The Cost of College

Tuesday a report released by College Board Advocacy & Policy Center stated that the typical student attending a four-year public college will not see a return in their education investment until they are 33 years old.

The report also outlined that people with college degrees are less likely to lose their jobs where as people with just a high school diploma have higher unemployment rates.

Also released in the report was information that college graduates are more likely to exercise, read to their children, vote and volunteer. These graduates also have lesser chance of being overweight or smoking.

College Board also states that the average tuition cost of a two year school for full-time students (12 credits a semester) is $2,544 per a semester where as Bucks charges students on average $1,605 for Bucks County residents.

“Take out a big student loan and work my ass off,” said Brooks Walker, 18, liberal arts major from Warminster said about paying for tuition to continue his education after Bucks. Walker who works at Ann’s Choice Retirement Community in Warminster says his job helps him pay for some of his Bucks enrollment fees.

College Offers Green Job Training for Veterans

On a recent day the first group of nine former service men graduated from the 12 week Bucks County Community College Veterans Green Jobs program which has prepared them for a “green collar” job, the program is located at the Bridge Business Center in Bristol.  

The program for veterans, who are interested in entering the emerging field of solar and electrical training, was announced by the college and U.S. Representative Patrick Murphy (D) in May.

Clorece Kulp who works in the community college’s Continuing Education Department says the program “is to help veterans who are trying to get jobs in green industry.” Veterans who are accepted and complete the program are entering a field in which the Pennsylvania Green Jobs Report indicated could employ over 100,000 Pennsylvanians over the next three years. 

Kulp also tells the paper that graduates will be eligible to get jobs in the geothermal, farming, solar, residential, commercial or industrial green energy fields.  Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has fortified the state as a national leader in the green industry. Since 2003 the state has invested close to $1 billion dollars in the green industry and expects the financial benefits to be much greater than the investment.
Christine Gillespie, Assistant Vice President of Continuing Education and Workforce Development, reports two graduates have already found “green collar” jobs and others are fielding offers from companies in the industry.