HENDRICKS COUNTY FLYER
D2 | Saturday, February 14, 2015
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Student earns degree Seizing a second chance “Adult learners return to college to with alternative program gain advanced degrees or complete ❚ More adults going back to earn degrees
By Devan Strebing devan.strebing@flyergroup.com
Rachael Brown, a 2009 graduate of Brownsburg High School, graduated from the 16-month Marian University Online Accelerated Bachelors of Science in Nursing program this past December. She began her journey at Southern Illinois University on a volleyball scholarship. “I decided to go out of the state for school because of the opportunity to play volleyball on a scholarship at Southern Illinois University,” she said. “It had Brown been a goal of mine since I was a child to participate in athletics at the college level and I had the chance to make the dream a reality. I did not know, initially, what I wanted to study and when it came time to decide on a major my sophomore year I chose the path of exercise science because of my interest in the human body and love for athletics.” She now coaches volleyball at the high school and youth levels. During her time at SIU, Brown said she knew she wanted to help people in some way, but wasn’t sure about her exercise science major. In visiting her mother for lunch at St. Vincent Hospital during one of her college breaks, she picked up a brochure for the Marian University Accelerated Nursing Program at a promotion table in the cafeteria. “With further investigation and discussion with my support system, I decided
SUBMITTED PHOTO
LIKE MOTHER: Rachael and her mother, Loraine Brown, after a day of clinical work at St. Vincent Hospital. in my junior year at SIU that I wanted to pursue a career in nursing with the hope of assisting individuals in achieving wellness of body, mind and spirit,” she said. “After my time at SIU had come to an end, earning my bachelors of science in exercise science and finishing my volleyball career, I came back to Indianapolis to venture into the accelerated journey Marian University offers to those pursuing a nursing career with previous Bachelor’s degrees.” She began the program in August 2013 and graduated in December of ‘14. The program utilizes technological advances of the internet in combination with real-world clinical opportunities to attain experience and knowledge in the field of nursing. The courses are all online, where there are lectures, assignments, discussion boards and supplemental materials. “The clinical experiences provide opportunity to discover all areas of nursing;
from the hospital to the community and elderly to labor and delivery and all the areas in between,” Brown said. “The instructors are exceptionally knowledgeable and the staff at St. Vincent is helpful in supplementing to our education as well.” Brown’s mother attended Marian College and participated in a co-op program with Indiana University via IUPUI, ultimately earning her degree from Indiana University School of Nursing in 1986. “The need of nurses, especially in Indiana, is on the rise,” Brown said. “Marian University is preparing students like myself to manage the growing need of nurses in our population as the country ages.” Brown says healthcare is hard work, but is worth it. “Healthcare provides for opportunity to assist individuals in their most vulnerable state and provide your skills, experience and expertise in your field to help them to wellness,” she said. “When that one patient or family member expresses gratitude for your assistance or simple support, you feel fulfilled in a way that is not easily described. The nursing field is full of compassion and individuals who genuinely care for others on all levels. Knowing that you are assisting others to wellness is a wonderful feeling — I would say that is what keeps me going. There will be challenges every day, whether fatigue, difficult coworkers/patients or life in general, but knowing that you are assisting others to a healthier state is more than a job.” Follow Hendricks County Flyer reporter Devan Strebing on Twitter at @DevanStrebing.
Henry Ford had three companies fail before he launched the game-changing Model T. Abraham Lincoln failed in business, lost multiple elections and had a mental breakdown before being elected the country’s 16th president. America is a land of second chances made good — which could explain the ongoing trend of more adults returning to college. Between 2000 and ‘12, the number of people 25 and older attending college increased by more than 2.1 million, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). By 2021, NCES predicts that number will grow by an additional 1.6 millionplus, bringing the number of older college students to more than 10.1 million. “Adult learners return to college to gain advanced degrees or complete unfinished programs for many reasons, and enhanced marketability in the workplace and increased earning potential are just two factors,” said Tracy Lorenz, president of Western International University (West). “They are also doing it for personal satisfaction and to be better role models for their children.” Among women, personal achievement is the strongest motivator, according to a survey by West. Nearly eight in 10 of the 1,000-plus women who participated in the online survey also said having a college degree is important to being a role model for their own collegebound children. Ample data supports the belief that a college degree enhances one’s job and earnings prospects. The
unfinished programs for many reasons, and enhanced marketability in the workplace and increased earning potential are just two factors." Tracy Lorenz President of Western International University (West)
median wage for people with bachelor’s degrees is $457 more per week than workers who have a high school diploma, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Their unemployment rate is also significantly lower — 4 percent versus 7 percent for high school graduates, the BLS reports. Research also backs the impact a college degree can have on one’s family. For example, working mothers who have bachelor’s degrees spend about 51 percent more time with their children than moms who only have a high school diploma, according to the College Board. Children of college graduates are also more likely to go on to college themselves, according to PostSecondary.org; 85 percent of children whose parents had a bachelor’s degree or higher went on to attend college. Ease of access is also drawing more Americans back to school. The rise of distance learning and online degree programs means you no longer have to live near a school — or relocate your family — if you want to return to complete a degree or earn an advanced degree. Online programs can also offer greater scheduling flexibility and lower ancillary costs to adult learners, many of whom work full time and juggle
financial commitments like mortgages or rent and childcare costs. In fact, in the West survey, respondents said cost, accreditation and flexibility were primary considerations when choosing a higher education program. “Colleges and universities are recognizing that there is a large shift occurring in the type of students that are looking to earn degrees and are offering programs that meet the needs of working adults,” said Dr. Benjamin S. Pryor, provost and senior vice president of Western International University. Online degree programs like those offered by West cater to adult learners. Course content, cost and schedule flexibility are designed to make returning to college an accessible option for busy professionals. Adult learners enrolled in online programs are better able to fit weekly coursework into their schedules, and at West, receive instruction from faculty who not only teach, but are also currently working in their field of expertise. As the number of adult learners continues to grow, more professionals will seek degree programs that meet their educational and professional goals, schedules and lifestyles. To learn more about Western International University, visit the website at www.west.edu.
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HENDRICKS COUNTY FLYER
D4 | Saturday, February 14, 2015
www.flyergroup.com
New plan could help President’s visit highlights students pay for college role of community colleges “We all know we have to F invest more in education. By Maureen Hayden CNHI News Service
INDIANAPOLIS — Shelby Coffelt started high school not knowing how she’d pay for college to become an engineer. Growing up in rural Indiana, the oldest of four children worried about sinking herself or her parents into debt. “I just knew it would cost it a lot,” said Coffelt. “I didn’t know how I was going to get the money.” She’s now a junior in high school and almost halfway to earning an associate’s degree in industrial technology from Ivy Tech Community College that isn’t costing her a nickel. Ahead of her lies a “work-share” opportunity with a major manufacturer that could lead to more money to help pay for that engineering degree. Coffelt is the beneficiary of an idea that President Barack Obama came to Indiana last week to promote — free tuition for students to use community college as a path to a high-skilled job or higher degree. Ivy Tech already offers several such programs for a limited number of students, and one legislator wants to extend the opportunity to even more. Last year, Ivy Tech’s Kokomo campus received $3.7 million in federal money to expand its career training programs by offering students like Coffelt the chance to earn a free, two-year degree while still in high school. Coffelt said she feels lucky to have been accepted into the Integrated Technology Education
I just want to get this discussion started.” State Rep. Terri Austin Program. She’s one of 20 students — and the only girl — in the program at the Heartland Career Center at Southwood High School in the small city of Wabash. “It’s pretty hard some days,” she said. Ivy Tech President Tom Snyder says Indiana is already on its way to realizing the vision that Obama first described in January’s State of the Union speech, then expanded upon at Ivy Tech’s central campus in Indianapolis on Friday. About 50,000 Indiana high school students are enrolled in “dual credit” classes and earn college credits from Ivy Tech or another of the state’s universities, at no or little cost to the students. More state and federal dollars are being directed into expanding those opportunities. “That’s a big step in the pathway to free college tuition,” Snyder said. Coffelt wishes she could have been part of the president’s town hall-style meeting with Ivy Tech students. She would have liked to tell him about her program. Marlene Aguilar is an Ivy Tech student who did get to be there. She sat behind Obama and shook his hand. The 18-year-old is enrolled in Ivy Tech’s Associate Accelerated Program, known as ASAP. By
going to school all day, every weekday, she’ll earn enough college credits in 12 months to knock two years off the four-year degree she wants. If she succeeds, it’ll be another milestone for her family: Aguilar was the first in her family to graduate from high school. It’s not been easy for Aguilar, either. She spends her days in class and her evenings working at her father’s small grocer y store to scrape together tuition. Of 80 students who first enrolled with her, about half have left the fast-paced program. State Rep. Terri Austin says Indiana needs both Coffelt and Aguilar to succeed. The state ranks 45th for residents with college degrees — a detriment to attracting high-skilled, high-paying jobs. Austin, the first in her family to graduate from college, has proposed a bill to use state money to pay for community college tuition for students who stay on track and produce good grades. The Democrat from Anderson says her bill may have little chance of passing in a Republicancontrolled Legislature, but she’d like to see it get a hearing. “We all know we have to invest more in education,” Austin said. “I just want to get this discussion started.”
riday, Feb. 6, was a historic day for Ivy Tech Community College. For the first time, a sitting U.S. president visited one of our campuses. As you would expect, Ivy Tech was honored to host President Obama, but we’re even more thrilled that his message underscored the critical role that community colleges play in building America’s future. President Obama’s message came less than a month after his America’s College Promise proposal — free tuition for every community college student maintaining a minimum of a 2.5 GPA and demonstrating progress toward completing a credential. This is modeled after the Tennessee Promise, an idea from a state now being adopted nationally by leadership in Washington, D.C. Just as was the case in Tennessee, I and many other leaders have several reasons for supporting this proposal, but the best argument in its favor is perhaps the most pragmatic: a more accessible community college system means more community college graduates. And more community college graduates give our employers access to more skilled talent to compete in the global economy. While there has been a drop in unemployment numbers, we will have to overcome two major barriers: • The significant gap between the skills of
Thomas Snyder GUEST COLUMNIST
today’s workers versus the skills employers need, and • The gap between the number of workers reaching retirement age versus the comparatively slow growth of the talent pool that will replace them. As the President said during his visit to Ivy Tech, “Our biggest problem is that we can’t find enough workers in the fields we’re searching for.” The K-12 education system was created over 100 years ago and some think a K-14 model is today’s reality. It is at least worth the debate in order to ensure the stability of our middle class. There’s no question that one key solution to rebuilding our middle class is the American community college system. President Obama alluded to two primary reasons this is true: First, community college credentials lead to fulfilling careers. The President cited the $50,000 starting annual salary earned by those who complete Ivy Tech programs — and that’s just one example of what a community college education makes possible. Second, community colleges are unmatched when
it comes to affordability. Consider Ivy Tech’s cost: the average full-time student pays approximately $4,000 annually to attend Ivy Tech. The average cost of the other public Indiana higher education institutions is approximately more than three times the cost, even before room and board. Those two points lead to one unmistakable conclusion: there’s no better return on investment in higher education than a community college. As President Obama said more succinctly, “Don’t let anyone think that paying more means a better education.” President Obama’s visit has energized Ivy Tech’s staff and faculty to continue to be, as he stated of us, “one of the best in the country.” Early in his remarks President Obama singled out one of our students, Jillian, and mentioned that her pursuit of a college degree was as much for her children as it was for herself. Then the President smiled, and said of Jillian: “That’s who I get up for every day.” I can assure you, Mr. President, that’s who we at Ivy Tech Community College get up for every day, too. That’s the promise of the American community college, and it’s the promise of a better tomorrow — for everyone, from every walk of life in our country. Thomas J. Snyder is president of Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana.
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HENDRICKS COUNTY FLYER
www.flyergroup.com
Saturday, February 14, 2015 | D5
Hendricks College Network connects residents to resources By Steven Penn steven.penn@flyergroup.com
There are plenty of resources in Hendricks County for residents who wish to further their education. One of the best resources is the Hendricks College Network (HCN), which is a free service. Dubbed as the “guidance office for grownups,” the HCN provides access to and support for post-secondary education, business training, and workforce development in the area. “We are a resource for area residents, businesses, and community organizations,” Brandy Perrill, executive director of the HCN, said. “We provide access to and support for post-secondary education, business training and workforce development in Hendricks
County and surrounding regions. Most often we’re making connections in the community to experts or organizations or colleges or universities that provide those training classes or programs.” The network works with various secondary education institutions like Indiana State University, Indiana Tech, Ivy Tech Community College, MTI- Midwest Technical Institute, Oakland City University, Trine University and Vincennes University Logistics Training & Education Center. The HCN can also pair people with classes that offer a wide array of training, from technical skills to soft skills. Understandably, one of the most prevalent requests from students is the ability to learn more computer
STEVEN PENN PHOTO | THE HENDRICKS COUNTY FLYER
WORKING HARD: Brandy Perrill, executive director of Hendricks College Network, works at the office at 5250 E. U.S. 36, Ste. 1103, Avon. skills. “We do have some miniworkshops that we’ll do,” Perrill said. “We can help with interview skills, we keep a job board on Facebook that’s pretty popular, and work closely with
WorkOne to help people in career transitions to make sure they’re getting the services they need.” The College Fair, one of the biggest projects for HCN is coming up Feb 26. The event will be at the
Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds from 5 to 8 p.m. “There is something for everyone,” Perrill said. “There are not just the fouryear degrees there. We have ever ything from apprenticeships to certificate programs to adultfocused programs, as well as grad school and then the traditional four-year colleges. We typically have most every college in Indiana represented at the college fair.” Surrounding states like Alabama, Missouri, and Kentucky are also represented, as well as the military. For people who worry about the financial burden of continuing their education, Perrill said there’s a list of local scholarships. “There should be something for just about anyone — from the traditional student to the adult,” she said.
“That’s a pretty good resource outside of what they might see at their school.” The HCN, formerly the Post-Secondary Education Task Force, was established in 1998 by the Hendricks County Commissioners. Since 2002, the HCN has served nearly 50,000 students. “There are a lot of things to choose from out there and sorting through that is our area of expertise,” Perrill said. “We want to share that knowledge and help them.” For more information, visit the website at hendrickscollegenetwork.org or call 745-8804. The HCN offices are at 5250 E. U.S. 36, Ste. 1103, Avon. Follow Hendricks County Flyer reporter Steven Penn on Twitter @Steven_Penn.
really cost you. Begin by researching the average net price of students of the college of your choice. Average net price is defined as the cost of attending a college (for an in-state student who lives on campus) minus the average amount of gift aid that a student at that school receives from the college and the government. A college you’re interested in might have a published price of $8,000. But its average net price might be only $3,800 — which includes room and board and other costs. That’s a big differOf course, there is no exact ence. Most colleges offer a net equation to estimating your colcost calculator on their website lege costs as it varies based on to help you figure this number. courses, majors and income. For a comprehensive tool to There are a few important steps help you estimate your net colto take when estimating college lege price visit National Center costs: for College Costs at college1) Get Started Early: Take time costs.com. They offer several to meet with a school financial wonderful resources including a representative to understand all net price calculator. of the fees for that particular 3) Don’t just look at the sticker school and major. There are five value: A college education is main categories of expenses to not the same as purchasthink about when figing a car. Do your reuring out how search on much your rankings of college eduIn 2008, people with programs, cation is rea bachelor’s degree earned graduation ally going $22,000 more, on average, rates, job to cost: tuthan people with only a high placement ition and school diploma. rates of gradufees, room and ates and other board, books and important factors. supplies, personal exA higher investment penses, and transportation. may be worth a greater While some of these are fixed return. costs such as tuition others such There certainly is a lot that plays as room and board may have into the cost of college which some variance. Come up with a leaves many asking is it really budget begin with the fixed worth the cost? College has costs you will incur and then many benefits. For example, move to things you have varipeople who graduate from colance in to make your budget lege earn more money and are work. more likely to hold a job than 2) Focus on Net Price: Did you those who don’t. In 2008, people know that colleges with higher with a bachelor’s degree earned sticker prices oftentimes offer $22,000 more, on average, than more financial aid? Or that colpeople with only a high school leges differ in the types of aid diploma. Don’t let the numbers they offer? When looking at colscare you, there are many relege costs it is important to focus sources in and outside of Henon net price. Your net price for a dricks County to make college college is the full cost of attendreams a reality. dance minus your gift aid. Gift aid includes grants and scholarships but not loans or money earned through a work-study Now that you know the basics of job. Net price is the best way to determining college costs next answer how much college will is the challenge of figuring out
HOW ARE YOU GOING
TO PAY
FOR
?
COLLEGE How much does college really cost? With the costs of college rising yearly, students and parents alike are often left wondering exactly how much to expect to pay for a college education all the while worrying if they can afford it. According to The College Board, “There are more than 4,400 colleges in the U.S. with prices ranging from zero to more than $60,000 per year.” College may seem expensive. In reality, though, it’s often more affordable than you think. The costs depend on what college you go to and how much financial aid you receive. There is a wide range of prices, as the table below shows. The truth is that half of all full-time students at public and private nonprofit four-year colleges attend institutions that charge tuition and fees of $10,300 or less. PUBLIC TWO-YEAR COLLEGE (in-state students)
$3,131 PUBLIC FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE (in-state students)
$8,655 PUBLIC FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE
*Information provided by College Board.
(out-of-state students)
$21,706 PRIVATE FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE $29,056 Average Published Yearly Tuition and Fees
These numbers are based on published tuition costs, not what students actually end up paying out of their own pockets. There can be a big difference between those two numbers, thanks to financial aid.*
Paying for College
how to pay for college. While dowment Community Scholarmany parents have spent the ship Program which offers full past 18 years worrying over this tuition to any in-state college or issue there are many helpful reuniversity. For the 2013-2014 sources to ensure students and school year, HCCF offered three parents dreams of college beLilly Scholarships. Scholarships come a reality. are the only form of financial aid It is important to understand the offered by HCCF. different resources available for Scholarships can be very beneaid. There are four ficial for helping cover main types of the costs of colfinancial aid: lege. TypiThere are four main l o a n s , c a l l y types of financial aid: work/work scholarships loans, work/work study, study, grants can be used grants and and scholarto cover tuscholarships. ition, fees, books or ships. Loans are borrowed money that required supplies. must be repaid typically with inFor degree-seeking terest. Work and work study are students, scholarships are not employment opportunities that taxable; however, HCCF recomenable a student to earn a pormends anyone receiving any tion of school costs. Work study form of financial aid to consult a is often done through the coltax advisor for its implications. lege or university. Grants are Room and board are most likely federal, state and institution aid taxable uses for scholarship dolthat students do not repay. Filars. Most organizations, includnally, there are scholarships ing HCCF make scholarship which are gifts that do not need checks payable to the instituto be repaid. Scholarships are tion, not directly to the student. typically need or merit based. The help doesn’t stop there, Need based scholarships refer to Hendricks County is home to those that consider the financial several wonderful resources to situation of a family; whereas individuals looking to further merit based scholarships are their education. HCCF proudly those that solely consider the supports the Hendricks College quality of student with no reflecNetwork’s Hendricks County tion of the family’s financial College Fair on February 27th at need. Need based scholarships Hendricks County Fairgrounds utilize the Free Application for and will be presenting back to Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to back workshops on applying for determine a family’s financial scholarships. For more informaneed. You can learn more about tion on HCCF’s Scholarships the FAFSA in the article included please visit www.henhere and get help completing drickscountycf.org/scholarships. the FAFSA for free here in HenBe sure to mark your calendar, dricks County at one of the six for seniors graduating in 2015, FAFSA Days presented by the the scholarship deadline is Hendricks County Community February 18, 2015. Foundation (HCCF). Not only are there several great scholarships available nationwide but there are some wonderful scholarship opportunities available to students right here in Hendricks County. HCCF is a One important piece to getting 501(c)(3) organization that’s an accurate aid package is filing holds a $9 million collection of for FAFSA.The Free Application for over 200 funds each with a speFederal Student Aid (FAFSA) decific charitable purpose. Among termines student financial assisthese 200 funds, there are nearly tance eligibility based upon a 50 scholarship funds created by need analysis. Submission of this individuals, business and organfree comprehensive form grants, izations to support graduating low-interest loans and work-study high school seniors in Hendricks funds are offered to millions of elCounty. Scholarship funds held igible students each year. In addiat HCCF range anywhere from tion, the FAFSA is often used by $500 to $10,000 (over four years) governments, colleges and other each with specific criteria. HCCF funding sources to determine also administers the Lilly En-
Is filing FAFSA really important?
qualified students for nonfederal financial assistance. So why should you take the time to complete a FAFSA? Ensuring financial aid for college largely depends upon students’ completion and submission of the FAFSA annually each year they attend school. Studies show students who submit a FAFSA have a 72% higher chance of persisting through college than their peers who did not file the form (2011 Novak, H. & McKinney, L.). The same study found that all firstyear college students benefited from filing a FAFSA by having the opportunity to be awarded multiple forms of financial aid. The FAFSA form, and the funding opportunities it can provide, proves to be an extremely beneficial part of one’s academic career.
2014 Hendricks county FAFSA Days served over 182 families, these families received over $782,000 in Federal and State Grant dollars to help make local students college dreams a reality.
Each year, along with our community partners, the Hendricks County Community Foundation provides Hendricks County FAFSA Days. FAFSA Days allow for Hendricks County families to get FREE oneon-one assistance completing and interpreting their FAFSA by experts from the National Center for College Costs. In 2013, 195 Hendricks County students were eligible for $723,671 in federal and state grant dollars through completing the FAFSA form. Thus, each Hendricks County student who filed a FAFSA qualified for nearly $4,000 for the 2013-2014 school year. So the question shouldn’t be why should you file, but rather, why wouldn’t you file a free application that could greatly enhance a student’s funding for college? The Hendricks County Community Foundation will be hosting a free FAFSA Day at each local high school in the month of February. These days will be an opportunity to work with experts from the National Center for College Costs on filling out your FAFSA, answering any questions you may have and interpreting your results.