Adult Education – An Increasing Need In The US Job Market

Teaching a child is different from teaching an adult. During the 60’s, Malcolm S. Knowles broke a new ground in the education sector by bringing out the idea that there is a difference between how a child and an adult learns. In the year 1968, he drafted ideas for adult educators to teach and help adult learners.

Generally, learners above the age of 25 are considered as adult learners. For the past 30 years, there has been a huge increase in their population in the US. The number has been increasing ever since.

There are various reasons for aged people to come back to school. The main reason is the changing job market in the US that expects employees to have higher levels of educational qualifications. The boom of online learning is also another important reason for the increase in the enrollment of adult learners who have to juggle between their work, family, education, and other life responsibilities.

Based on the competency level in the job market for various industries, they usually prefer career-related courses such as Education, Health, Business, etc. Thus, adult learning is no more just about the part-time or evening vocational courses. There is an increasing demand for graduate and under-graduate courses.

According to the market research done by the EducationDynamics, at present, there are about 7 million adult learners who have enrolled in various courses. The number is expected to grow to approximately 8 million by 2016.

The future too will not see any dearth as the unstable US economy would demand people from all age groups to continue their learning process and increase their qualification to withstand in a job. As said earlier, there is a huge difference between teaching a child and teaching an adult. Following are the facts derived from Malcom S. Knowles’ assumptions and process elements of the Andragogical model of learning.

Adult learners:

• Learn when the learning material makes sense (the learning material has to be interesting enough for them to continue reading)


• Are independent, but dependent on a teacher to learn a new subject or concepts


• Learn because of their curiosity


• Learn by understanding the subject


• Like to learn in a relaxed environment


• Do self-planning and self-diagnosis


• Set objectives for themselves


• Learn by inquiry and experience


• Evaluate with peers

It is important that adult educators as well as the adult education sector are flexible enough to address the above needs of the learners. Also, the education sector should introduce new courses, specific to adult educators to improve their capabilities to teach an adult, such as:

• M.S. in Higher Education (Adult Education) at Capella University


• M.Ed. in Adult Learning and Workforce Education at Northcentral University


• M. Ed. in Adult Learning at City University of Seattle

The goal of adult education is to reach adult learners using specifically designed programs. It is imperative that we prepare the next generation of adult educators to meet the growing demands of highly-increasing adult learners.

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Online Education and its Advantages

Online Education can be defined as access to education through an online platform. Using online platform, a student can learn any subject and obtain proper certification without having to go to an educational institution such as a school or a University, in person. Thus, online mode of education can also be called as distance education.

These days, post-secondary education through online has already made its way to the end users in various forms including short-term certificate courses, diplomas, undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees, postgraduate degrees, associate degrees, master degrees, doctorates, etc.

Online Education for Higher Studies

Students can get their basic school and high school education in the traditional classroom system. But with growing responsibilities with their age and career, many of them are not able to complete higher education. Thus, online higher education allows a potential student to complete a higher education degree. Even better, students can enroll for more than one online course at a time to save time. These can be short-term certificate courses. Students who are enrolled in a traditional school learning system also can opt for an online certification course.

Online Training for Employees

Online education or training was initially started to provide personalized training to the employees of an organization. This has been extended to educational institutions as a mode to deliver education to people who are not able to devote their full time to education and who want to continue their education. It is a boon to the full time employees to study and obtain degrees that could help them to update their qualifications and to further growth in their career.

Online Courses for Teachers

Online courses, in particular, play a significant role in the career of a teacher. The nature of the career demands a teacher to pursue education throughout his or her life. Thus, if a teacher has decided to pursue a course online, he or she can choose the course from an online University and complete it without having to compromise on the job. This will help the teacher to improve his or her qualification status.

The New Age Education

As we all know education and the mode of learning have undergone transformation over the years. The very particular and notable transformation in the education sector, in the recent times, is undoubtedly the education through online.

This mode of education is definitely finding its way to the college and University curriculum. Educational institutions have started to offer their degree programs through online. There are institutions that provide only online based courses. Growth of technology has made online education possible. In todays era, this is possibly the best opportunity to improve our career.

So far, in our blog series, we have discussed about each and every stage involved in pursuing higher education in the United States, which starts from preparation during the high school years till the financial aid required to study higher education programs. We have learned about both offline and online education sector of the US.

In the next blog, we shall discuss about the types of courses available in the United States, and nature and scope of each course.

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Student Loans – Available Repayment Options

Yes, higher education is a dream for many students. But if a student is not able to get one of those scholarships or grants, they do not have to lose heart. Student loan is the answer for their search for money.

Students must be aware that this fund has to be repaid after the completion of the course period.

We have already learned about various student loans available from the federal government and other loan providing bodies. In this article, we shall discuss about the various loan repayment options that students should consider to repay their loans to prevent any unpleasant surprises during the higher stages in their career.

Following are the repayment plans available for students who borrow Direct Subsidized loans, Unsubsidized loans, Subsidized loans, Federal loans, and Stafford loans:

Standard Repayment Plan:

When a student enters the loan repayment period, he or she is automatically assigned to the Standard repayment plan for the loan repayment. However, a student can change the repayment plan at any time.

This plan enables students to pay less interest than any other plans. Under this plan, a student has to repay the loan in 120 equal payments for 10 years, that is, 12 payments per year. The number of years to repay the loan reduces based on the amount. The minimum amount to be paid under this plan is $50.

Graduated Repayment Plan:

Similar to the Standard repayment plan, a student has to repay the loan amount within 10 years. But the interest amount is comparatively higher in this plan. The interest amount increases every two years.

Extended Repayment Plan:

In this plan, the loan repayment period is 25 years with less monthly payments compared to the 10-year standard plan. But, the overall payment is higher than the 10-year plan amount.

Income-Based Repayment Plan:

Students with partial financial hardship are eligible for this repayment plan that runs up to 25 years. The monthly payments are lesser than the amount repaid for 10-year plan. Thus, a student pays more compared to the 10-year plan. After equivalent amounts are paid for 25 years, any outstanding balance is forgiven for which the student may have to pay only the income tax.

The monthly payment is calculated based on the borrower’s income that is 15% of the discretionary income. Thus, the amount changes as per the income.

Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan:

As per this plan, 10% of monthly payment should be paid towards the loan for 20 years. This plan is applicable for student borrowers after Oct 1, 2007 and student borrowers of Direct Loan on or after Oct. 1, 2011. After equivalent amounts are paid for 20 years, any outstanding balance is forgiven for which the student may have to pay only the income tax.

Income-Contingent Repayment Plan:

Monthly payment is calculated each year based on adjusted gross income, family size, and the total Direct Loan amount. Time period to pay the amount is 25 years. After equivalent amounts are paid for 25 years, any outstanding balance is forgiven for which the student may have to pay only the income tax.

Income-Sensitive Repayment Plan:

Monthly payment is calculated based on annual income. Time period for the payment is 10 years. A borrower pays more than the standard 10-year plan. Monthly payment calculation differs with different lenders.

Payment method for Perkins Loan borrowers

Perkins loan borrowers have to start paying the loan amount latest after nine months of graduation or opting to leave school or opting to leave below half-time from the enrollment. If the student opts to leave below half-time status, he or she need not repay the loan amount for certain period of time called the Grace period. The student should enquire with the school regarding the Grace period.

In this article, we have discussed about various loan repayment options that a student borrower can consider based on the income after graduation and the time period required for repayment. In the next article, we shall discuss about education through online and its advantages.

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10 Things That You Should Know About FAFSA

FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the free application form that is used by the US students to apply for Federal student aids. Annually, the Federal government of the US provides about $150 billion as financial aid. This Federal aid can be availed in the form of scholarships, grants, Federal student loans, and work-study programs. To know more about the available types of Federal student aid:

Eligibility Requirements

Students who are applying to study higher education programs in the US, such as undergraduate and graduate programs can apply for FAFSA.

To avail the Federal aid, a student must satisfy the following eligibility criteria:

• Financial need – The student should have a financial need to pursue his education


• US citizenship or recognition as an eligible noncitizen


• Valid Social Security Number

 

• Registration with Selective Service (male students must register between the ages of 18 to 25)


• Enrollment confirmation in an eligible degree or certificate program


• Good academic records in school or college

 

Application Modes

Students can apply for FAFSA through the online application available on the official website. Students can also apply for Student Federal aid through paper application forms or by calling the official phone.


While applying through FAFSA, a student should be aware of the following information to successfully complete and avail financial assistance:

1. Personal Identification Number (PIN)

To sign the FAFSA application electronically, the Personal Identification Number or the PIN is required. A student should get the PIN as early as possible from the official website of FAFSA in order to avoid process delays of the application.

2. Necessary Documents

Following are the necessary documents to be submitted along with the FAFSA application:

• Student’s Social Security Number


• Parent’s Social Security Number


• Driver’s License Number (if available)


• Alien Registration Number (for non-US citizens)


• Federal tax information


• Untaxed income


• Savings, investments, and balance account information

 

3. Help Tools

While filling the application, students can use free help tools available on the official website of FAFSA to complete the application correctly.

 

 4. Filling out FAFSA

When starting to fill the FAFSA for the first time on the official website of FAFSA, students should click the button that says ‘Start A New FAFSA’. If the application is not completed at the first time, students should save the password to login to the application later to complete it.

5. List of Colleges

While filling out the form, students should provide the name of at least one college in order to complete the application. This information is used to calculate the amount that may be required for a student. A student can list up to 10 colleges in the order of preference.

6. Dependency Status

A student should declare his/her dependency status. If the student is a dependent, information about the parents has to be filled out in the application.

7. Unable to Provide Parent Information

If a student is not able to provide information about the parents due to any reason, he or she will not be eligible for any Federal student aid except the unsubsidized loan.

Such students will not be able to avail the Expected Family Contribution. In such case, they should immediately contact the financial advisor of their college to avail the unsubsidized loan.

8. Financial Information

FAFSA asks for financial information of the student that should be filled based on the income records of the previous tax year. Students can use the ‘Income Estimator’ tool available in the official website of FAFSA to calculate the tax return if there is any change in the income.

9. Availability of Tax Information via IRS DRT

To know more information about tax return, students should use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. For other related queries, students can contact IRS using the provided number: 1-800-829-1040.

10. Submitting the FAFSA

After filling out the application with necessary details, students should sign the FAFSA with the PIN and submit it.

Once the FAFSA application is submitted, students should follow up and monitor the status of the application on the official website. Students can also make corrections and update their application after submission, if required.

In this article, we have discussed about how to apply for Federal student aid through FAFSA. If a student can avail grants or scholarships, the money does not have to be repaid. In case of loans, the amount has to be paid back with interest, by the student.

In the next article, we will discuss about various loan repayment options available to student borrowers.


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