Ashworth and EFA have delivered career-relevant online degree programs to the Caribbean since 2007. The partnership provides students with an accredited, online learning model as well as a physical presence in key Caribbean markets. The latter affords students the added advantage of engaging in local inductions, study groups, workshops and faculty visits.

Gary Keisling, Ashworth College Chairman and CEO said, “With EFA, Ashworth has the opportunity to expand its Caribbean footprint by offering more residents an affordable, quality, online education. In addition to our Associate degree programs, we also offer a range of Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs that are relevant to the major industries in this area, such as banking, finance, construction management and tourism.”

Caribbean residents have the opportunity to apply for one-year scholarships in one of Ashworth College’s Associate or Bachelor’s Degree programs during the 2010-2011 academic year. The scholarships have a combined value of $50,000. Scholarship recipients will have access to Ashworth College’s entire catalog of self-paced degree courses which include business, accounting, finance, early childhood education, construction management and criminal justice.

Read more about Ashworth College educating students in the Caribbean.

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Some people never get over not being accepted to the college of their dreams.

“As far as I can tell, the men and women who have achieved the most in life in terms of getting to do what they wanted, live a comfortable life, and get recognition for it, did so pretty much without regard to where they went to college,” says Stein.

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Here are the 30 All Time Graduation Speakers, according to The Daily Beast:

1. Bill Cosby: comedian, author, activist

2. Bill Clinton: 42nd President of the United States

3. Marian Wright Edleman: President & Founder of the Children’s Defense Fund

4. Madeleine Albright: Former Secretary of State, professor

5. Elizabeth Dole: Former U.S. Senator, Cabinet secretary, Red Cross Director

Click here to view the full list of commencement speakers

Are you looking for a summer internship to earn experience and advance your current career?

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GetTheJob.com has a large database of various jobs submitted by companies. You can search by location, companies, or job categories. You can sign up for free on the website, set up a personal profile, and connect with other professionals.

GetTheJob.com’s blog provides articles on popular careers and the job industry, as well as helpful advice and information for anyone seeking a new profession.

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1. Set aside time to study. Get a planner where you can write down when you will be working, when your classes are, when you have tests or school activities, or any other events that may pop up. This will be helpful because you can determine certain times to dedicate to studying. If possible, try and study during the same time each day, so that you can force yourself to get into a routine of doing so. If you are an adult learner, it is important to make sure your friends and family know your schedule and respect that you need time to focus on school. You’ve decided to improve your life by going back to school so be sure to keep others in the loop on your progress and success, and they should be able to understand your need for uninterrupted study time. When studying it is better to have a series of shorter study sessions distributed over several days than to have fewer but longer sessions.
2. Put it in your own words. There is a difference between memorizing and actually absorbing course material. Don’t just memorize the information and move on – you should be able to explain the main ideas and concepts of what you are studying in your own words. By putting the material in a context that you understand, you will have an easier time recalling it when you are taking a test or applying it in the real world.
3. Don’t try to learn it all. Select a reasonable chunk of material to study. Make a list or outline of the material that is likely to be on the exam and prioritize these subjects based on how important they are and how much more you need to learn about them. Spend the majority of your time familiarizing yourself with the subjects you are less confident about, and do it at the beginning of your study session when you have more energy and are ready to dive in.
4. Dress uncomfortably and sit at a desk. If you dress comfortably and try to study on a couch, you are apt to be interrupted more easily, be less focused, and therefore be less productive. You should sit upright at a desk and avoid dressing casually so that you can remain awake and attentive.
5. Chew gum. An informal study done by a Cornell University marketing professor has shown that chewing gum offers improved memory and concentration which may improve your test-taking abilities. Chewing gum may also help relieve some of the stress of studying and taking tests, and help you stay awake.
6. Seek support. Check with the other students in the class to get their perspectives on what important information will be on the exam. Suggest a group session where you share study guides and talk about the material out loud. Verbalizing the information is the key to storing the material in your long-term memory

Going back to school can be intimidating, especially if you are an adult learner. Don’t take on more than you can manage, and prepare yourself as much as possible!

Interested in finding the right school to further your education? Get matched now!

They are three of the top ten college majors with the highest starting salaries for graduates, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Engineering majors dominated this year’s list of top-paid bachelor’s degrees, holding eight of the ten spots. Petroleum engineers, who research and develop technology and methods to extract oil and gas from the earth, earn the highest starting salary – more than $86,000, which is one-and-a-half times the average starting salary reported for bachelor’s degree graduates in general. Here’s the list:

1. Petroleum Engineering – $86,220
2. Chemical Engineering – $65,142
3. Mining & Mineral Engineering – $64,552
4. Computer Science – $61,205
5. Computer Engineering – $60,879
6. Electrical & Communications Engineering – $59,074
7. Mechanical Engineering – $58,392
8. Industrial Engineering – $57,734
9. Aeronautical Engineering – $57,231
10. Information Sciences – $54,038

What does it take to get one of these high-paying jobs?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most entry-level engineering jobs require a bachelor’s degree, but some research positions may require a graduate degree. Continuing education is critical for engineers that want to keep up with improvements in technology. The bad news is that, if you aspire to see $86,000 in your first year salary, you’ll likely guarantee yourself some level of debt from your college tuition. The good news is that grads with degrees in these technical fields will benefit from their relatively low supply and should be able to manage the monthly student loan repayments.

What are some alternatives?

If you’d like to get your foot in an engineering position but can’t commit to a full-time four-year bachelor’s degree program, many technical colleges offer 2-year or 4-year degree engineering technology programs. These programs, which usually include hands-on labs that focus on the application of engineering principles, prepare students for practical design and production work, not necessarily theoretical and scientific knowledge. For engineering graduates of 4-year technology programs, job options are similar to those obtained by graduates with a bachelor’s degree, though you will not be qualified to register as a professional engineer under the same terms as graduates with degrees in engineering.

Salary ranges for engineering technicians range from $30,000 to $80,000, so while you may not make $86,000 in your first year, you could still realize a healthy salary range throughout your career. For more information about engineering salaries and the education you need to get your foot in the door, visit Science, Math & Engineering.

Another part of the civil rights effort will have the Department of Education open compliance reviews in school districts nationwide, to investigate if students of both sexes and all races are allowed equal access to advanced placement courses, as well as college preparatory materials and classes. Similar investigations will also take place at colleges.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan spoke in Alabama on Monday to explain the department’s goals, and to commemorate the 45th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” where in 1965, hundreds of civil rights protesters were beaten by Alabama State Troopers during a march. Duncan said that the department’s Office for Civil Rights “has not been as vigilant as it should have been in combating gender and racial discrimination and protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities.” For example, department officials said that white high school graduates are more than twice as likely to have taken advanced placement calculus classes as black or Latino graduates.

Hopefully these civil rights efforts from the Department of Education will allow students of all genders, races, and economical backgrounds to have a fair opportunity at receiving an education – at the high school and college level.

If you are looking to find an accredited degree program to further your education, let us help you!

Source: NY Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/education/08educ.html?ref=education

There are two kinds of diploma mills – diploma mills that sell fake degrees for cash, and diploma mills that pretend to be real accredited schools.

Recently US Congressmen unveiled legislation that aims to stop diploma mills. The bill is part of a much needed effort to stop unauthorized colleges and degrees, and intends to:

• establish federal law definitions for diploma mills and accreditation mills
• bar federal agencies from using diploma mill degrees to provide jobs that are dependent of the person’s education credentials
• have the Federal Trade Commission define and crack down on diploma mills

The bill is further explained in an Inside Higher Ed article.

It has been hard to prosecute diploma mills, and the individuals who purchase false degrees, without a legal definition of what one is. The new legislation would define a diploma mill as any organization that is not accredited by an agency that is recognized by the U.S. Education Department, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, or authorized to give postsecondary degrees by the state government. The new legislation will also make passing off a fake degree as an accredited diploma a crime.

Individual states are also considering bills to stop using phony academic credentials. For example, unauthorized schools will be prohibited from using words like college, university, or state in their names.

Things to remember:

• Receiving an education requires lots of time, hard work, and taking examinations and classes.
• Although you usually do have to pay for schooling, you never just pay and instantly receive a diploma.
• Make sure the online degree you are considering is being offered from a legitimate accredited school – you can now get in trouble with the law for purchasing them!

Although obtaining a degree from a diploma mill seems like a quick and easy alternative, it is not worth it in the long run. Find an online degree program that suits your individual needs and goals for the future, and save yourself time and money from being scammed by diploma mills!

This celebratory article, For one student, a long path to college degree, provides both inspiration and some insight into what it means to be a nontraditional student. It’s a great read. In this year of grim news, it’s nice to read about someone’s success for a change!

One of the resources the article mentioned is the Pell Grant. Pell Grants help millions of students a year, and data on Pell Grant recipients provides a familiar snapshot of nontraditional students. For instance, a recent National Center for Education Statistics report (July 2009) profiled Pell Grant recipients who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1999-2000. Here’s what the study found:

• Majority were low-income
• 23% were age 22 and under; 31% were 23-24; 27% were 25-29; and almost 19% were 30 and up
• 60% were considered financially independent
• 24% had dependents of their own
• 11% were single parents
• 34% delayed their enrollment in college after high school
• 58% left college or career school for 4 or more months and later returned to complete a degree at either the same school or a different one

These percentages are from 10 years ago, so some may have grown or decreased in the recent recession. It would be a surprise if the percentage of Pell Grant recipients age 30 and older had not noticeably increased over the past two years.

Clearly, pursing a college degree is a big investment of time, money, and maybe even personal sacrifice, but to many people, it’s worth the effort. If not straight from high school, how do nontraditional students get started on their college degrees? Here are a couple of ideas.

What college will work for me?

The nonprofit education organization ACT, maker of the college entrance exam by the same name, has a checklist of 11 items for prospective college students to consider when choosing a college. The checklist is geared more toward the traditional college-bound high school senior, but many items are still relevant to nontraditional students working on their degrees across the years, colleges, and even states. Here are a few, with a nontraditional student twist:

• Academics, particularly the programs, majors, and courses you need to stay on your degree track
• Admission and transfer-admission requirements, and transfer policy
• Total Costs: tuition, fees, books, transportation
• Financial aid (who will give you the most?)
• School size (can you get the personalized academic guidance and support you need to succeed, especially if you’re transferring in?)
• Location (is it convenient for you?)
• Housing for independent students if you need it
• Facilities: certainly academic, maybe recreational, but also practical (is there a daycare center?)

Based on Catherine’s story in the AP article, it sounds like a checklist specifically for nontraditional students would also include:

• Powerful belief in both oneself and the value of a good education
• Determination
• Support from family and friends
• Stick-to-it-iveness: the ability to persevere against the odds

How do I get financial aid?

You start with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). A new and improved one is being released in stages and the FAFSA for the 2010-2011 school year will be available on January 1st. Submitting a FAFSA is required in order for you to get a Pell Grant.

In the meantime, try the FAFSA4caster on Federal Student Aid website. This little calculator, a sort of mini-FAFSA, allows you to plug in some of the information you’ll need to put on the FAFSA, including the school(s) you’re considering. The FAFSA4caster then gives you an estimate of your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and your financial aid eligibility. It may be only the beginning of your journey to get your college degree, but a single step, or two, or three, can be a good start.