In New York City, low-income high school students are being paid for scoring high on Advanced Placement exams. The ‘Rewarding Achievement’ (REACH) is a pay-for-performance program for students who get 3, 4 or 5 on their AP tests. They even get paid bonuses for attending tutoring sessions on the weekend. However, many argue that this contradicts what students should be taught: that performing well in high school allows you to attend college. Not encouraging inner city kids with cash.

In a time of a quickly evolving world, the focus of education should not be placed on test-taking abilities, but learning beyond text books and into leadership and real world skills. Having the emphasis on test results makes the students stray from the purpose of the exam, which is the absorption of the subject in test-preparation through studying.

REACH has been accused of using the wrong means to boost educational opportunities for minority students, by paying students who perform well on tests. Where programs such as QuestBridge have had the right approach. They connect low-income students with the country’s best colleges. This program teaches that they can overcome their financial obstacles and be rewarded with enrollment in a top 5 college to aid them in reaching their goals.

Students who want to attend the best college in America in 2010 now have a list to find the one that suits them. Broken down into categories, the U.S. News and World Report college rankings list is an essential resources for prospective students. The list is based on a survey that is issued to universities every year. It includes peer assessment, reputation among students and faculty, average class size, and student-faculty ratios.

For liberal arts studies, the number one college on the list is Williams College, in Williamstown, MA. Statistically speaking, it is the go-to college for any future college student, having an acceptance rate of 17% and enrollment of 2,045.

For national universities, the results were obvious. There was a tie for first place by Princeton University and Harvard University.
Although this list is a recommended resource for students who are deciding on a college, it is still advised that the best way to find if a school suits you is to visit it in person. School Counselors say that the list should be used as a ’starting point’ and not a deciding factor.

One considers many factors when choosing a college. Whether it is the academics, sports, social or party scene, everyone’s priorities are different. The American Institute for Economic Research, or AIER, has made a study that will aid prospective students in researching college environments.

Despite speculation, the ‘AIER represents no fund, concentration of wealth, or other special interests’ so no one profits except for the students utilizing the information from their studies. Even advertising is prohibited in their publications, following a ‘public service’ code of honor, only being funded by loyal subscribers who pay the organization fees.

The list created by AIER rates the finest college environments by first using population categories. Schools are classified as one of the following: major metropolitan area with a population of 2.5 million plus; mid-size at 1.2 million plus; small cities with 250,000 to 1 million and finally college towns with any population under 250,000.

Beyond that, the list also overs the quality of life, academic environment and professional opportunities. Making it obvious that this list will become an essential resource to prospective college students researching their future school.

Fred Durhal, a Michingan State Representative, has proposed offering free college tuition for high school students. As opposed to taxpayer dollars, his proposal will be funded by lotteries and a percentage of the state’s casino’s income.

Students who wish to qualify for this offer must have a graduation GPA of at least a 2.5. They must then be accepted to any public, private vocational, technical school or college or university in Michigan. Prospective students must also have proof of residency for the state of Michigan for the five consecutive years proceeding high school graduation in order to qualify. They must also participate in one full year of community service, which can include returning to their former high school to be a mentor to a senior by raising their GPA to at least a 2.5.

Durhal, a democrat, hopes for bipartisan support for his new proposal, which has yet to be submitted for official approval. He has formed a workgroup to help him iron out the details before finishing it and presenting it for approval.

Due to the economic crisis, and the competition in the job market, many US students are going to work abroad, some even in China. Students trying to start their career after graduation have run into a dead end, finding their opportunities slim to none. Although the unemployment rate as gone down by .1% from last month, some would say we are a long way from an ‘improving economy’. Students in desperate need of employment have left for work abroad, some even leaving for China for temporary job opportunities. One student from Wesleyan University has taken a position with an educational travel company in Shanghai. Although he didn’t know hardly anything about the country, most students are showing a lack of hesitation these days when it comes to their careers. Considering the future is all but bright, and opportunities are few and far between. Working abroad offers more opportunities than just teaching English, which most University graduates are taking advantage of, even if just for temporary work. Most employers have a high demand for individuals ‘capable of communicating with the Western World’.

Students numbering in the thousands have lined up to protest budget cuts because of funding reductions made by the government. Among them are faculty and staff who are also participating in the system wide protest. The budget cuts have lead to layoffs, higher tuition fees, and course reductions. The protest has included rallies, marches, and sit-ins, the largest of which was on the Berkeley campus with 5,000 students participating. 1,000 professors and other staff have signed a petition encouraging students to walk out, and demanding any faculty being paid less than $40,000 will not have a salary cut.

Because of the current economic crisis in California, there is a state wide $2 billion cut in funding for high education. There will even be a 45% increase in tuition fees, more than $10,300 which does not even include housing costs. Enrollment fees will all be raised while the UC also cuts down on it’s classes. The UC President will also be raising student fees by 15%, and another 15% the following year. Hundreds of workers are also being laid off, being replaced by unpaid non-union representatives.

Earlier this week, The New York Times posed a controversial question, asking “whether college makes the student or the student makes the college”. This is debatable as colleges never measure how much a student actually learns from the time they enter and graduation from school. The New York time is wondering how much the actual teaching and learning that takes place on campus really matters.

Many careers do not require college degrees or education; though some professions, such as mail carriers, have positions that do require a degree, and some that do not. The question here is: is the time lost and the debt achieved by attending college really necessary for becoming a mail carrier?

Another factor to consider is the current state that the economy is in. Many college students studying right now are very uncertain about their career opportunities in the future, and if any will even be available to them. During the great depression in the 30s, for example, the percentage of teenagers who graduated high school rose from a mere 30% to 50% students who would have otherwise been working had they been able to find jobs. With so few positions available, people are pouring into the community colleges. So the question remains, is college education worth it?