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Jasrelle Brown
Professor Tajanae Barnes
ENGL 100
27 November 2016
Higher Level of Education
Getting a higher level of education is more beneficial rather than a high school
diploma. Having a high school diploma or GED is the general requirement for applying for a job.
If he/she wants to further his/her education for a better opportunity to become more successful,
than a higher education is the direction to move towards to pursue a degree. The salaries are
more than satisfying and the jobs are exceptional. If the concern is cost and financial fees, then
think about the long-term. Like John Heywood said, Rome wasnt built in a day, meaning
success comes with time and there should be no limit to ones dreams, including cost. Plus,
colleges and universities offer scholarships and grants. Then what is the excuse for not going to
college? People need to understand the importance of having a higher level of education is for
prosperity. A goal that everyone should strive for to become successful and to accomplish ones
dreams.
According to classesandcareers.com, each year three million students enroll in some
form of higher education. In the year of 2000, they stated that 33% of 2.75 million students
dropped out of college. They claim that 50% of students who drop out of college have income
under $35,000/yr. The cost and financial fees may be more concerning when it comes to not
furthering ones education. Classes and careers state that 60% of all college dropouts received no
help from their parents, and 70% of dropouts had no scholarship or loan support. Not everyone
knows that colleges and universities offer scholarships and grants to help pay for schooling. The

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Free Application for Federal Student (FAFSA) is offered to everyone. It is a form that anyone
can fill out for federal grants, loans, and work-study funds for college students. It is administered
by the U.S. Department of Education, which provides more than $150 billion in student aid each
year. If students are looking to save money, community college is an option. Community
colleges are more affordable than a university because of housing and their extracurricular
programs that they offer. There is more flexibility and cost is reasonable. There is also a
possibility of getting money back. As for a university, expenses are not as cheap and flexibility is
not as quite managing. Classes and careers also claim that 20-30% of 625,000 students drop out
after their first year in college or university.
The highest degree one can get at a community college is associates. Although, some
do offer a bachelor's degree. An associate can be completed within two to three years at a
community college. They can make up to about 35,000 a year or more. They offer an Associate
of Arts (A.A.), Associate of Science (A.S.), and Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.). It takes
about 20 classes for an associates degree to be completed. With an associates degree, one can
earn up to $738 a week depending on the job title. These colleges not only offer degrees but they
have different programs that offer diplomas, certificates, and licenses. The purpose of these
programs offers students personal enrichment, vocational training, and career options to learn
more about their career or the new field of study.
When getting a certificate or license these programs can be completed within less than
a year. Which is great for most because he/she can work while they earn these types of awards.
When it comes to having a certificate and undergraduate diploma it is based on qualification and
level of experience. When receiving a license, it gives a person authority to work within that
particular field. These programs are not required to take general education courses. They also

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have graduate certificates that can be taken alone or with a graduate degree. Keep in mind that
these programs are less time consuming, but some colleges may not offer financial aid for these
types programs. They are beneficial if he/she is looking to get a step ahead when it comes to
finding a job. If one is looking to excel and exceed, then it does not have to stop there but move
toward an associate's and then continue to a university.
Universities also offer certificates, but these types of programs are often performed
online. For a university, they are more likely to have a bachelor degree, a masters degree, and a
Ph D. Therefore, he/she can advance in their education within a university. Universities offer
more programs than community colleges, so there is a wider variety that he/she can choose from.
The more options that are offered the more possibilities to ones future. The higher the degree
level is the higher the salary will be.
A bachelor degree can range from about 120 credits or more of coursework. They make
approximately about 53,000 a year. There are also several different types of bachelor degrees.
There is Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.),
Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.), and Bachelor of Architecture. A bachelor degree
can be completed within four to five years, a masters five to six years, and a Ph.D. six and up.
According to US Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 50% of todays jobs require some degree
of technology skills, and experts say that percentage will increase to 77% in the next decade.
Dian Schaffhauser states six out of 10 millennials can't do basic computer skills. According to a
study conducted in late April by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Institute of
Literacy, 32 million adults in the U.S. cannot read. That is 14 percent of the population. 21
percent of adults in the U.S. read below a 5th-grade level, and 19 percent of high school
graduates cannot read. The U.S. illiteracy rate has not changed that much in 10 years. That is

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only just in the United States. In 2010, the global rate of adult literacy climbed to 84 percent, but
there are 775 million people in the world who are illiterate, with another 152 million children
that are set to follow them because they are not attending school.
When one is deciding to go to college budgeting will be one of the priorities. Colleges
and universities even offer budgeting plans. Only 30 percent of Americans prepare a long-term
financial plan such as savings and investment goals. People that are most likely to create a future
financial plan are those with at least some college education and those making $75,000 a year.
Americans spend 12-18 percent more when they use credit cards instead of cash. Nearly 76
percent of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. In 2013, 1,071,932 Americans filed for
bankruptcies.
Paying for college can be a struggle, especially if one is not budgeting or receiving help
with college expenses. About 60% of students that dropped out had no help from parents in
paying for college tuitions. Colleges and universities are not the only ones that offer different
types of scholarships and grants but there are other programs that offer them too without owning
money back to anyone. Although some do have the requirement and can cause one to pay the
money back based upon a particular contract. Each year, there is an estimated of $46 billion
dollars in grants and scholarship money that is awarded by the U.S. Department of Education
and by the nations colleges and universities. In addition, about $3.3 billion are in gift aid that is
awarded by private sources. There are need-based grants and scholarships and merit-based and
other scholarships. They are all out available to anyone and everyone. About 70% of student
dropouts had no scholarship or loan support.
Going to college will be a life learning experience inside and outside the classroom. What
one gains from college is the ability to read and write critically. Synthesize new information,

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participate in research, and discuss and debate. In the workplace, it helps students to solve the
problem, communicate, and work effectively in a group. The importance of having a higher level
of education is for prosperity but also cultivated.

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