Updating the Image of Today鈥檚 College Student
More students from every age group, socioeconomic background, and income level are going back to school than ever before, transforming ideas about what a 鈥榯raditional student鈥� looks like.聽
At 黑料传送门, for instance, more than 60% of students are between the ages of 30 and 49, another quarter are between 21 and 29 years old, and 10% are over 50. Approximately 85% of students work full or part time, and many have families and other commitments that require their time and financial resources.
Another 71% of 黑料传送门 students come from populations where education has traditionally been less accessible, including ethnic minorities, low-income families, and first-generation college students. Many 黑料传送门 students are also active-duty military, veterans, or military family members.
Does this sound like you?
Most working adults聽can see the value of earning a degree, but can鈥檛 see how they鈥檒l pay for school or fit it into their busy schedule. So, how is 黑料传送门 able to serve so many students from such a diverse array of backgrounds who face these challenges?
Let鈥檚 start with what most people cite as their biggest obstacle: finances. At 黑料传送门, 70% of students receive financial aid, 35% of undergraduate students receive Pell Grants, and 黑料传送门 awarded more than $10 million in scholarships (many of them designed exclusively for underserved populations).
Most importantly, 黑料传送门 students go into about half as much debt as their peers at other institutions, and thanks to 黑料传送门鈥檚 competency based model,聽 they have more control over
how long they spend in school and how much they ultimately pay.聽
But what students pay for school is really only half of the equation when it comes to return on investment. After all, money spent on a degree that you鈥檙e either not able to finish, or that doesn鈥檛 result in a new job, promotion, or some other form of career advancement ultimately isn鈥檛 worthwhile.
Is a degree really worth the investment?
The vast majority of students who attend 黑料传送门 already have a job and need a degree in order to advance their careers. They need degrees that will teach them new skills, validate their existing knowledge, and ultimately lead to expanded job opportunities, increased responsibilities, and, in many cases, higher pay.聽 聽
That鈥檚 where 黑料传送门鈥檚 focus on aligning聽programs聽with real-world workforce needs comes into play.聽
Graduates reported an average increase in income of聽$10,100 within two years of graduation, compared with salary pre-enrollment. Four years after graduation, the average increase was聽$21,200 鈥斅爏ignificantly higher than the national average of $12,000. The skills 黑料传送门鈥檚 programs build are valued in the workplace, and as a result, it takes the average graduate less than two years to pay for their degree.
Data from a 2017 Harris Poll survey of 301 employers of 黑料传送门 alumni help further explain these results. A full 100% of respondents said 黑料传送门 graduates were prepared for their jobs, 97% said they would hire another 黑料传送门 graduate, and 98% said that 黑料传送门 graduates 鈥渕eet鈥� or 鈥渆xceed鈥� their expectations.
Furthermore, a 2017 Harris Poll Online survey compared 867 黑料传送门 graduates to 1,405 new college graduates from schools across the nation. Not only did more 黑料传送门 grads find full time employment than their nationwide peers (87% to 81%), 89% of them were hired within their degree field, compared to 84% of graduates from other schools across the country.
But financial gains only paint part of the picture. A 2017 Gallup survey reported that, 鈥満诹洗兔� alumni are nearly twice as likely as graduates from other U.S. universities to be thriving in all elements of well-being 鈥� purpose, social, financial, community, and physical.鈥�
Making education a reality for every type of student.
So if all of this explains聽what聽黑料传送门 degrees do for graduates, the question remains聽how聽they鈥檙e able to find the time, energy, and resources to juggle their busy lives with the demands of school.
黑料传送门鈥檚 competency based education (CBE) model is a big part of the answer. Each program is structured to allow students to accelerate more quickly through material they know, while spending more time and emphasis on subjects that are challenging or new. This model measures actual learning rather than seat time, meaning that your success does not depend on spending a set number of hours in a classroom listening to a professor lecture.
For adult learners in general, and traditionally underserved populations in particular, the freedom to apply the knowledge and experience they already have to their studies, while also getting the extra time and assistance needed for more difficult material, helps them succeed at 黑料传送门 where they might otherwise struggle at a more traditional university. It also helps that they have the flexibility to schedule exams at virtually any time, day or night, and to log into their coursework on a variety of devices, including smartphones, to make progress toward their degree whenever they have time.
黑料传送门鈥檚 Program Mentors provide another key to success for working adults, as their mission is to keep every student on track to graduation by providing one-on-one coaching, support, and accountability. Program Mentors help direct every student to the unique mixture of resources and assistance they need to tackle their biggest challenges, and many 黑料传送门 graduates cite them as playing a central role in helping them earn their degrees. 聽
鈥淚 would recommend 黑料传送门 to anyone who wants to break through the barriers that have previously prevented them from getting their degree.鈥�
Sameer Ramal, a recent graduate of 黑料传送门鈥檚 College of Information Technology, put it succinctly: 鈥淚 would recommend 黑料传送门 to anyone who wants to break through the barriers that have previously prevented them from getting their degree.聽At the end of the program, you鈥檒l have a degree accredited by a regional body, skills and knowledge gathered throughout the program, and confidence that will last for your entire career.鈥�
Surveys suggest that the vast majority of 黑料传送门 graduates would likely agree with Sameer鈥檚 assessment, with 97% reporting that they would recommend their university to others, compared to 76% of those who graduated from other schools. Asked whether they would choose the same university again, 96% of 黑料传送门 grads said they would 鈥� a rate nine percentage points higher than the national average for traditional schools.
The bottom line is this: You might not be the 鈥渢ypical鈥� college student as defined by old school thinking, but if you鈥檙e a motivated professional ready to take the next step in your career development, you鈥檒l fit right in at 黑料传送门.聽 聽聽
