Combating the Commodification of Higher Education
In the United States, schools are not public institutions. Instead, they are privately owned businesses. There are many different types of schools, including private schools, parochial schools, charter schools, magnet schools, and vocational schools. Private schools may be religious or secular, while public schools are usually funded by taxes and are required to teach all subjects. Charter schools are publicly funded schools that operate independently from local school districts. Magnet schools are public schools that focus on certain fields of study, such as science, technology, engineering, arts, or math. Vocational schools are designed to prepare students for specific careers.
Institutional rivals encourage faculties and universities to take measures to face out in very visible means in which improve their position and standing. It is not a surprise that colleges compete with each other by means of amenities, facilities, scope of applications, and also even meals. Intense rivals discourage most faculties from radically changing with established practices in order to not reduce their enchantment by displaying eccentric, strange, or aggressive. On the surface, American higher education seems to have an unparalleled range of liberal arts schools, research-oriented institutions, private and non-public, urban and rural campuses, religious faculties, military academies, seminaries and institutes of technology, suburban and residential campuses, online suppliers.
Nevertheless, most colleges share certain frequent components, together with credits, fixed-length phrases and standardized start dates, distribution requirements, department-based divisions and additional. Conformist pressures create alternatives for various companies concentrating on unmet needs and underserved markets. For instance, there are emergency care facilities, non-profit emergency services, boutique and conciergee practices, and private clinics and remedy amenities. On-line education options embrace mega online suppliers like Western Governors, Southern New England and Coursera; many coaching camps and skill academies; and certification programs designed to serve those that discover the choices offered by conventional schools and universities too expensive or time-consuming or not sufficiently career-oriented.
In the United States, there are many programs that help low income families pay for higher education. These programs include Pell Grants, Work Study, and loans. There are also scholarships available for students who qualify. Some schools offer tuition assistance for students whose family income is below $65,000 per year. Many colleges and universities offer scholarships to students who meet certain requirements. Students should check with their school counselor or financial aid office to see if any scholarships are available.
In the absence of strict oversight, fraudsters and charlatans make full use of alternative ways to generate income. Increasingly, education and health care providers are turning to online courses, certifications, and other forms of non-traditional education and healthcare services to increase revenues. These services often lack any kind of quality assurance, leaving consumers vulnerable to scams and false claims.
In a recent article EdSurge Jeffrey R. Younger reminds us about a visionary 1997 article by David Noble, a famous historian of science and know how, denouncing the rise of “digital diploma factories.” The bottom affordable cost of providing a high quality education or a degree with real worth within the job market is $0.00.
