Learning isn’t only in the classroom and for a grade. Life presents educational opportunities everyday. Tuesday’s Primary Election can spur conversations about citizenship. Why is there a Primary election? Why are voters electing delegates to the party primaries, not the Presidential candidate themselves? What’s a Proposition? Why are the voters deciding abut new expenses (i.e.…
Tag: Student
Middle Class Families Concerned about Affording College
Real wages haven’t increased, at the same time as pension values are decreasing, state budgets uncertainties are reducing funding for public universities and children are maturing into college age. What a perfect confluence for many middle class families and contributing to nervousness that the lifelong dream of a college degree–demonstrated through multiple honors and Advanced…
Why Teens Don’t Always Apply for Scholarships
Shifts in the views of parents with children aged 16 or younger about when adulthood financial independence should begin coincides with parents concerns about paying for college. In Creative Marbles experience, parents expect to shoulder the majority of college costs, at the same time expecting children to contribute toward their education. However, the shift in…
Summer…To Break or Not or Both?
Summer break–two words that often have a different meaning for parents and for students. Parents are often concerned that their students will dive into sleeping through the day and video games, while ignoring summer reading. Students seeking to relax will meet a compromise with parents by participating in camps and leadership activities that flex…
What’s Test Optional Admissions?
While many colleges require students to take the SAT or ACT (with or with the Writing exam) as part of admissions, a number of colleges don’t require students to take the tests or report scores as part of an application process. Test optional admissions policies sometimes ask students to send additional letters of recommendation or…
College Tuition Rises and So Does Demand
As the University of California Regents debate a 6% tuition increase for Fall 2012, see how tuition has changed at California colleges, since 2001. (The database provides information for 2 and 4 year colleges, both public and private.) While students and their families are concerned about rising tuition and student debt is at $1 Trillion…
Will continuing tuition increases eventually cool demand for college?
Total student loan debt hit the $1 Trillion mark this week and continues growing. Congress is debating to stop the increase in the student loan interest rates from 3.4% to 6.8% on July 1, 2012. And, UC’s are considering an additional 6% tuition hike on top of the 47.6% tuition increase, since 2009. With more…
On Commencing
Commencement…always seemed funny to call graduation commencement. I focused on the ending aspect, the-that-was-a-long-4-years-and-too-many-homework-assignments-thank-goodness-its-over aspect of graduation. In reality, graduation is both–a recognition of what’s been accomplished and a beginning of what’s next.
Campus “Vibe” vs. Academics: Why College Selection Takes the Whole Family
College students aren’t just gaining an education and future career training, they’re moving to a new community. Parents often express concerns to Creative Marbles that their student is paying more attention to “atmosphere” or “how s/he feels on campus”–not “what do I want to study.” These differences in perspective can create conflict, and also are…
Why More Effort Alone May Not Improve Grades
As students head into the final weeks of the school year, last minute activity to “pull up” a grade is happening in every school. Asking teachers more specific questions, then, “What can I do to improve my grade?”, will help families and students get information that’s useful. Creative Marbles suggests the following tips:
The $1 Trillion Inheritance
The Student Debt total reached $1 Trillion today. What are the costs for future generations and its prosperity? Since student debt is future income brought forward, Creative Marbles suggests thinking carefully about career and major choices to know if a student would be able to afford the monthly loan payments. Also, students need to consider…
Graduated, Yet Still Not Grown Up?
Parents want what’s best for their children. Yet, what is the cost of “the best” for both parent and child? A recent Ameriprise Financial study found the following amongst Baby Boomer Parents (born between 1946-1964) 55% allowed their adult children to move home rent free 71% paid college tuition Yet, 34% say that helping children…
California’s Budget Shortfalls: Consider the Immediate and Long Term Effects
Although California’s budget is challenging CSU officials to “live within it’s means” in the short term, forgoing expenses today can affect the long term quality of education and how the CSU educates students in the future. Delaying purchases on library materials today can affect the resources available to future students, and coupled with phasing out…
Dropping wages = shrinking prosperity?
According the the Economic Policy Institute, from 2002-2012: For male workers: With a college degree: hourly wages dropped 11% to $21.68 With a high school diploma: hourly wages dropped 10% to 11.68 For female workers: With a college degree: hourly wages dropped 7.6% to $18.80 With a high school diploma: hourly wages dropped 9.2% to…
California’s Budget Shortfalls: Opportunity for Improvement?
The reported $3 Billion shortfall in tax revenues for California may mean: Increases to tuition and fees at community colleges, CSU and UC campuses–expanding the overall cost of a college degree in California Continued cuts to services, like counseling and librarians, for K-12 schools. Families may have to increase their volunteer hours to fund-raise for…