- Americans feel for-profit institutions have a better reach than traditional colleges
- Posted By:
- Staff Admin
- Posted On:
- 28-Dec-2009
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According to a recent poll, the public seems to prefer for-profit education even during this severe economic crunch. This poll was conducted for the Americans for Democratic Action Education Fund by the Lake Research Partners.
Around 1000 adults including 250 whites of the lower income range, 500 Latinos and 500 African Americans were used for this study. The results of this poll clearly indicate that the minority group is in no way affected by whether the education is for-profit or not.
Most people today believe strongly that the need of the hour today to come out of the crisis is access to good quality education. People feel that Obama’s vision of greatly increasing the number of college graduates is only possible through for-profit education system.
78% people felt that undeserved communities enjoyed a post-high school education due to the open enrolment policy of the for-profit universities.
81% felt that many students find it very flexible and convenient pursuing courses offered by for-profit universities and colleges online and made it possible for them to earn a college degree at their own pace.
74% people felt that only the for-profit universities and colleges had the required infrastructure that could support a fast growth without compromising on the quality of education which in turn was possible because they had the opportunity to expand with the help of access to funds.
The situation is clear. Many today find it tough to manage studies as well as earn a living in traditional educational institutions. They find the flexibility offered by for-profit organizations to low-income individuals wanting to earn their college degrees even as they continue working full time.
One of the most important aspects to focus on is to successfully eliminate disparity and inequality in education in order to ensure a bright future for the country. While colleges in big cities offer high quality education, those in the rural areas are not so lucky. These colleges offer sub-standard education which was the only option for low-income families.
To fulfil our vision of a 21st Century super economy, it is imperative that the needs of all high school graduates are adequately met. They must be offered high quality vocational training and education as well as post secondary academics.
Another revelation from this report is the encouraging fact that almost all Americans think obtaining a degree is of utmost importance for personal progress as well as for the progress of the country. They also think that this is possible only by providing each and every American with high quality education that is highly affordable.
It is evident that for-profit educational institutions score with Americans due to two major factors namely flexibility and opportunity. In fact, today every American dreams the President’s dream and want significant enhancement of graduation rate. They all feel that it is more important to offer opportunities for the under deserved than talk about exploitation of students. The flexibility these institutions offer far outweighs their fee structures. For-profit institutions also offer a wide reach across the country which a traditional college most certainly does not.