Tag: College Funding
Why Returning to College After Age 30 (Age 40, 50, Etc.) Might Be Just The Right Choice For You
by Redfokker on Feb.06, 2010, under College Funding, Non Traditional Journey
While surfing around the articles available online (looking for inspiration) I found this. I usually do not repost these articles, but I found this one interesting. Hope you enjoy!
Not that long ago, college students who were older than twenty-five were often described by educators and college admissions officers as “non-traditional,” but now more and more adult students are returning to college than ever before.
In fact, according to the F.A.Q. (Frequently Asked Questions) page of Back2College.com, in 1970, “28 percent of all college students were 25 years of age or older.”
In 1998 the number of adult learners had increased to 41 percent.
The number of students age 35 and older in degree-granting institutions has soared from about 823,000 in 1970 to an estimated 2.9 million in 2001 – doubling from 9.6% of total students to 19.2%, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.”
Seven Valuable Tips for Returning to College
Professor Al Seibert, who has taught adult education and management psychology courses for over thirty years at Portland State University in Oregon, is the Director of The Resiliency Center and the co-author, along with Mary Karr, of The Adult Student’s Guide to Survival & Success, 5th Edition.
He frequently speaks to groups of newly enrolled adult learners, and in a recent e-mail interview, he outlined seven useful tips that he always shares with them:
“1. If you have fears and concerns write them down. Then look to see how realistic they are and develop a plan for overcoming each one. For example, if you feel like you won’t be able to study and compete with younger, traditional students, that is an unrealistic fear. After the first several class meetings, adult students calm their initial fears and typically do better in their courses than most of the younger students.
2. If you feel concerned about being able to pass tests, go to the college bookstore and look in the book section on “Study Skills.” These books have practical guidelines on how to study and pass tests with high grades. Study skills books also show how to write excellent term papers.
3. Are you uncertain about a new career direction to take? The colleges in your area all have free career counseling services.
4. If you worry about how much your spouse and family will support your new life as a college student, some books and websites have guidelines on how to gain their cooperation, support, and encouragement.
5. If you are working while taking college courses, ask your employer to alter your work schedule during exam weeks. Most of them will.
6. If a course you need is offered at inconvenient time, take it at a nearby college. Afterward transfer the course credit back to your primary college program. All colleges offer and accept transfer course credits.
7. Do you need financial aid? There are many sources of scholarships, grants, and low-cost loans for adult students. Inquire.”
It’s also a good idea to review internet resources that are specifically designed to serve the needs of adult learners, (such as Professor Seibert’s site, www.AdultStudent.com and www.Back2College.com).
Professors Deeply Value Classroom Contributions of Adult Students
One of the best aspects of returning to college a little later in life is that many professors greatly enjoy having adult learners in their classrooms. For instance, in a recent interview, Robert W. Greene, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of French at the State University of New York at Albany, stated that adult learners genuinely “want to be where they are, sitting in a classroom taking courses toward a degree.”
In his 30-plus years of teaching experience, he observed that the adult learners in his classroom tended to “develop good study habits quickly, come to class prepared and seek to learn as much as they can in a course. In a word, they are motivated, thus are a pleasure to teach.”
Greene also feels that adult students often “show their younger classmates that being committed to learning is a deeply satisfying way to live.”
Throughout his teaching career, Professor Greene found that a great deal of learning took place in his classes that were composed of both younger students and adult learners. Just as his younger students benefited enormously from the wisdom of their adult peers, Greene also observed that the younger students were sometimes able to remind their adult classmates “just how exciting first intellectual stirrings are. Witnessing this kind of mutual intellectual enrichment in a classroom is particularly gratifying for the professor.”
Greene acknowledges that adult students often have specific concerns.
For instance, sometimes they “feel nervous about returning to the classroom after having been away from formal study for some years.” Whenever he sensed this particular anxiety in his adult students, Professor Greene would point out to them that “their maturity was more of an advantage than a disadvantage to them, and that their very presence in the classroom demonstrated to one and all that their passion to learn and to succeed in their studies was real.”
College enrollment up 25%
by Redfokker on Sep.28, 2009, under Non Traditional Journey
They ran out of room in the parking areas. Students are parking on the grass, it looks like a country fair at my Community College. Today was the first day of class for Fall Term. Linn Benton Community College is stuffed to the rafters with new students. And as I expected, there is a huge number of non traditional students! We were told that enrollment at the college is up 25%. Yet, last year they reduced the number of teachers, did away with the Photography and Theater Arts programs and made all kinds of budget cuts. Even though there are a record number of students, the budget is not determined only by enrollment. There is still budget problems that have to be handled. I suspect this is not unique to Oregon. Did some google searching about this and it looks to be widespread around the country. My first day back was great, I’m excited about my English Lit class. Early Shakespearean plays, Richard III, Romeo and Juliet, Mid Summer’s Night Dream and some of the Bard’s famous poems. Right up my History alley!! The only play that I am not too familiar with is Richard III. My involvement with Albany Community Theater has given me exposure to a number of Shakespeare’s plays. I have stage-managed a few, built the sets on others, but have not had to memorize iambic pentameter dialogue (thank god!!) I will enjoy this class very much. Did I ever mention…I’m having a blast being a Non Traditional Student!!
Tomorrow I’ll be in the queue for a slot in an English Composition class on Research Writing. Hope I get in, being on the wait list for a class is a new experience for me. Looks like this term will be very enjoyable. Visiting before class, I met a number of Non Traditional Students. Many of them had no idea what the term means. This shows me that the Non Traditional Student Community needs to reach out to these students. I plan to promote the resources that are on the Internet for fellow Non Trads. My plan is to post some posters around campus pointing Non Trads to the various websites that are out there for them. I suggest that as many of the bloggers and webmasters with Non Traditional Student sites do the same if possible. We need to help get the word out to as many of our fellow students as we can. The amount of great information online for Non Trads is very valuable for these new students who seem to be wandering aimlessly around college campus today. Let’s get the word out! I will do a special posting later this week specifically pointed at all the great resources available online. Now….I have MATH HOMEWORK to get started on!! Turn brain on, turn brain on, turn brain on….
More Non Trad Scholarship Info
by Redfokker on Aug.30, 2009, under College Funding
I have spent some more time searching for Non Traditional Student Scholarship information. There is a lot of good information out there. I realize that you all are probably searching around the same types of sites, but I will list what I find useful here. (It never hurts to get info out to fellow non trads…) Today I found some great information on a site called Fresch Free Scolarship Search. This page of the site is specifically for Non Traditional Students. They list some great information listing 10 good points about college funding for non trads. This page is a good starting place for your college funding journey. I have filed for the FAFSA myself, but did not qualify for financial aid. Of course, they will give me all kinds of loans…just what a 53 year old college grad should get into. It is VERY important that you file for the FAFSA program – now. It is a beginning point for many grants, scholarships and work study programs. Many base your need on the results of the FAFSA alone.
The first step that all Non Trads should take is going to the FAFSA Site and get started. Most of the financial aid you will be eligible for starts here. Read the instructions carefully. There are some hoops to jump through, but what is on the other side is well worth it. A related site that is worth checking out is Students.gov . This is a very comprehensive website that is put out for all students, both old and young. The resources available at this site make it worth bookmarking and referring to later. I found that it has a listing of all 50 states and the agencies available in each. Search your state and see what is available, you might be surprised!!
Some of my fellow Non Trads will be heading off to school next week or maybe after Labor Day, but it is never too late to start putting together your plan for college funding. I will continue to search out Non Traditional Student resources and post them here for your information. Remember, Non Trad Students are a large portion of student bodies all over the Nation!! We need to help each other out. I am going to put together a short brochure that I can place in the information kiosk at Linn Benton Community College that will list online Non Trad Resources. Take this idea and pass it on. Many of our fellow older students may not be utilizing the resources available on the Internet to their best advantage.
Nontraditional Student Scholarships
by Redfokker on Aug.28, 2009, under College Funding
Let’s begin our Nontraditional Student Scholarship journey together. I understand that scholarship applications can be a scary thing, essays and all that… There are thousands of dollars available every year for specific Non Trad student scholarships. I have been gathering websites to review and pass along to my fellow students. I spent some time speaking with the scholarship office at my local community college here in Oregon and learned some interesting facts. 1. Many scholarships go unclaimed every year. 2. Some students make applying for scholarships a FULL TIME JOB! 3. You need to be on time and complete in your applications. I learned of one female student who received an $11,000 scholarship because she was the ONLY person who applied for it!!! My adviser stated that to be effective, you need to keep good records, a time schedule and apply, apply, apply….
A quick search on google brings up 1.45 MILLION hits! Of course, that includes a bunch of non starters, pass them up. But one can see that there is some real possibilities out there if you just apply. There are many sites out there that will do some of the work for you, for a fee. I am still trying to weed out the scams and present any of this type of program worth looking at here in this blog category. Keep up with me on this, it looks like it will be a bumpy ride!
Schoolscholarshps.org has a great article specifically for Non Traditional Students. It is a basic overview of the process, with some good points on how to go about the search. This will be a good place to start looking. This article answers some good questions. I highly recommend this article.
College Scholarshps.org is another good place to start. Again, this article is pointed at Non Trads and our specific needs. This article has links to some of the major scholarship programs out there for Non Traditional Students. Not as much information about how to apply, but some solid links to real programs available. It will be worth your time to look at this site.
Financial aid in general is a topic worthy of an entire website (they are out there….) Each institution has financial aid offices with resources for students. Many community colleges and universities have local scholarships available as well. A quick search on your school website should link you to them. Many of these college specific scholarships are broken down into application periods throughout the year. If you have already missed Fall term, do not give up. There will be another deadline coming up soon….don’t let this one slip away. I know that going back to school is hard enough without adding this on too, but take advantage of all that is offered. There is help out there for Non Traditional Students, coming from many different directions. Encourage all of your fellow non trads to get involved on the Internet with the growing number of Non Traditional Student resources available. Just give it quick google…. Search for “lifelong goals” and you will find this blog listed!
Summer Term Is Over – Time to Regroup for Fall
by Redfokker on Aug.13, 2009, under Non Traditional Journey
I finished up my Summer Term at Linn Benton Community College in Oregon today!!! I still get a little bit of summer to enjoy. But only for a short time…need to get set up for my Fall Term classes. I have pre registered for everything, which is wise…there is a huge number of new students here in Oregon. I would guess that the biggest portion of them are going to be Non Traditional Students! With the economy in the tank, many of us are in the same boat with needing to retrain for better jobs. I will be in school for a while, I have goals that will keep my nose in the books for a few years.
My advice to you is…get registered for Fall Term NOW! With the number of new students coming into the system, the availability of classes in your major may be problematic. I spoke with the Admissions Office of Oregon State University today and she told me that they have a record number of new students this year. I am sure this is nationwide and your local schools will be in the same situation. If you are already an experienced Non Trad College Type you probably are already on top of this. For all of you prospective Non Trads waiting to take the plunge, now is the time to jump in with both feet.
If you are returning to school after a long time out in the real world, I highly suggest you read my blog entry about taking a College Study Skills class. Most institutions have some type of course like this and I can recommend them highly! Also, now would be the time to start looking into your needed supplies like backpacks, Laptops and the all important TI-84 calculator. I have been blogging about these needed items and check into my other posts for some tips.
I’m going to enjoy what Summer I have left, but I’ll keep posting information here for fellow Non Trads so check back often! Now to the weeds!
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Redfokker's Non Trad Blog
Welcome to Reaching Lifelong Goals.com. I am a 54 year old Non Traditional Student. I am a History Major at Oregon State University. Come with me as I return to school after 35 years in the "real world"
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