THE UMUC offers one of the few DL program for poor

THE U. OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE offers one of the few
distance-education programs designed to teach working poor
people the skills they need to advance in the job market.

--> SEE http://chronicle.com/weekly/v49/i45/45a02901.htm

 

Does the program include a subscription to The Chronical of Higher Education?

 

Access to the Chronicle of Higher Education is $7.25/month.

 

I swear I do not chronically misspell "chronicle."

 

FSU graduate tuition pays for free ( that is an oxymoron) access to this through Lexis Academic Universe.

A brief excerpt, to comply with copyright laws, is reproduced below followed by my opinion. (Simply reproducing the article might get my admission to Harvard withdrawn and I haven't even sued to be valedictorian.)

...Enter the University of Maryland University College. Recognizing Ms. Cook's education and drive, the college placed her in a scholarship program created to lead the working poor in Baltimore and Washington to better jobs by giving them help, resources, and distance-education courses that teach marketable skills.
The program, called Better Opportunities Through Online Education, provided Ms. Cook with a computer, a printer, Internet access, books, and courses in business management and computer skills, all without charging her a cent.

This is all well and good for the working poor in Baltimore and Washington but what about us working poor in Florida. I think more programs like this should be started.

The article says that less than 5% of those students (referred from Goodwill a partner in the program) are accepted.

Only 5/11 of the first class graduated; but in reality is that any less of a completion rate for traditional colleges such as the State university around the corner? Do more than 45% of students who start a 4 year degree complete that degree. I know at one time the University of South Florida 4 year undergraduate completion rate was less than 60%.


This program costs an average of $8000 per student per year. The program is a 3 year long course of study that leads to a certificate in " introductory accounting, general computer skills, general management skills, or workplace communications" They also recieve 18 college credit hours.

Lets see 3 * 8K=$24K for 18 credit hours.... well that is $1333 per credit hour, four grand for a 3 credit class.
Harvard tuition is 24,630 for the first academic year.

This seems like a colossal waste of money to me. Eighteen credit hours for twenty four grand. Seems like one could get a nice undergraduate degree at a fine RA school for that.

 

Here is the UMUC page on the program: Better Opportunities Through Online Education