10 Tips for Making Community College More Affordable

The United States is facing a debt crisis of epic proportions, but it may not be in the area consumers would suspect. Huffington Post cites statistics from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York that show student debt has surpassed credit card debt in this country. It is no wonder the media is littered with reports of student debt defaults today. To make matters worse, the source of student debt is no longer community colleges and four-year public institutions. Instead, that debt goes directly to for-profit schools that charge students high tuition rates but deliver little in return.

The numbers are concerning, considering that community colleges – the schools President Obama has touted as the training grounds for our future workforce – are scrambling to make ends meet. As more people head to these public institutions hoping to get applicable training for recession-proof, lucrative careers, the schools are finding themselves without the necessary resources to teach everyone who wants to be educated. Services and programs have been cut, and waitlists for popular courses are becoming longer and longer. State and federal funding are slim at these schools today.

This video outlines financial aid for community college students.

For-Profits Enjoy Prosperity

This is not the case with for-profit colleges. Institutions like the University of Phoenix and ITT Technical Institute are enjoying significant prosperity these days as they take a

The job market appears to be evolving rapidly in recent years, as the Great Recession has caused a shift – and even a nearly complete disappearance – of many industries. This evolution has sent many adult workers back to school, searching for new career paths that would be more lucrative and stable. The academic landscape often looks very different to adult workers worried about supporting and balancing families and working around professional schedules to achieve their education dreams. With that in mind, consider this list of adult-friendly community college degree programs and tips to help you determine whether now is the right time to pursue a community college degree.

Is Now the Right Time for Community College?

There are a number of reasons to consider continuing education as an adult, including:

• Inability to advance in your current position without additional education
• Sudden unemployment (such as a layoff) and difficulty finding a new job without a degree
• Need to make a career change when current career runs out of opportunities
• Fulfill a lifelong dream of achieving a college education

All of these reasons are legitimate courses that lead to community college. However, before you leap, it is important to count the cost – including the time and money involved in higher education – to be sure you are prepared to make the investment. Next, research all your opportunities, in terms of schools and degree programs, to be sure you find the best one for your needs.

Degrees from the Plus 50

The largest community college district in the country recently announced plans to move to the cloud, via Microsoft’s Live@EDU cloud suite. The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) has determined that Microsoft’s package will best meet the needs of its students, staff, and faculty. The rollout is scheduled for the beginning of the upcoming school year.

What the Cloud Can Do

According to a report at PC World, the decision by LACCD to move to the cloud began with a desire to have every student on each of the nine campuses obtain their own email account within the school system. This idea slowly spread beyond email capabilities to include IM, video, and audio conferencing and calendaring. The cloud suite will also allow students to prepare online documents to share, edit, and collaborate with professors and other students.

“Students and faculty, once they start learning all the capabilities, I expect they’ll realize it’s way more than email,” LACCD CIO Jorge Mata told PC World.

Some of the specific features offered with Microsoft’s Live@EDU include:

• Email and calendars with a 10GB inbox
• Additional file storage up to 25GB
• Instant messaging
• Video chat and audio conferencing
• Document sharing
• Mobile email
• Accessible through Web browsers for Mac, Windows, and Linux systems
• Easy to set up and manage

This video explains Microsoft's Cloud Services.

Until now, the nine campuses for the Los Angeles Community College District have determined whether to offer students the option

The recession and subsequent high unemployment rate have led many adults in a search for additional education that would lead to a recession-proof career. Fortunately, community colleges are set to deliver such degree programs, in everything from health care to computers. Consider these seven recession-proof careers you can get into with just a two-year degree under your belt.

Health Care Administration

Healthcare is a booming industry regardless of what the economy is doing since people still get sick and need physicians and other medical staff. For those who like the stability of health care but don’t necessarily want to work directly with patients, healthcare administration might be just the ticket. This position entails handling the administrative duties in a physician’s office, clinic or hospital, such as maintaining patient files, setting appointments and handling insurance issues. Some administrators oversee an entire small office, while others might be responsible for a single department in a larger facility.

According to Yahoo News, the unemployment rate for experienced healthcare administrators between 2009 and 2010 was just 2.9 percent – far below the national unemployment rate of 8.2 percent during the same time frame.

Nursing

For those who prefer to work with patients, the field of nursing is always looking for graduates to man positions. Nurses work in hospitals or clinics, or they may provide care in patients’ homes. This profession can be entered with a two-year degree, although many employers require additional education to advance in