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Interview With Lawrence Goldstone, Author Of The Anatomy of Deception
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The Fruit Hunters: A Story of Nature, Obsession, Commerce, and Adventure
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Interview With Joseph Boyden, Author of Through Black Spruce
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Interview with Nino Ricci, Governor-General Award-Winning Author
With people being fired left and right due to the economy, more and more people are beginning to take advantage of their new-found free time. They accept the fact they may not find work right away after their dismissal. And this time in between jobs is now being called “Funemployment.” Granted, the people who are most able to indulge in this practice have some savings in the bank. But funemployment basically involves sleeping in, reading, and doing whatever you want.
The practice of funemployment has helped to give the generation of newly-unemployed twenty- and thirtysomethings a better outlook on things, and has even helped paint an upbeat picture. Instead of this generation being a lost one, these young people are now being given the opportunity to reconsider the profession they entered to see if it’s what they actually want to do. Read more…
That’s a picture of Neil Berrett, holding the cake he presented his boss. You probably can’t read it, but it’s his letter of resignation. It says:
“Dear Mr. Bowers - During the past three years, my tenure at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard has been nothing short of pure excitement, joy and whim. “However, I have decided to spend more time with my family and attend to health issues that have recently arisen. I am proud to have been part of such an outstanding team and I wish this organization only the finest in future endeavors.
“Please accept this cake as notification that I am leaving my position with NWT on March 27. Sincerely, W. Neil Berrett”.
Berrett posted the pic on Flickr, and got tons of support. And Mr. Bowers should even expect another cake soon - a commenter on the photo-sharing website claims he or she will be sending his or her CV via icing soon. Read more…
Finding a job is hard work, even at the best of times. And with people losing their jobs left, right and centre, now it’s even more difficult. So you need to use every tool in your arsenal to get yourself out there. Here are a few ways you can use the networking website LinkedIn to…well, network:
Let’s face it: The job market sucks right now. Which means it’ll take you a while to find a job. Which means it’s best to start looking for a new job before you’ve lost your current one. Which means it’s best to stay intuitive and take notice of any signs that might indicate your boss is ready to drop the ax. Be careful if any of these apply to you:
Mergers and Acquisitions - With mergers and acquisitions come duplication, meaning it’s likely there will be someone else doing a similar or the same job as you. Don’t expect you’ll be the one who makes the cut.
Jaguars Become Rabbits - If you see your boss trading in his high-end Jaguar for a Volkswagen Rabbit, don’t believe his excuse that he’s trying to save the environment. It’s a hardcore cost-cutting strategy, and your job could be next.
People No Longer Seek Your Opinion - If you were once the go-to guy for every little problem, but no one seems to ask you anything, watch your back.
You Are No Longer on the Invite List - Your schedule used to be packed with meetings, but now your free as a bird. But everyone else is still in meetings. You’re no longer indispensable.
Your Competitors Are Slicing Their Workforces - It’s only a matter of time before your company jumps on board with cost-cutting.
PHOENIX, AZ–(Marketwire - January 31, 2008) - The United States continues to fall behind other major industrialized nations in terms of the percentage of the population with a college degree, according to a recent series of joint studies released by the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems and Jobs for the Future.
Currently ranked tenth among industrialized countries in the percentage of 25-34-year-olds holding an associate’s degree or higher, the U.S. is projected to slip further, ranking near the bottom in the percentage of entering students that complete a degree program. Notably, the U.S. now stands as one of the only countries where older adults are more educated than younger adults.
At the current rates of degree attainment, the U.S. will produce approximately 48 million new undergraduate degrees by 2025 — 16 million fewer degrees than the 64 million it would need to match leading nations Canada, Japan, and South Korea in the percentage of adults with a college degree (estimated at 55 percent) and to meet emerging national workforce needs. To make up the gap, the U.S. would need to produce an additional 781,000 college graduates a year — a 37 percent increase over current levels.
Only eight states are currently on track to reach the level of educational attainment needed by 2025 to compete with the best performing nations and meet workforce demands.
COLLEGE COSTS OUTPACE INFLATION
The studies, conducted as part of the Making Opportunity Affordable project, note that college affordability is increasingly affecting accessibility. Even when adjusted for inflation, tuition and fees at four-year public universities have risen 24 percent over the past five years, according to the Trends in College Pricing 2006 report by the College Board.
The result has been that lower- and middle-class families have been struggling more to pay for college, with fewer low-income students enrolling and two-thirds of college students graduating with debt. Today, the average student borrower at a public college or university owes $17,250 in student loans; 10 years ago, the average borrower attending a public institution graduated owing $8,000 in student loans, after adjusting for inflation.
The studies project that, in order to expand the percentage of its adult population with college degrees, the U.S. will need to increase college accessibility for low-income students, as well as for continuing education students and for students in minority groups that have been traditionally underserved in higher education.
COLLEGE FUNDING OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS
In an effort to increase college accessibility for lower-income students, Congress passed the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007. The bill, which went into effect on October 1, increases the maximum federal Pell Grant award and is set to cut interest rates on subsidized federal college loans in half over the next five years.
Students who don’t demonstrate enough financial need to qualify for subsidized federal college loans or a federal Pell Grant could still qualify for low-cost, low-interest unsubsidized federal Stafford student loans. Students aren’t required to make any payments on their Stafford student loans while they’re still in school (at least half time). Non-need-based low-interest federal college loans are also available for qualifying parents of undergraduates.
Students whose education-related costs exceed their available federal financial aid may consider private student loans. While private student loans may provide the additional financial assistance some students need, since federal student loans generally offer more attractive terms than private student loans, it’s strongly recommended that students and their parents look to available federal financing options first.
About NextStudent
NextStudent, Federal Lender Code 834051, is dedicated to helping students and their families find affordable ways to pay for college. NextStudent offers one-on-one education finance counseling and has a portfolio of highly competitive education finance products and services, including a free online scholarship search engine, federally guaranteed parent and student loans, private student loans, both federal and private student loan consolidation programs, and college savings plans.
For more information about NextStudent and its student loan programs, please visit our website at NextStudent.com.
