It pays off in salary – and satisfaction
By Dan Rosenfield For the St. Louis American
United States Department of Labor 2004 statistics reveal that full-time workers 25 years of age and older earn a median weekly salary of $676. Those without a high school diploma average nearly $300 a week less ($396). High school graduates with no college average $562, and college graduates holding at least a bachelors degree earn nearly $1000 weekly. College graduates with an undergraduate degree only had median weekly earnings of $926, while those with an advanced degree had median earnings of $1,149.
Other studies have determined that the income differential by educational attainment is even higher, with college graduates earning almost a million dollars more than high school graduates during their working lives. And, it seems likely that education level will have an even greater influence on earning power in the future.
According to The Washington Research Council, “During the next century, higher education will become increasingly important for landing high-paying jobs” and “it’s widely believed that the ‘new economy’ will require increasingly higher levels of education.”
Furthermore, in our increasingly competitive global economy, it seems highly likely that workers with bachelors, masters, professional, and doctoral degrees will suffer less unemployment and be less adversely impacted by the rise of economies overseas and the continued outsourcing of jobs. Yet, higher paying jobs and increased job security are not the only career-related rewards of higher education.
What about career and job satisfaction? A study by Reardon, Lenz, Sampson, and Peterson in 2000 found that people spend approximately 86,000 hours of their lives working. That is the equivalent of about ten years … way too long to spend in a career and/or a series of jobs in which one is not happy. Of course, those with the most education and those willing to
continue their education and career training while working are the most likely to qualify for a variety of jobs, win promotions and/or change careers, maximizing the chance that their job satisfaction will be higher than their less educated counterparts.
There seems to be no doubt that undergraduate and graduate degrees lead to significantly greater earnings, a wider range of employment opportunities, more frequent career advancement, and significantly increased job satisfaction. Because the value of higher education is increasingly valued by employees and employers alike, and because scholarships and financial aid are now more readily available than ever before to students in online education programs, the number of working adults enrolled in part-time degree programs is at an all-time high.
And, clearly, whether earned in a traditional or online degree program, a college degree is now more important and more valuable than ever before.
Dan Rosenfield has been employed as a school counselor, college admissions director, and university dean. Visit http://www.college-scholarships.com or http://www.online-degrees-and-scholarships.com.
SLPS gets AVID
St. Louis Public Schools has implemented a new program that prepares students to succeed in college. The Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program places previously underachieving students in the same college preparatory courses as high-achieving students and then provides the necessary support to help them achieve success. SLPS is the only district in the state of Missouri to offer this international, college readiness approach.
The federally funded grant program helps students who are primarily from low income and ethnic minority backgrounds prepare for the rigor of high school Advanced Placement classes. The curriculum features writing, study skills, time management and organization. Research shows that AVID graduates enroll in college at a rate two and half times greater than that of their contemporaries.
College students are trained to work individually with students on assignments, and retired teachers lead subject specific study groups. Peer teams contribute to a student’s success through positive reinforcement and identification.
SLPS students interested in participating in the AVID program are required to complete a student application, participate in an interview, read and sign the student/school agreement, and submit a recommendation from a teacher and counselor.
For more information about AVID, contact Linda Bell, the AVID Director for St. Louis Public Schools, at (314) 345-4474 or Linda.Bell@slps.org.