com place a high value on studying
in the United States. They say a U.S. degree represents a high
quality education. Potential stumbling blocks for these students
are safety and security concerns, the high cost of tuition and
the competition coming from Australian, English and Indian colleges
and universities.
Spelman's New International Initatives. Spelman C.
in Georgia received an anonymous $17 million grant to establish
the Gordon-Zeto Endowment Fund for International Initiatives.
Nora Gordon, an 1888 grad, was the first from Spelman to teach
in the Congo and Flora E. Zeto, a 1915 grad, was among the first
Congolese to graduate from Spelman. Funds will help send students
overseas and attract more students from Africa.
German U.'s Rank Third as Destination. According to
the 2008 survey "Wissenschaft-weltoffen," co-edited
by the German Academic Exchange Service, nearly 13 percent of
all university students in Germany came from abroad in 2007.
A third of the foreign students were of Chinese origin, followed
by Eastern European countries. The number of foreign students
with German university degrees has doubled over the last seven
years. For more info see http:www.wissenschaft-weltoffen.de/
with info available also in English.
Japanese Enrollment Falls. Enrollment in Japan's 756
colleges and universities is falling because of demographic declines
of college-age students. About 700,000 fewer students are enrolled
since the peak of 2.1 million in 1992. Just over half of all
Japanese high school students go on to college. That means as
many as one fourth of all the nation's universities may have
to shut down. The result is a new competition among Japanese
institutions of higher learning for Japanese students. Critics
fear they may lower standards to stay open. Yet, according to
a recent Chronicle of Higher Education, Prime Minister
Yasuo Fukuda hopes to triple the number of foreign students to
300,000 by 2020.
Canada/USA Spending Gap. Canadian universities spend
about $18,710 for teaching and research per student versus $25,840
spent per student in the United States, according to the Association
of Universities and Colleges in Canada. The 40 percent gap is
explained by the fact that the growth of faculty in Canada has
not kept pace with the 56 percent growth in full-time students
since 1987.
Going Brazilian. The U.S. Department of Education awarded
13 grants this summer to promote student exchanges and partnerships
between U.S. and Brazilian universities. The U.S.-Brazil Program
will foster exchanges of undergraduate and graduate students,
faculty and staff. Among the schools receiving grants are Texas
A&M; U. California, Davis; California Polytechnic State U.;
U. of Illinois, Champaign; U. of Minnesota; Northern Michigan
U.; Western Illinois U.; U. of Cincinnati; U. of Florida; Utah
State U.; U. of Georgia; Virginia Polytechnic Institute; U. of
Central Florida; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical U. in Florida; Pennsylvania
State U. and Texas Tech U.
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THE COUNSELOR'S
BOOKSHELF
The pros and cons of rankings and what was inside the
new guides filled much of the conversation at NACAC. Here are
a few publications hot off the press.
2009 Barron's Profiles Of American Colleges, 28th Edition;
ISBN-13: 978-0-7641-9451-1; $28.99; in-depth profiles of more
than 1,650 schools with CD-ROM included; see www.barronseduc.com.
The Best 368 Colleges, 2009 Edition; from The Princeton
Review; with 62 ranking lists; compiled by Robert Franek, with
Tom Meltzer, et al; ISBN 978-0-375-42872-2; $21.95; see http:
www.princtonreview.com.
U.S. News & World Report's 2009 rankings this year
held few surprises. The top five "best" national universities:
Harvard U., Princeton U., Yale U., MIT, Stanford. The "best"
liberal arts colleges: Amherst C., Williams C., Swarthmore, Wellesley
C. and Middlebury C. The "up-and-coming" colleges:
George Mason U., Clemson U., U. of Southern California, U. of
Maryland-Baltimore County. "Up-and-coming liberal arts colleges:
Davidson C., Ursinus C., Furman U., Pitzer C., Berry C. and U.
of North Carolina-Asheville. The magazine has also added a category
of high school counselor rankings. To view the entire list of
rankings, go to www.usnews.com/college.
The Times of London Rankings. And there was a sneak
preview of The Times of London's 2008 rankings of colleges
and universities throughout the world. The top 20 has some predictable
results, but also a few surprises: Harvard, Yale, U. of Cambridge,
U. of Oxford, Caltech, Imperial College London, U. College London,
U. of Chicago. MIT, Columbia U., U. of Pennsylvania, Princeton,
Duke, Johns Hopkins, Cornell U., Australian National U., Stanford,
U. of Michigan, U. of Tokyo, McGill U.
See www.topuniversities.com.
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SCHOLARSHIP SCOOPS
MathMovesU Scholarships. Raytheon Company has revised
its popular MathMovesU scholarship and grant program. First of
all, to invest more substantially in students who have already
committed to studying science technology, engineering or math
(STEM), the program will offer 30 additional $20,000 to previous
MathMovesU winners if they are studying STEM in college. Additionally,
150 $1,000 awards will go to middle school students for summer
math and science camps. Also, high school students and math teachers
are eligible for awards. See: www.mathmovesu.com.
Culinary
Scholarship. The International Culinary Schools at The Art
Institutes announced it will award one $20,000 scholarship to
one of its schools. Contest question: "How would a culinary
degree from The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes
help you build a better future?" Deadline, November 25.
See www.exploreculinary.com.
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ENROLLMENT TRENDS
College Enrollment Up. The U.S. Census Bureau says
that college enrollment is up 17 percent since 2000. In 2006,
20.5 million students attended two- and four-year colleges and
universities. Some 56 percent of undergraduates and 59 percent
of graduate student were women.
Income
Gap. Over the past three decades, the income disparity between
Latino and non-Hispanic white students entering four-year colleges
and universities has increased fourfold, with the difference
in median household income growing from $7,986 in 1975 to $32,965
in 2006, according to researchers at UCLA. To view the study,
"Advancing in Higher Education: A Portrait of Latino College
Freshmen at Four-Year Institutions: 1975-2006," visit www.heri.ucla.edu.
More
Athletes Graduate. New data shows that 79 percent of Division
I student-athletes who entered college in 2001 earned their degrees,
according to the National Collegiate Athletic Association. That
number falls to 64 percent, the highest ever, when using federal
government criteria which does not include transfer students.
NCAA president, Myles Brand, attributed the progress to increased
initial-eligibility standards, a new emphasis on academics, including
the new academic progress rate for each Division I sports team.
Medical
School Enrollment. To meet the need for more doctors, U.S.
medical schools increased the number of students they admitted
by 2 percent to more than 18,000, the highest enrollment in history.
"As medical schools expand to meet the nation's demand
for more doctors, there will be even more opportunities for the
most qualified and well-rounded aspiring doctors to pursue rewarding
careers in medicine," said the president of the American
Medical Association, which conducts the annual survey of medical
school enrollment.
Ph.D.s
Up by 9 Percent. The number of students earning doctorates
jumped 9 percent in 2007, compared to an average 2 percent annual
growth over the preceding decade, according to the Council of
Graduate Schools. Some academic areas did even better. Doctorates
in health sciences were up by 18 percent; engineering up by 14
percent; and biological sciences by 11 percent. The number awarded
to women rose by 10 percent. Ph.D.s awarded to African Americans
grew by 8 percent, to Hispanics by 7 percent, to Native Americans
by 6 percent, compared to 1 percent for white students.
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CURRICULUM CAPSULES
Art Ed Expands. This fall, the U. of South Carolina
began offering a Bachelor of Arts degree in art education "to
prepare students for careers as K-12 art teachers, for graduate
work in art education and for employment in schools, museums,
commuity art organizations and libraries." The program emphasizes
technology and also graphic design.
Asian
American Studies. Indiana U. Bloomington celebrated the 10th
anniversary of its Asian Culture Center with the establishment
of an Asian American Studies Program. The interdisciplinary program
will start with a minor in the subject and add a major and Ph.D.
component in coming years. "Asian American studies focuses
on the Asian diaspora in the United States," said the program
director.
Bioengineering
Minor. Iowa State U. is launching a bioengineering minor
for its undergraduate engineering majors. The minor will provide
specializations in bioinformatics, biomaterials, biomechanics,
biomicrosystems, biobased products and bioprocessing.
Bioethics
Crisis. Wake Forest U. is launching several graduate initiatives
in bioethics to address what it calls "the ethical and social
aspects of medical care and technology." Classes for Master
of Art in Bioethics begin next August. Graduates will be able
to teach or conduct research in bioethics.
Computer
Engineering. The U. of Wisconsin-Stout is starting a new
Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering. It will be
part of the school's College of Science, Technology, Engineering
and Mathematics and will emphasize the design of hardware and
software for engineering systems that use embedded digital processors,
micro-controllers, digital signal processors and personal computers.
The school expects to graduate about 30 graduates a year from
the program.
Design
and Technology for Theatre. Gainesville State C. in Georgia
will begin offering a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design and Technology
for Theatre degree. Since 1985, GSC has given its students hands-on
experience in live theatre production under the aegis of the
Gainesville Theatre Alliance. This training has led to an 85
percent post-graduation job placement rate in the theatrical
field.
Engineering
Partnership. Tulane U., Vanderbilt U. and Johns Hopkins U.
have created a new undergraduate program so Tulane students can
earn dual degrees in physics and engineering. The TU students
will spend three years at Tulane followed by two years at one
of the partner schools and receive a Tulane physics degree and
a degree in civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical
engineering or environmental engineering from the partner institution.
Health
Science. The U. of Minnesota Rochester is beginning to recruit
and admit 150 students for its new Bachelor of Science in Health
Sciences degree. "There are a lot of emerging career opportunities
within the field of health sciences," said UMR's chancellor.
Dual
Education. Mercy C. in New York has announced a five-year
B.S. and M.S. dual degree program in education. Students who
major in psychology or behavioral sciences can also receive teacher
certification in early childhood or childhood education, while
students who major in biology, English, mathematics, social studies
or Spanish can receive certification in middle childhood or adolescence
education as well as early childhood education.
Wind
Powered Jobs. Students in North Dakota and other states are
lining up study in new wind tech programs. Something like 10
new wind turbines are being erected everyday, 3,200 last year
in the U.S., totaling 25,000. They require high skill maintenance
and that requires training. "The demand [for wind technicians]
is such that some [colleges] have been trying to keep companies
away because they want everybody to graduate first," a spokesperson
for the American Wind Energy Association told the Associated
Press. Iowa Lakes Community C., for example, has operated its
wind-tech training program since 2004. Other community colleges
are following suit.
Sports
Studies. St. Bonaventure U. has launched a new B.S. in sports
studies, designed for students seeking a career in the recreation
or fitness industries or sports management, sports communication,
sport sociology, allied health fields and rehabilitation.
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COLLEGE BOUND's Publisher/Editor: R. Craig
Sautter, DePaul University; Chief Operating Officer: Sally
Reed; Assistant Editor: Emma Schwartz; Illustration:
Louis Coronel; Board of Advisors: Lisa Burnham,
Edina High School, Minnesota; Claire D. Friedlander, Bedford
(N.Y.) Central School District; Howard Greene and Matthew
Greene, authors, The Greenes' Guides to Educational Planning
Series; Frank C. Leana, Ph.D., educational counselor;
M. Fredric Volkmann, Washington University in St. Louis;
Mary Ann Willis, Bayside Academy (Daphne, Ala.).
|
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In This Issue
Feature Articles
Hard Times Impact Loans and Other
Aid Issues
News
from NACAC
THE COUNSELOR'S
CORNER
International
Affairs
THE COUNSELOR'S
BOOKSHELF
-Selections
SCHOLARSHIP SCOOPS
-MathMovesU
Scholarships
-Culinary
Scholarship
ENROLLMENT TRENDS
-College
Enrollment Up
-Income
Gap
-More Athletes
Graduate
-Medical
School Enrollment
-Ph.D.s
Up by 9 Percent
CURRICULUM CAPSULES
-Art
Ed Expands
-Asian
American Studies
-Bioengineering
Major
-Bioethics
Crisis
-Computer
Engineering
-Design
and Technology for Theatre
-Engineering
Partnership
-Health
Science
-Dual Education
-Wind Powered
Jobs
-Sports
Studies
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