Reply #1: I read the article. [View All]

I looked up some of the information and controversy about the University of Phoenix. They are the largest of the for-profit universities, and they have faced some accusations, too. At least they are regionally accredited. It is important to prospective students to look at accreditation as well as financial aid. If credits do not transfer or prospective employers do not recognize programs as valid training, people can be in a lot of debt with nothing to show.

So many community colleges and four-year schools offer online programs and classes. They are cheaper than these for profit schools, too.

My daughter used to teach online music history and appreciation courses through the community college system in Chicago. She won awards for her course design. She had immigrant, older, minority, and non-traditional students of every type. Many of them had no role models, because they were the first in their families to take any type of college class at all. She and her colleagues were careful to design coursework and to plan for working with these non-traditional students. Most of them were highly motivated. She gave a flute recital at one of the churches in Chicago. She invited her online students. I was touched by how many of them took the time to attend. They had never met her except through an online class!

Please be careful everyone. As the job prospects dry up even more, people will go back to school. Look out for yourselves.