Financing

Amid economic uncertainty, rising tuition costs, and a competitive job market, many community college students are looking for ways to generate extra income. One alternative wage-earning option involves participating in monitored clinical trials and medical research studies. In addition to helping researchers develop new treatments, eligible participants may receive compensation that can help offset tuition, textbooks, transportation, and living expenses.

However, before signing up, students should understand both the benefits and the potential risks. While many clinical trials are carefully regulated and ethically conducted, participation is not appropriate for everyone.

Drug Trial Opportunities

While community colleges, nearby hospitals, universities, and medical centers may offer opportunities to participate in research studies, students often search for clinical trials through larger national databases.

One of the most comprehensive resources is ClinicalTrials.gov, a searchable database maintained by the U.S National Library of Medicine. The database lists thousands of recruiting and completed clinical studies from around the world, allowing volunteers to search by medical condition, location, eligibility, and compensation when available.

Individuals who are healthy, eligible, and willing to comply with all study requirements may earn supplemental income while contributing to medical research. Before participating, students should carefully review the informed consent documents and discuss any concerns with the study staff.

Examples of research studies include:

• Sleep deprivation studies
• Time isolation studies
• Medical drug trials
• Diet and exercise studies
• Addiction studies (including nicotine, caffeine, alcohol, and other substances)
• Vision, dermatology, psychology, and other physical or cognitive studies
• Sensory studies

Students interested in other ways to help

Accessing Free Healthcare: How Community Colleges Are Bridging the Medical Gap

Did you know that your local community college medical clinic may be an excellent source of free health care? USA Today reports that community area clinics helped nearly seven million uninsured patients in 2008! Considering that almost 21 percent of the nation’s citizens are currently struggling to pay medical and prescription drug bills, community college clinics are playing a large role in helping to fill the financial void.

How Can Community Colleges Provide Free Services?

Free healthcare services at your local community college may seem too good. After all, how can community colleges afford to provide free medical treatment? The answer lies in innovation. Through creative programs, community colleges leverage student support to create opportunities for free healthcare.

For example, students enrolled in dental programs, healthcare classes, and other medical fields are often required to participate in hands-on field practice. Community college clinics provide students in the medical field with realistic training experiences, which translate into mutually beneficial situations for both the students and the community.

In these clinics, students often hold the responsibility of providing examination and health services to any incoming patients. These students, of course, are highly qualified in their area of study, and they are also required to be supervised by a certified and licensed professional. This translates into solid medical care for the community.

This video offers an overview of Norco Community College's health services.

In a slow economy, single parents often feel the brunt of financial difficulties first. To help all students achieve their academic goals, a rising number of community colleges are providing single parents with special financial support. In fact, single parents may qualify for reduced or even free tuition, which can help them increase their skills and competitiveness in the job market.

The Tremendous Costs of Single Parenting

Many community colleges across the country recognize that single parents face greater financial difficulties than other students. Examining the struggles of single parents, Stamford Plus and Connecticut’s Fairfield County Community Foundation (FCCF) found that a single parent with one child living in the Fairfield area requires a minimum income of $58,000 each year—and this estimate only covers a parent and child’s basic costs!

Adding to this, the FCCF reports that 21,000 local households are comprised of a single female parent with a child or children under the age of 18. To respond to this large population’s needs, Norwalk Community College (NCC) has become a leader in the education field, providing new and innovative programs to support single parents.

On Campus, Single Parents Are Not Alone

Located in Norwalk, Connecticut, NCC has created a new Family Economic Security Program (FESP). With support from the Fairfield County Community Foundation’s Fund for Women and Girls and the NCC Foundation, eligible students will have access to

As a response to the weakened economy, workplaces across the country are cutting back on their employees and salaries. While this may come as a devastating and unexpected surprise for many workers, some community colleges view this unfortunate downturn as a potential time for new opportunities.

Some community colleges are providing students with "insurance" against unemployment, while others are outright giving free tuition to students. While many community colleges have independently been offering residents free or reduced tuition, federal legislation may give unemployed individuals across the nation free access to further education.

This video looks at reduced tuition at community colleges.

Pending Legislation for Greater Support

In light of recent job cuts across the United States, many residents and leaders support plans to offer reduced or free tuition for unemployed citizens. As The Pittsburgh Gazette reports, Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senator Bob Casey is one of the many senators and government officials proclaiming that reduced tuition may help foster an improved workforce for the future. Casey hopes to pass legislation that would create an Unemployment Tuition Assistance Program in the Department of Labor, wherein individuals who are receiving unemployment payments will be automatically notified as to whether or not they could also receive tuition assistance. If all goes as planned, the legislation could help reimburse schools a maximum of $1,000 per student.

While this plan sounds optimistic, many experts opposed to the plan

As workers face a bleak economy with high rates of layoffs and low rates of new employment, President Obama has initiated new plans to help workers become more educated to compete in the job market.

In fact, in Obama’s recent 2009-2010 budget proposal, he clearly made college education a focal point for the improvement and success of the United States. Titling this budget proposal “A New Era of Responsibility,” Obama is seeking to provide students with additional financial aid support through both student loan programs and Pell Grant programs. With this approach, current and future college students may be able to save money while preparing for their futures.

An Increase in Aid

Through the proposal, President Obama asserts that the path to an enhanced economy and society is achieved through education. As the document states, college should be more properly funded and supported to, “Make sure that we have a highly-educated workforce and that the opportunity to go to college is not determined by how much money you have.”

To allow all individuals, regardless of income, to gain access to higher education opportunities, Obama’s proposal to increase student loan and Pell Grant financial aid support should stimulate an almost immediate benefit. Essentially, the 2009-2010 budget proposal allows for an increase in the maximum Pell Grant amount for each student. Currently, the Pell Grant maximum was capped at $4,731 per person; Obama has proposed to raise this maximum to $5,350 per person.

This video explains how