In today's modern society it's becoming more and more necessary to continue one's education. With the advancements of new technology and new businesses springing up all over the place, the call for a higher education is an ongoing concern of many. The more degrees one has the better the overall pay check will be. So this is all good and fine. But, it also raises a few concerns for people such as me, my life partner and others like us.
After a long dry period of putting out resumes and visiting the many businesses in search of employment, we decide that both of us would return to the education system. Our reasoning for this decision was in hope of obtaining a degree. I decided that for me, I would like to become a Business Administrator. So off we went. We knew that we held the power in our hands to change our life and future.
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I called one of the well known colleges in our area and let the person on the other end of the phone know my interest and the course I wanted to take. I also let the person I was speaking to know that I was unemployed and needed financial aid that would cover all aspects of my returning to the education system. The young lady assured me that this could be done through grants and student loans. (Financial aid & student loans) She then set the appointment time and place to fill out the papers needed to get things off to a great start.
Upon arriving at our appointment the young lady sadly informed us that they could not help us get the financial aid that would help us with living arrangements etc. That any aid they helped with would only pay for the course. My course was estimated at (27,000.00) for the two year term. So I told the nice young lady, that I needed to find a college that would offer a wider spectrum of financial aid. She sent me to two college's saying that they offered the full type of aid I was looking for.
This is where it gets worse. Upon arriving at the next school, a Community College, we were greeted at the door and told we needed to register on the computer and then go to financial aid office. So we did as we were told. We then registered on the computer got our Student ID and preceded on to the next step, being the Financial Aid Office. There we told them what we needed and instead of sitting us down to have a talk with us, they tossed us each a pamphlet and told us to apply on line for the kind of aid we needed. I found it left us wanting in the sense that neither of us have ever applied for grants or aid before. We are out of the loop and much like the dinosaurs compared to most of those that are in college. We have been out of school so long that most of us wouldn't even know where to start. So it raises many questions for older people like me.
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- What has happen to the education system? I can remember a time when it was not a rack them and stack them type of system. The Counselor of old would take the time to help and walk a person through each step and even help them fill out the proper forms. To them you were a person and not a number or just another face in the crowd.
- Has the Education system become more political then human? One time it was something you could look forward to doing and it didn't matter your stature or place in life. The system would go out of its way to make sure your needs were met.
- Is it possible to find a college or University that will take the time to sit down and if necessary walk the applicant through all the steps needed?
It's just a thought, from an old man and a rather disappointed one at that. I'm always open to suggestions and if any of you that read this article have some helpful information on this matter, please pass it on to me.
