Researching the Pros and Cons of a College Education Excerpted from: Pro-Con website: http://college-education.procon.org/#background Activity 1.10 Part I ~ Researching the Pros and Cons of a College Education Freshmen ~ I have highlighted some interesting ideas in the section below on the history of college education in America. As you read these excerpts, you will be given directions to answer 4 questions. When you are asked to write something out, please write it in RED, below the section you have chosen or been directed to. When you are asked to highlight, do so in green. Please share this document with me. Directions for Question # 1 Highlight in green at least ONE MORE sentence/idea that catches your interest, in the section below. In RED, below the sentence, explain WHY it interests you. EDUCATION IN AMERICA - CONTEXT From 1939-1960s, the changing face of the college graduate and her/his expectations ~ Ms. S In the 1939-1940 school year, student enrollment was under 1.5 million nationally, but, by the 1949-1950 school year, student enrollment grew to 2.7 million. [3] The 1944 GI Bill contributed to some of the enrollment gains and by the beginning of the 1945-1946 school year, 88,000 veterans were accepted into the program; by 1946, over one million were accepted; and by 1950, 14 million veterans were in the program. [3] Women represented about 40% of enrollment in the 1939-1940 school year but that number dropped to 32% in 1950. [3] Individual schools implemented honor programs, specialty seminars, study abroad, and smaller class sizes to attract more discerning students [3] By 1960, national enrollment was at 3.6 million and at 7.9 million in 1970. [3] Society became interested in the college lives of "Joe College" and "Betty Coed" and created the college ideal of graduating in four years, marrying the college sweetheart, and finding a good job. [3] The federal government created the Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS), later renamed the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and collected data in the fall of 1968, the first time standardized data was collected about colleges and universities nationwide. [93] Researching the Pros and Cons of a College Education Excerpted from: Pro-Con website: http://college-education.procon.org/#background Directions for Question # 2: Choose TWO of the most interesting data points (years) in the chart above. In RED, in the text box below, or on a separate piece of paper, write out the information you found interesting, using the example below as a model for your two responses. Example: In 2003, there was very little difference between the employment numbers for a high school graduate and a person who had some college -- both groups had about 5% unemployment. However, there was a big gap between these people, and college graduates, who had an unemployment rate of around 3%. People who had not graduated from college, had a 9% unemployment rate, in 2003. In _____________, In _____________, Researching the Pros and Cons of a College Education Excerpted from: Pro-Con website: http://college-education.procon.org/#background From 1970s - 1980s ~ America’s cultural expectations change: we decide that a college education is for ALL high school graduates ~ the public college/university and community colleges grow ~ diverse student populations are sought and protected by Affirmative Action (esp. students of color and women students) ~ Ms. S. Directions for Question #3: Consider the FOUR highlighted sentences/ideas below. Choose TWO of the highlighted sections, and then, in RED, explain what you think caused this event/idea to come about at this time. Pell Grants were introduced in 1972 and increased the number of students for whom higher education was possible. [3] By 1978, the financial aid focus changed from grants to loans, increasing the amount of debt a graduating college student owned. [3] In the 1975-1976 school year 75% of students received grants, 21% received loans compared to the 1984-1985 school year in which 29% of students received grants and 66% received loans. [94] The major shift in higher education during this time was the transition from mass higher education, expecting to educate 40-50% of high school graduates, to universal higher education, expecting to educate all high school graduates. [3] The shift was seen in public school enrollments, which accounted for about 75% of enrollments in 1970, up from the almost equal split between public and private colleges in 1950. [3] Community colleges and technical institutes also gained students: from 82,000 in 1950 to 1.3 million in 1980. [3] Transfer students were accommodated, classes were offered at military bases, and courses were offered at extension sites for non-traditional students while colleges were opening to diverse student populations. [3] Title IX (1972) and affirmative action demanded inclusive admission practices for women and black students. [3, 95,96] The 1970s also saw the shift from higher education for education’s sake to a need for preprofessional studies and a translation to work after graduation. [3] For many, to be considered middle-class or to get a middle-class job required a college degree. [2] The 1970s and 1980s brought questions of whether the return on a college degree was worth the investment. In 1971 a male college graduate earned 22% more than a high school graduate but by 1979 a college degree increased earnings by 13%. [7] By 1987, the earning gap was 38%, which was an improvement but added doubts about the stability of higher education as an investment. [29] The 1980s also brought a dramatic increase in the cost of college, which was rising faster than inflation and the average family income. [7] Researching the Pros and Cons of a College Education Excerpted from: Pro-Con website: http://college-education.procon.org/#background (Click to enlarge image) Infographic illustrating the attributes of the average recent college graduate. From the 1990s - to today (or, at least 2013) ~ College costs soar, unemployment rates for students who did not graduate from high school reached almost 25% ~ Ms. S The 1990s and 2000s saw a rise in enrollment and tuition costs, and a steadily lower unemployment rate for college graduates. College enrollment increased 11% between 1990 and 2000 and increased 37% from 2000 to 2010 to 21 million students. [97] The average college tuition in the 1990-1991 school year was $10,620 and rose to $13,393 in 20002001. [98] Between the 2000-2001 school year and the 2010-2011 school year, public college costs (tuition, room, and board) increased 42% to $18,133. [98] The unemployment rate for workers with a bachelor's degree or higher in 1990 was 6.5% (compared to 24.9% for high school drop outs) and was 3.7% in 2000 (compared to 18.4% for high school drop outs). [99] By 2010, the unemployment rate for college graduates increased to 5.5% while the rate for college dropouts was 17.3% [99] Researching the Pros and Cons of a College Education Excerpted from: Pro-Con website: http://college-education.procon.org/#background Directions for Question #4: Read the highlighted section below. Which group of college presidents do you agree with the most? Explain why, and include WHAT in your life, background, experience has influenced your opinion. Be as specific as possible. A 2011 Pew Research survey showed 50% of college presidents said college is meant to "mature and grow intellectually," while 48% said college should "provide skills, knowledge and training to help… [students] succeed in the working world." [25] The number of colleges and universities grew from 1,851 in 1950 to 3,535 in 1990 to 6,900 in 2013. In the 1949-1950 school year 2.66 million students were enrolled in colleges and universities; by the 1989-1990 school year 13.54 million students were enrolled. [2] In fall of 2013, 19.9 million students were enrolled in colleges and universities. [1]