Bad News and Good News about the College Dropout rate
Hey there my dorm room buddy
Hope you’re enjoying the summertime.
I thought I’d pass along some good news and bad news on the college education front.
Back in the 1960’s the college dropout rates were as low as one (1) in every five (5) students.
You DO remember the 60’s don’t you? 
Well, this 1 out of 5 ratio got worse over the years, and stood at one (1) in every three (3) in the 1990s.
And it’s even worst today. Figures from the Department of Education for 2000 through 2008 show that 30% of student enrolled on schools leave in their first year and 50% never graduate.
Believe it or not, these numbers are expected to go even higher. Why?
The biggest reason is the lack of funds to finish college. Another is the fact that most who drop out of college think they can never go back since they (hopefully) have a full time job.
But here is the good news…
The advent of online degree programs are finally giving those who could not finish college a great opportunity to do so now. Sure it’s a struggle to hold down a job and go to school, but at least students can now fit online classes in their busy schedules.
As I hope I’ve pointed out time and time again, even though it is a challenge to study online it is a lot simpler to attend online classes than missing classes in traditional colleges. You can have a one-on-one interaction with your professor via emails and Instant Messaging. You can also attend lectures anywhere (and anytime) so long as you have an internet connection. And, most importantly, you can usually go at your own pace and time schedule.
Now, what about the lack of funds? Well there is good news here too. It appears that the US government is working on a to help in offering financial aid to the many students who qualify for the federal financial aid – i.e. the Pell Grant.
Last I heard, Congress will now allow up to a maximum of $5500 to those seeking their degree and who have insufficient funds to help with their college education.
To learn more about the Pell Grant check out the US Government website:
http://www.ed.gov/programs/fpg/index.html
