Earlier this month, I posted an article on The College Board’s annual report, Trends in College Pricing.  There is a companion report to Trends in College Pricing, Trends in Student Aid.   Published since 1983, this year’s Trends in Student Aid report is only 20 pages long but is supplemented by a website that provides detailed information on all aspects of student aid.  As I mentioned in my article on the Trends in College Pricing report, The College Board encourages individuals like me to share the information in their articles as long as the College Board is given credit for the data discussed.

There are some interesting trends described in this year’s report that show positive government support of higher education.  For example, over the past decade, there has been a 78% increase in the use of federal Pell Grants to fund higher education.  Since Pell Grants do not require repayment, they offer an obviously ideal opportunity for students.  Unfortunately, many students do not qualify for Pell Grants and have to use federal and private loans to pay for their education.  The percentage of students at elite institutions who qualify for Pell Grants is often 10% or less.  A much higher percentage of community college students qualify for Pell Grants than at other institutions.  The report also calculates the benefits received from education tax credits.  These credits have increased 86%, from $3,791 per student during the 1998-1999 academic year (the program did not exist prior to 98-99) to $7,040 during the 2007-2008 academic year.

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In response to my article on Veterans Day last week, I received a note from a retired general, Brig. Gen Joe Schafer.  Joe is a professor at American Military University and an alumnus as well and he shared his thoughts about Veterans Day.  I thought that his piece not only embraced many of my thoughts about those who serve our country, but also provided a great perspective on the attitude of the professional soldier toward the change in administrations and our Commanders in Chief.  Given the orderly transition that we are currently going through after the recent election, you have to respect the way our democracy works regardless of who you voted for in the election.  With Joe’s permission, I have provided the text of his note below.

11 Nov 2008
           
It is a private matter who you or I voted for to be the President of the United States one week ago.  It is a public responsibility, however, no matter how we voted, to now offer our support and best wishes for the new President’s success in keeping this nation strong, ensuring the liberties we have fought and died for, and making the country better every single generation for the generation that follows.
 
I take great pride in having served under 7 Presidents while in uniformed service.  (I missed Lyndon Johnson by 2 months, but served under Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, James Earl Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, William Clinton, and George W. Bush.)  Though those 7 men were the Commander in Chief, as a member of the United States Army and the United States Air Force, I worked not for them as men, but for the American people.  My duty, my allegiance, and my sworn oath were to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.  I will do so until I draw my final breath, in uniform or not.    

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On November 11, 1918, the Armistice that ended World War I was signed.  One year later, President Wilson proclaimed that “Armistice Day” be celebrated on November 11th in the United States as a way to commemorate the sacrifice made by hundreds of thousands of American servicemen and women who served during World War I.  On that day, President Wilson said, “’To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.’”  It was only seven years later that Congress passed a resolution officially recognizing November 11th as Armistice Day.

Over the next several decades, Armistice Day was celebrated as a day to honor those who served in World War I.  Upon its conclusion, many referred to World War I as “The Great War,” believing that as horrific as it was, there was no chance that the world would see such a monumental conflict again.  As the United States found itself in the throes of World War II, it became evident that “The Great War” was soon to be undermined by the shocking events and total devastation of World War II.  Americans began to understand the importance of honoring all veterans, not just those who served in World War I.

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Today the United States Marines Corps is celebrating its 233rd birthday!  On this day in 1775, the Second Continental Congress established two battalions of soldiers to serve as the Continental Marines.

Before I provide you with the rest of the history of the Marine Corps, I need to disclose that our founder, Major James Etter, was an enlisted Marine in Vietnam and after attending college on the GI Bill after the war, became a Marine aviator.  He retired after twenty-six years of service.  When Jim founded American Military University, he solicited the assistance of General Al Gray, the twenty-ninth Commandant of the Marine Corps.  General Gray, a soldier’s soldier, not only provided guidance, but became a member of the AMU board, eventually the Board Chair, and continues to serve as a member of the Board today and as our Board Chairman, emeritus.  Writing about the Marines from information available on the web might trigger a call from either individual if I am not accurate, but I will attempt to get the facts right.

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The College Board has published an annual report on college pricing since 1998.  The report looks at tuition and fees, room and board, and other related costs at colleges in the United States.  It also reviews the net price of college after subtracting financial aid grants to students.  Colleges are categorized as public four-year, public two-year, and private non-profit four year.  Data is also collected for public out of state student pricing and for-profit pricing.  (see http://www.collegeboard.com/html/costs/pricing/) 

The College Board states that all costs of college attendance are important and that often, costs such as room and board and books influence the ability of a student to afford college more so than tuition and fees.  The College Board encourages readers to cite or reproduce the data as long as they are given proper attribution, so I’ll list a few facts that I found interesting in this year’s report.

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Thomas Friedman is well-known for his book, The World is Flat.  His 2008 work, Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution – And How it Can Renew America, is insightful and provocative.  If the global economy and U.S. election were not the two biggest topics in the media, I am certain that Friedman’s latest book would receive more coverage in the press.  Hot, Flat, and Crowded is about the need for a Green Revolution.  More than 400 pages in length, it is not a light read.  If you don’t have time to read a book of this length, seriously consider the CD or MP3 version.  If that’s not an option, borrow the book and read the first and last chapters.

Sometime ago, I wrote about the President’s Climate Commitment initiative.  I stated that I thought it was the right thing to do even though I wasn’t sure that carbon neutrality was achievable in the near term.  Friedman’s premise is that reducing our carbon footprint is the right thing to do for our children and that waiting twenty or thirty more years to start conservation efforts will be too late.

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