Higher Education

Matthew Lynch published in HBCU's, Higher Education, Matthew Lynch

Reforming College Debt, Part II: Possible Solutions

There aren’t many people who will dispute the value of a college education. College graduates tend to have higher levels of job satisfaction and quality of life. The cost of those efforts is steep for the individual though – to the tune of $35,200 college debt on average for 2013 graduates. On Wednesday I looked at the statistics associated with the cost and payoff of a college education and also some federal efforts to make those payments more affordable once a degree is earned. Today I want to look at some specific ideas that aim to bring down the initial cost of a college education and to help students avoid thousands in interest over time.

Last week, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio spoke about his own efforts in his home state of Florida, and perhaps on a federal level, to make college attendance a shared cost. Rubio is no stranger to college debt. When he arrived at the U.S. Senate, he still had $100,000 in outstanding student loans. Rubio has been upfront about his modest upbringing and also the power his education gave him but he has acknowledged that the cost is too high. The basics of his college plan would allow private investors to pay for the tuition of college students in exchange for a portion of their earnings later on. This would mean the students acquired no traditional debt and would not start out their careers in the hole – at least not in a typical way.

While I like the out-of-the-box thinking of this plan, it raises more questions than answers. At least when a student takes out a federally-backed loan or even a private one that meets federal regulations, there is some protection for the student. I worry that allowing too many private investors in on the college lending game could mean more financial pressure on the borrowers. And what happens if a student finds him or herself unemployed for a long period of time? Or unable to work due to injury? These are all issues that would certainly be addressed before legislation was drafted and approved but there are already some red flags that pop up in this hands-off government approach to college debt reform.

Another college payment idea that is arising across the country is a state-run repayment program that is similar to Rubio’s private investor one. Already in Oregon the Pay It Forward program has been approved (though not yet enacted) that will give students their public college education upfront, free of cost, in exchange for paying the state a portion of their earnings post-college. Supporters bill it as a “debt free” alternative to a college education, but like Rubio’s plan there is still money owed at the end of the college term that does impact actual earnings. It will be interesting to keep an eye on Oregon in the coming years to see how the program impacts the first groups of students who take advantage of it.

What if a public college education was completely free, though? That’s the approach Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam wants to take when it comes to the state’s community colleges. At his State of the State address, he called for free tuition at Tennessee’s community colleges in order to improve the state’s reputation as one of the least educated. Haslam proposed that the money to pay for it come from the state’s lottery earnings that would be placed in a $300 million endowment fund. While a short-term solution, I’m not sure that this is a sustainable payment plan. But if even one class of students in the state are able to take advantage of it, that may make a huge positive impact on Tennessee’s long-term economic outlook.

Paying something for a college education is reasonable, I think, but the current setup puts an undue burden on the nation’s young people and as a result, the entire economy suffers.

What creative cost and repayment options for a college education would you like to see implemented?

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Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education

The New 1st Step in the College Search and Application Process

With more than 4,000 public and private two- and four-year colleges in this country, finding the right one is not just a challenge—for many it can be overwhelming.  Without a clear college search roadmap, many students fail to explore the full range of schools available to them.

But luckily for high school students, there’s a new, innovative, free website to simplify the college search process: CollegeFindMe.com.

Unlike other college search engines, CollegeFindMe makes it easy for colleges and universities to find you! When you log onto the site, you’ll be asked to fill out an academic and personal profile. This assessment will allow you to share a full picture of your talents, interests, and achievements so that admissions offices will get to know you as more than just an SAT or ACT score.

Then use the site’s three different search engines to look for colleges by filling in different criteria. Once you have a list of options, you can easily check off boxes and add them to your “My College” list.

Simultaneously, college admissions officers will be able to review students’ confidential profiles to search for students or demographics that best fit their admission criteria. With CollegeFindMe, colleges will have a direct channel to send applications, fee waivers, invitations to visit their campus, or scholarship offers to attractive candidates that they otherwise might never have reached.

Today’s high school guidance departments are stretched to the breaking point.  The national ratio of students to counselors is nearly 500 to 1, and research from the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights shows that one in five U.S. high schools has no school counselor on staff, a deficit that impacts most those families in greatest need of help.

“A U.S. Department of Education survey found that guidance counselors provide an average of 38 minutes of college search/application advice per high school student—and that’s over a four-year time frame,” says CollegeFindMe CEO Christina Bai. “While some families are able to spend thousands of dollars on supplemental college guidance, that option is out of reach for most families.”

“This is truly an equalizer,” explains company spokesperson Josef Blumenfeld from EdTech180.  “All students deserve the chance to attend the college of their dreams.  Sadly, non-affluent families often can’t fill the gap left by over-burdened high school guidance departments, and they don’t know where to turn.  By using CollegeFindMe as the first step in their college search and application process, all students can start down the right path to the right college.”

CollegeFindMe hopes to level the playing field by giving all students the chance to find the perfect place. Or, better yet, sit back and let the right college find you.

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Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education, Policy & Reform

Guns on campus: there will be no artist or doctor once the trigger is pulled

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.**

Jeffrey Alan Lockwood, University of Wyoming

As a rational academic, living in one of the most conservative states, where legislators are planning to allow firearms in virtually all public places, including the University of Wyoming, I have labored to understand my own deep antipathy to the idea of my students and colleagues being armed.

Gun advocates and opponents can each fire off statistics; however, the debate will not be resolved with data when the fundamental conflict is a matter of ideals. I could dredge up statistics about the frequency of gun accidents, while advocates could offer numbers showing that people with concealed gun permits rarely shoot innocent bystanders.

But dueling spreadsheets fail to get to the heart of the issue. Rather, my resistance to a well-regulated militia crossing the quad between classes is rooted in non-quantifiable principles.

Fear undermines classroom learning environment

The proliferation of virtual courses notwithstanding, the soul of a university remains its classrooms. These are the places of genuine human engagement, debate, thought, and passion. Students must come prepared -— ready to learn (by having done the reading), ready to argue (by thinking critically about ideas), and ready to change (by cultivating intellectual humility).

Here they are tested and challenged. This is where they flounder and flourish. Arming students seems inimical to learning. The presence, even the possibility, of a loaded weapon casts a pall over classroom discussion.

Arming students is inimical to learning as classrooms are meant to provide a safe space for intellectual growth.
K W Reinsch/Flickr, CC BY-NC

Fear undermines the openness and vulnerability necessary for learning. When getting ready for class means preparing to die (or to kill), an academic community has failed.

I remember going back home to Albuquerque – a city with a violent and property crime rate well above the national average– for Christmas when our kids were little to find that my parents had installed burglar bars in their windows. I was overwhelmed by a sense of sadness that the city of my youth had failed so miserably that the people barricaded their homes.

Universities are meant to be safe spaces

My parents were free to live behind bars to protect their property, and the legislature wants to free me to arm myself in the classroom to guard my life. Somehow, these don’t feel like liberties. I want to work at a university that is big enough to provide students with a hundred opportunities and small enough to notice one anguished student.

Maybe I’m safer if a student in my seminar is carrying a gun. For that matter, maybe I’d be safer if I wore a Kevlar vest while lecturing. But I don’t want to teach where we prepare to shoot and be shot. I don’t want to be a part of failure. In all likelihood, no armed student will take (or save) my life. But the same cannot be said of that student’s life.

Suicide rates are already high

Suicide rates on college campuses are appalling. I said that numbers wouldn’t resolve the issue, but the fact is that suicide rates among young adults has tripled since the 1950s, having become the second most common cause of death among college students. Given current statistics, the University of Wyoming with an enrollment of 14,000 can expect at least two thousand of these students to contemplate suicide, two hundred to make an attempt, and perhaps two to succeed.

I was the first person to arrive on the scene of two suicide attempts when I was in college. I mopped up a lot of blood, but razor blades are not all that effective. Guns work much better. Filled with shame, my friends asked me to hide the evidence and lie in the emergency room. I did.

They were both extremely intelligent young men. But laboring under enormous stress and failed relationships, on a dark, lonely night, collapsed into a moment of utter despair. Lonely but not alone -— nearly half of all university students report symptoms of depression.

Enough of the numbers. Consider this simple statement from a college athlete who was battling depression: “If I’d had a gun, I’d have probably put a bullet in my head.”

Campus grounds are not for killing or being killed

Perhaps my perspective is darkened by experience, but my deepest fear is not that a student with a gun comes to my classroom in the morning, but that the student leaves his dorm room in a body bag that evening.

Campuses are places fraught with doubt, conflict, angst, disorientation, and drama. A university education is not easy intellectually -— or existentially. College is where assumptions die, identities expire, and beliefs perish. But this should not become a place where students come to kill or be killed.

A university should be where the dying dream of being an engineer is resurrected as a graphic artist, where an identity as a straight Christian gives way to being a gay ethicist, and where the parental narrative of being a biology teacher is reborn as a student’s own aspiration of becoming a doctor.

But once the trigger is pulled, there will be no artist, philosopher, or doctor. Maybe I’m an idealist, but how else does one avoid cynicism and fatalism? If we aren’t willing to imagine and risk, then there’s no “good fight” left in the professoriate. An academic life worth living requires courage, hope, defiance and compassion. It does not require guns.

The issue of guns on American campuses is a subject of vigorous debate. By 2013, at least 19 states had introduced legislation to allow guns on campus. Seven states now allow concealed weapons on campus. We carry here both sides of the debate. Today, we are carrying this article opposing concealed weapons on campuses. Later this week, we will be carrying another article arguing in favour of guns on campus.

_____The Conversation

Jeffrey Alan Lockwood is Professor of Natural Sciences & Humanities Director of the MFA program in Creative Writing, Department of Philosophy at University of Wyoming.

This article was originally published on The Conversation.

Read the original article.

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Matthew Lynch published in Diversity, Equity, Higher Education

Multicultural recruiting: What colleges do it best?

By Matthew  Lynch

At least on paper, America’s colleges and universities are interested in creating a diverse student population. Though not perfect in practice, U.S. college campuses are increasingly becoming more nuanced in their population makeups in order to more accurately represent the greater population. Part of this is just a reflection of a changing society but some of it has to do with schools effectively recruiting a student body that has plenty of diversity. This includes recruitment efforts to bring in low-income, first-generation college, immigrant and other minority students.

While nearly every college or university has a diversity policy on the books, some are succeeding in practice more than others. Take a look at these five colleges or universities that are doing an excellent job with multicultural recruiting and how they are making it happen:

Bates College: With its Prologue Program for first-generation and diverse background students, this Maine-based school welcomes these students with a three-day intensive initiation. For new students who want to enter in the fall of 2016, the Prologue Program will offer tours, class attendance, meet-and-greet sessions with faculty members, and even an admission interview. The purpose is to give these students a more accurate idea of what to expect when they arrive as official students.  Literally putting students in classroom seats helps them envision their futures as college students.

Princeton University: Though Ivy League schools are generally regarded as being elitist, many are making large strides to create more diverse campuses. Princeton has specific recruiting tactics that include partnering with the Leadership Enterprise Diverse of America organization to reach talented high school students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. A seven-week summer program is also available for incoming freshman from low-income and other disadvantaged backgrounds in order to help them adjust to the rigors of Princeton before their official time on the campus begins. A release from the university states that the “Class of 2018 has a record 290 students from low-income backgrounds, making up 22 percent of the class; approximately 12 percent of the Class of 2018 are first-generation college students.” These numbers are certainly a reflection of successful recruiting but to get those students across the graduation stage, Princeton recognizes that support programs are necessary too.

University of North Carolina, Charlotte. This public does a great job addressing the needs of students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. The graduation gap between white and Latino or black students at UNC Charlotte is nearly non-existent. In addition, generous needs-based scholarships ensure that these disadvantaged students graduate with less debt. UNC Charlotte also offers a six-week summer “bridge” program that has increased its freshman-to-sophomore retention by 12 percent.

Rutgers University: Though not as traditionally diverse as some of the other schools on this list, Rutgers does have multicultural strengths in two areas: international students and LGBT students. Students from more than 110 countries attend Rutgers, and it is consistently ranked as a top 100 campus for LGBT students. Women represent almost half of the students (49 percent) and just over one-quarter are of Asian descent. Where Rutgers lacks is in African-American representation (just 7 percent) but overall, the university is doing a good job of recruiting diverse students.

When it comes to economic diversity, the Rutgers Future Scholars program is offered to first-generation and low-income middle schoolers who live in the vicinity of the university who show promise for attending it in the future. The students who complete the precollege initiative are given a scholarship to cover tuition for four years. More support for lower-income students comes from an additional Educational Opportunity Fund.

Cornell University: More specifically, the College of Engineering. The department is designed to assist students who are “traditionally underrepresented in engineering.” In 2011, President Obama bestowed the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring on Cornell for its successful attempts at Diversity. Mentoring is a big part of what makes this program so successful. Since 2004, this niche initiative of the larger university has connected minority high school students with mentors who are already in the college program, faculty or working in the field of engineering. The program works because it shows younger engineers-to-be other successful people who look like them.

 

What college-level multicultural recruiting tactics do you believe work the best?

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Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education

Does a college education mean a longer marriage?

We’ve all heard the daunting statistics about marriage outcomes in the United States. Roughly half of all first time marriages end in divorce. However, new research suggests that education status could have some bearing on whether your marriage succeeds or fails.

Research from the National Center for Health Statistics find that 78% of college-educated women married between 2006-2010 could expect marriages lasting at least 20 years. Just 40% of women with a high school education or less are estimated to enjoy enduring partnerships.

The findings provide even more evidence of the marital gap present in the U.S. among educational lines. Research illustrates that college-educated individuals are more likely to be married than their less educated peers. According to a Pew Research Center study, 65% of adults age 25 and above with a bachelor’s degree or higher were married, compared to 53% of adults with less education.

The research doesn’t spell out the reasons these marriages withstand, however it is known that college-educated individuals are more inclined to get married later in life and tend to be more established financially than less educated adults.

Educated women aren’t the only demographic with a higher chance for enjoying a long-term marriage. Approximately 65% of college-educated men could expect their first marriage to last 20 years or longer, compared to 50% of men with a high school diploma or less. Additionally, higher educated men are overall more inclined to get married in the first place.

Are these social and demographic trends surprising? Perhaps college educated individuals aren’t directly taught the sort of skills necessary for a lasting marriage, but incur such life experiences throughout their years of higher education that make this happen.

What are your thoughts on the college-marriage connection?

 

 

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Matthew Lynch published in Equity, Higher Education

Educational opportunity rises 80 percent since 1970

According to the Historical Report of Opportunity, released by Opportunity Nation and Measure of America, educational opportunity has escalated by 80 percent since 1970. The Report defines Educational Opportunity as the number of children in preschool, the number of high school students who graduate on time, and the number of adults with an associate’s degree or higher. Over the past four decades, Massachusetts improved the most; Nevada, the least.

Between 1970 and 2010, the number of 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled in preschool increased by nearly four times, emphasizing the growing awareness of the benefits of early childhood education. Studies show that low-income children who attend high-quality preschool are more successful academically and more likely to graduate from high school and enroll in postsecondary education. Some states have cut funding for public pre-K, yet early childhood education continues to be a priority in many states.

Every state experienced growth in the percentage of adults aged 25 or older who obtained at least an associate’s degree. This indicates the changing global economy that requires higher levels of education of employees. During the four decades measured, Americans with at least an associates degree increased by 105 percent.

In 2013, 28 percent of children nationwide were enrolled in state-financed preschool. While 36.3 percent of Americans have at least an associate’s degree, economists predict that by 2020, two-thirds of American jobs will require some form of post-secondary degree or credential.

While Americans should be proud of the educational improvements our country has seen, we need to continue, or even pick up the pace to ensure people possess the skills required to build a powerful 21st-century workforce. This Report acts as a good reminder to value the importance of education as the pathway to many of life’s successes.

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Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education

Poll: Many Americans no longer view college as ‘very important’

Many Americans no longer view college as ‘very important’ according to the first part of the 46th annual PDK-Gallup poll. According to the poll, only 44 percent of Americans cite college education as ‘very important’; a number is down from 75 percent just four years ago. A larger percentage of Americans now view education as ‘fairly important.’

The number of parents who said it was somewhat or very likely that they would be able to pay for college for their oldest child is down to 69 percent from 77 percent in 2010.

As a whole, Americans are doubtful about students’ career readiness; just 13 percent said a high school graduate is ready. Thirty-seven percent of Americans agree that college grads are ready for the work world.

Americans believe that the most important factor in helping a high school student eventually get a good job is learning skills such as dependability, persistence, and teamwork.

The second part of the poll, released this week found that a majority of public school parents want selective teacher training programs and that they believe new teachers should work for a minimum of one year with a certified teacher prior to manning their own class.

The feud of Common Core continues; the majority of Americans oppose the Common Core State Standards and the Teach for American program embraced by the Obama administration. Over half of Americans said that the curriculum used in their community’s schools needs altered.

I find the results to the poll really interesting. It’s unfortunate that so many Americans don’t view college as ‘very important.’ The declining belief in the importance of college is really disheartening and I hope we can find away to turn these numbers around and encourage more students to pursue higher education.

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Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education

What future college students should know about winning scholarships

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.**

A guest post by Brooke Chaplan

Scholarship searches aren’t for the faint of heart, but if you put in the effort, your searches can often pay off. Financial aid experts know that people who start searching for scholarships early stand the best chance of getting the most money for their schooling. There are also scholarships available for people who want to attend online colleges to get a degree, study particular fields, or have the right background. The trick to winning scholarships is to find the ones that match your skills and personal situation when applying.

Start Early… Really Early

If you’ve waited for your senior year to find scholarships, chances are you’ve waited too long. Many scholarships are available for those in their freshman, sophomore, and junior years in high school. These scholarships require an early application, and if you don’t apply at the right time, you’ll miss the deadlines. Scholarships are even available for pre-high school students from Kindergarten to eighth grade. You can get started as early as you want and have time to apply and prepare each one.

Sign Up For Alerts

There are several online scholarship databases you can sign up for to receive alerts. Create a special email for all your scholarship applications, and set up searches on various scholarship search websites to get notified of new scholarships. Apply as soon as possible, and keep track of every scholarship you apply for.

Go For Easy Prey

Don’t just sign up for the biggest scholarships. Look for essay contests and other small awards. These offerings can add up to a substantial amount once you enter college, and the extra time spent honing your writing skills will help to prepare you for college. Smaller contests can often be easier to win and generally are based on the quality of your submission.

Pay Attention to the Sponsor

Sponsors are looking for people who represent their goals and values. Make sure you carefully read all the regulations and find out some basic background about the scholarship before applying.  You might be just who they are looking for, or it could be really off-base for your situation.

Control Your Social Presence

If you already have a social media presence, see what types of information can be determined about you by looking online. Make an attempt to remove any information you don’t want a scholarship search committee to see. While you can clean up the content of most of your social media accounts, keep in mind some information may last a long time on the Internet. Be prepared to explain anything in a potential interview.

Colleges often offer discounts for students who enroll in online classes, like these online Rutgers programs. There are also special awards for people who wish to study completely online. Be open and look for any opportunity you are qualified for. Apply to as many opportunities as possible for the greatest chance of success.

Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most her time hiking, biking and gardening. For more information contact Brooke via Twitter @BrookeChaplan.

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Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education

4 important life skills college students need from the start

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.**

A guest column by Brooke Chaplin

College is a time of great change for students who are used to living under their parents’ rules and protection. While some will commute and still live at home, a majority of students live on campus, and first-timers may be in for a rude awakening. These are just a few challenges students may encounter as they adjust to college life.

Time Management
Students just getting to college may not be accustomed to taking responsibility for their own schedule. They may have always had parents waking them up in the morning and nagging them to do their homework. Now, it’s up to you to get up for class and be diligent about completing assignments. Organizational aids can be a big help if you learn to use them right; a solid day planner is of great use for keeping track of what needs to be done and when. Schools are great to provide most schedules and assignment due dates in disclosures and websites, but for your own aid, make sure you put them all in one schedule or planner you can update and check yourself.  

Eating Healthy
Eating properly can be problematic in college. If you don’t have a built-in plan for food, you may be tempted to just skip as many meals as possible in order to save money and time. If you don’t eat enough, you won’t have the energy you need for good study habits or optimum physical health, and if you do have a meal plan, you might be tempted to overeat, since food is so freely available. Pay attention to your food intake so you can try to avoid that dreaded Freshman 15. What’s more, if you do eat an especially large meal, try to make up for it with an extra-long walk around campus. College life can be very conducive to exercise, so if you are diligent, it should even out.

Avoiding Drugs
If you’ve never been exposed to drugs or alcohol before, college can be a very dangerous time. Make sure you are always aware of what you are putting into your body and resist the temptation to experiment with illegal substances since the dangers far outweigh any potential benefits. Trying new things can always be fun and is part of the college experience, but make sure you do so safely and legally and with people you’re comfortable with. If you find yourself getting hooked, don’t be afraid to go to a professional for help. Or if you have a friend suffering the ill effects of drugs or alcohol abuse, gather some friends and stage an alcohol intervention to encourage them to find help. What is an intervention? If you’re not sure, you might need to seek out a service that can get you the right information on who should be there and what to say.

Staying Debt-Free
Chances are, you’re already paying student loans or taking them out for the first time, but you don’t want to add credit cards into the mix. Credit card companies prey on college students with enticing introductory offers. Before you know it, you’re thousands of dollars in debt as you spend money you don’t really have. Do yourself a favor and stick with cash and savings during your college career.

These are just a few tips that will help to make your college experience more enjoyable. College is full of important lessons, and many do not occur in the classroom. Stay safe and smart, and your education will be worth the ride.

___________

Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most her time hiking, biking and gardening. For more information on getting help with drugs, or if you have a friend suffering the ill effects of drugs or alcohol abuse, gather some friends and stage an alcohol intervention to encourage them to find help. What is an intervention? If you’re not sure, you might need to seek out a service that can get you the right information on who should be there and what to say

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Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education

The top 7 reasons to pursue a Master’s degree, besides the paycheck

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.**

A guest post by Anita Ginsburg
Recently, there has been much debate whether the benefits of a master’s degree outweigh the cost of obtaining one. Many experts claim that a master’s degree in certain subjects does not improve your salary significantly, making it not worth the cost of an education at the graduate level. However, there are reasons, other than a paycheck, to pursue your master’s degree.

Learning About Your Passion

Most people enter a career because they are passionate about it, whether that is teaching, management or nursing. By pursuing an education at the master’s level about a subject you are passionate about, you get to learn more about that subject. You develop a deeper understanding which can help you enjoy your career even more.

More Job Opportunities

In many industries, you cannot advance without higher education. Although there are some who argue that on-the-job experience is far more valuable than a graduate degree, the fact is that some industries require graduate level education in order to advance. By not getting that degree, you could risk limitations at your workplace. For example, getting an online master’s of education in higher education gives you the knowledge needed to obtain better jobs in teaching.

Career Change

For many people, a graduate degree represents the ability to move into a different career. If you already hold a bachelor’s degree, you can obtain a master’s degree in a completely different field by taking just a few extra classes. For example, if you obtained a bachelor’s degree in business and have discovered you have a fascination with law, you can earn your law degree in less time than if you did not have a degree.

Respectability

Although obtaining any college degree should command respect, earning a master’s degree will be recognized more quickly than an undergraduate degree. Employers are aware that obtaining a master’s degree is difficult, which is why they often respect those who complete graduate programs more than those who do not.

Networking

When you pursue a Master’s degree, you are exposed to industry leaders, either as faculty members or as part of the education process. This can help you build a network of colleagues which may lead to leadership roles in the future. In addition, your classmates will become part of your network and those connections can lead to promotions or job placements in the future.

Intellectual Growth

Graduate school provides intellectual stimulation and cognitive development. Just as regular exercise helps build physical strength, regular education can also build mental strength. Education helps you grow and expand your mind.

Leadership Skills

Graduate school helps you improve your leadership skills. Most graduate programs have requirements that push you into leadership roles. This can help you grow as an individual and provide potential employers with the knowledge that you are willing and able to be a leader in your chosen field.

There are many reasons to pursue a master’s degree beyond the increase in salary you may achieve by earning your diploma. These are just a few of the reasons many people choose to advance their education at the graduate level.

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