Promotional Programs for Third-Level Education

 

Third level education is one of the most important aspects of a person’s life in the United States. The U.S Department of Education recognizes a number of tertiary education institutions that are accredited, and provide an avenue for students who have finished high school to further their education and specialize in one particular area of interest (2011). The number of these third level institutions such as community colleges, liberal arts colleges, private universities and public universities that were fully accredited and recognized by the Department of Education, as of the year 2010 stood at 8990 institutions. In the same year, research record from the Department of Education estimated that there were at least 20.3 million students in these institutions of higher learning (U.S. Department of Education 2011). Needless to say, the information provided describes a situation where the demand for third level education in the country is tremendously high.

In spite of the large number of individuals attending tertiary level educational institutions, there is however a substantially larger number of individuals who do not get the chance to attend any one of these institutions. There is a plethora of reasons as to why they do not get to further their education after completing high school. For some, they simply choose not to foster their academic pursuit; others do not meet the bare minimum qualifications that allow them to ensue with tertiary level education; other high school students perhaps do not have the financial capacity to join these institutions since the cost of higher education is considerably high for the ordinary Joe to meet without assistance (Eckel and King, 2009). Some secondary education students are on the other hand misinformed and misguided about the whole concept of tertiary education either by negative personal factors or negative external factors.

Researcher in the field of education as well as professionals in the secondary and tertiary education institutions, however, agree on one particularly principal idea. It is during the young and formative years, when children are in high school, that they should be opened up to the expediency of pursuance of tertiary education. Building up positive images of third level education and molding their minds towards the prospects of attending an institution of higher learning is a culture that all involved parties in the field of education should embark upon. Such efforts are sure to go a long way in hearting young individuals gear up their academic activities towards attending such institutions with the hopes of building successful future careers.

Affording young minds the opportunity to study in a goal oriented attitude is constructive not only to them but to the country as well. Doing so produces a generation of well trained and sufficiently qualified individuals, who are bound to take development to greater heights in their particular careers. There are three fundamental philosophical attitudes which greatly influence the structure of the American individuals’ public life as well as third level education in the U.S (Eckel and King 2009). Institutions providing third level education in the U.S were formed and are protected and maintained by a variety of individuals and bodies such as state governments, religious institutions and individuals based upon the Jeffersonian model of limited government and freedom of expression.

Eckel and King (2009) say that belief in the rationality global markets and capitalism form the second set of influences on the structure of tertiary education in America. This is evidenced by the manner in which these institutions strive to attract students and vie for funding from the relevant sources. These processes are carried out competitively under the hypothesis that a competitive system rather than a centralized system is more likely to deliver the much needed high quality standards and diversity within the institutions.

Lastly, tertiary education is influenced by the constitutional need to provide all American citizens with equal social and economical prospects. Unlike the historical past where higher education was a reserve for the elitist societies, the constitution strives to provide an equal break for persons typifying all kinds of economic and social backgrounds with access to attain a useful education (Eckel and King 2009). The constitution brought with it a substantial revolution to higher education. As stated earlier on in the report, affording young mind the opportunity to learn and understand in greater depth the feasibility of enrolling in any one of the many tertiary level institutions of education is bound to give young students a greater insight into what the future holds in store for them after successfully completing and graduating from a third level education institution.

It is therefore imperative upon Federal, State and private educational bodies to promote the culture of pursuing tertiary education. This report particularly advocates for the creation and reinforcement of countrywide outreach programs in schools with the aim of fostering post-secondary education efforts among students. These programs targeting high school students will provide them with information, including what has been discussed earlier in the paper, to empower them make the proper choices in regards to pursuing tertiary education (King, 2008).

An example of such a program is ‘The Financial Education for College Access and Success Program.’ The program is an initiative of the Department of Education. It provides additional support to efforts spearheaded by state governments (American Council on Education, 2009). These efforts are geared towards developing, facilitating and assessing the efficacy of providing high school students with relevant financial material. The material educates and equips them with the necessary skill sets to make sound personal financial decisions regarding joining, paying for and successfully completing tertiary education. Such efforts by the program are great in nudging forward skeptical students, scared of bearing the burden of large financial costs upon enrolling and on completion of tertiary education.

Another similar great program is the ‘Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program’ commonly referred to as ‘GEAR UP’ (U.S. Department of Education 2011). This is also another Department of Education initiated program that provides discretionary grants with the aim of significantly boosting the number of exemplary performing high school students hailing from financially strained backgrounds and those willing to pursue tertiary education but are unable due to budgetary constraints (American Council on Education, 2009). The funds provided by this program provide grants and tertiary education scholarships to high school students from low-income area high schools.

The two examples of tertiary education promotion programs are just but a drop in the ocean and not sufficient to cater to the large population of high school graduates with the hopes of joining tertiary education institutions. This means that many college dreams are shattered and many young minds with great potential go to waste nationwide. As such it is important for the Department of Education and other relevant education bodies to increase their efforts, by gathering up their resources and looking for other partners, and come up with many more similar programs to encourage and engrave in the young minds the appeal of attaining a tertiary education.

 

 

 

References

American Council on Education. (2009). A brief guide to U.S. higher education. Washington,        DC: American Council on Education.

Eckel, D. P. & King, E. J. (2009). An Overview of Higher Education in the United States: Diversity, Access and Role of the Marketplace. Washington, DC: American Council on Education.

King, J. E. (2008). Choice of institution: Changing student attendance patterns in the 1990s.        ACE Issue Brief. Washington, DC: American Council on Education.

U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2011). Digest of             education statistics: 2010. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.

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Promotional Programs for Third-Level Education essay Brook Writers.