California leads nation in escalating college costs

UC Berkeley Campanile

By Larry Gordon, Los Angeles Times


October 26, 2011

Steep funding cuts to higher education in California and elsewhere were significant factors in pushing average tuition and fees up 8.3% at four-year public colleges and universities nationwide this fall, according to a report by the nonprofit College Board.

California's public universities enacted the highest average tuition increase, 21%, of any state, the annual study on college costs found. The state enrolls a tenth of the nation's public four-year college students.

But even excluding California, tuition prices at such colleges rose significantly nationwide this year, an average of 7%, the College Board found. Apart from California, Arizona and Washington had the highest rates of tuition increases at public four-year campuses, 17% and 16% respectively, while Connecticut and South Carolina were lowest, at 2.5% each.

Sandy Baum, a policy analyst for the College Board, said the recession's toll on tax revenues prompted some states to slash higher education funding. "California seems to be the leader of that" trend, she said.

Yet the study also showed that significant increases in federal grants and tax credits are shielding many students from some of the tuition pain even as unemployment is driving more people to enroll at colleges. "As the states have stepped back, the federal government to some extent compensated for the higher prices," Baum said.

Get the full story at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/la-me-college-costs-20111026,0,269120.story

In the Hunt -- Landing a Summer Job

Experts say it's not too late for students to find a summer job. Although many teenagers hoping to work over the summer have already secured employment, for the many still hoping to land a position, one job-search authority says get out there and give it a try.

“While many employers already completed the process of interviewing and hiring for seasonal positions, this does not mean that those still wanting jobs should give up. Some employers may need more workers than they expected; others may have delayed hiring; and some may have discovered that one or more of those hired early were not a good fit,” says John Challenger, chief executive officer of global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas, Inc.

“The point is, you never know if or when a job opening is going to materialize, so you want to keep pushing to ensure that you are in the right place if one does,” he says.

The outlook on the summer job market for teenagers released by Challenger in March was not very optimistic. However, since March, large seasonal hiring plans were announced by several employers, including McDonald’s, Home Depot and Lowe’s.

“Teen job seekers will definitely need help from the private sector. We still see a shortage of job opportunities for teens in the cash-strapped public sector, where taxpayer-funded park districts, public swimming pools, beaches, camps, etc., are likely to cut back on seasonal hiring,” says Mr. Challenger.

Last year, teen job seekers experienced the weakest summer job market in decades. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that from May through July employment among 16- to 19-year-olds increased by just 960,000 jobs. That was down 17.5 percent from 2009, when teen employment grew by 1,163,000.

The 960,000 summer jobs filled by teens represents the lowest level of summer hiring since 1949, when teen employment increased by 932,000 during the summer months. In contrast, employers hired more than 1.7 million teenagers during the summer of 2006, bringing total employment for this age group to 7,494,000 in July, which historically represents the annual peak of teen employment.

“The key to success for late-to-the-game teen job seekers will be an aggressive approach,” says Mr. Challenger. “Today’s tech-savvy teenagers are apt to conduct 90 percent of their job search on the Internet and submit applications online. However, nothing beats actually walking into a business, introducing yourself to the manager and asking about job opportunities. The personal touch sets the groundwork in building a rapport that will separate you from electronic candidates.”

GO! Study Abroad Scholarship! | Study Abroad Programs with GO! Study Abroad

GO! Study Abroad Scholarship! Study Abroad Programs with GO! Study Abroad: "GO! Study Abroad Scholarship!
The deadline for 2011 spring semester scholarships is January 15th, 2011. The award for each scholarship is $1,000.
GO! Overseas is proud to support international education through scholarships available to students participating in study abroad programs. Scholarships are awarded each year. The scholarship is awarded based on the creativity and analytical thinking displayed through writing samples and/or video submissions. Further details are as follows:
Study abroad scholarships are awarded each year. The award for each scholarship is $1,000.
GO! Overseas will judge entries based on the following criteria: Creativity of writing sample, displayed analytical thinking, and passion for studying abroad.
The GO! Overseas Scholarship is open to current students who will be enrolled in a study abroad program during the coming academic year. Recipients must be successfully accepted into a study abroad program. The sole purpose of this award will be to off-set the costs of the student's study abroad program.
Outstanding scholarship submissions will be posted on the GO! Overseas website. All recipients will be required to participate in a pre-departure and post-return interview.
Note: The length of the study abroad course will not be taken into consideration by the committee. The study abroad course also does not necessarily need to be credit bearing."

Follow me on Facebook to learn tips for Getting into UC schools

Im working hard right now to get admitted to a UC school here in California.
My intention is to try and get in to the best school for the money. All of the ten UC campuses:University of California San Francisco, Berkeley, Los Angeles, Davis, Santa Cruz, Merced, Irvine, Santa Barbera, Riverside, San Diego have almost the same annual tuition, about $11,000.
Im attending Sacramento City College right now and majoring in Real Estate, my tuition and books are about $1000 per year. The California State University system has an annual tuition of about $4000 per year, thats an option for me depending on my grades. I need at least a 2.8 for the TAG(transfer authorization gaurantee) to attend a UC school like Merced. For State schools I would need at least a 2.1 for the IGETC (Inter-Segmental General Education Transfer Curriculum). The question of which school I will attend basically comes down to what grades I get (fingers crossed).

If you are Starting back to school for the first time or after a long absence make sure you get the following things done early to ensure your success.

Financial Aid, the Most Important! Stressing over money and school is no fun!

1.Fill out the Free Application For Student Aid(FAFSA) at http://www.fafsa.org/
You can do this online anytime and is the beginning of the Financial Aid process for any Federal grants like the Pell Grant.

2.Apply for the California Community College Board of Governors Fee Waiver(BOGW)
You can get an application from the financial aid office at your school, Turning in this income verification allows your tuition to be waived if you make less than about $14,000. You save about $800 per year for a full time Community College student.

Getting the FAFSA filled out correctly and early is the key to getting approved. Once you're approved you should register at the school you indicated on the FAFSA. Many Community Colleges allow you to register online but its a good idea to visit the school as early as you can to get familiar with your environment.
Got a question? friend me on Facebook Facebook Mark Van

Good book and also on the study guide for History 484 a business innovator and philanthrapist

I found this book on the reading list for History 484 at Sacramento City College. I found that it provided a good general overview of Andrew Carnegie the man as well as a great chronology of his pioneering work in developing  modern corporate business models.

UC board to weigh more fee increases - Los Angeles Times

Under the plan, undergraduate student fees for 2011-12 would rise by $822 to $11,124 annually — about $12,150 when campus-based fees are included.



UC board to weigh more fee increases - Los Angeles Times