Education Ireland – An International Alternative to U.S. Higher Ed

In just two days I will be boarding a plane for Ireland, excited to be taking my first trip to the Emerald Isle. I must confess I feel a tad guilty that I, the only member of my family with no trace of Irish ancestry, must leave my husband and daughters behind. However, this is a business trip, not a vacation, and I will get to do one of things I enjoy most about my profession: I will have the opportunity to visit all seven national universities, walk the campuses, see the students, hear from professors and administrators, and learn as much as I can possibly absorb in one week about the Irish higher education system.

I am especially primed for my upcoming trip, not only in anticipation of visiting historic cities and universities and taking in the beautiful surroundings and Gaelic culture. I am thrilled to see firsthand these world-renowned universities which I believe provide a genuinely worthy and interesting alternative for American students. Irish universities offer quality academics and an approach to education that is probably closest to what we have in the U.S. in terms of curriculum, prestige, and career advising and support.

My purpose here is not to exalt the virtues of studying in Ireland (I expect to do that after my trip!), but rather to present some of the reasons why thinking beyond a 180 mile radius exposes families to options they otherwise might not have considered. Granted, spending three or four years studying in another country and living within a foreign culture best serves students open to new experiences and those truly seeking to broaden their horizons. But some of the persuasive reasons for thinking beyond one’s borders may be enough to compel students to consider less conventional choices.

Here is a typical wish list that I often hear from students and families:

- Many academic options

- Access to a city, but also a nice campus

- A mid-size university; not too small

- Lots of clubs and activities

- Career advising

- Affordable!

Here is what I do currently know about the Irish higher education system:

- All seven universities are research institutions offering bachelor, graduate and doctoral programs

- The campuses are primarily city-based with easy access to explore the rest of Ireland

- Several are what we consider mid-size universities, with 7,000 to 12,000 undergraduate students

- The Irish system offers both a U.S. type curriculum where students can study liberal arts and sciences, but also a British style curriculum that offers specialization in the first year

- Club and activities abound; the Irish universities provide many of the student life amenities found on U.S. campuses

- The admission process is very much focused on “fit” and employs a holistic review (academics, recommendations, personal statement)

- International students are not left to fend for themselves; they participate in an extensive orientation program and have access to dedicated support for foreign students, both academic and career focused, throughout their years at the university

- A degree from an Irish university is recognized internationally; the seven institutions draw students from all over the world

- The cost of attendance for the highly recognized educational experience is approximately US$36,000 per year, comparable to that of the public universities in the United States; many programs are just three years which provides considerable cost savings over a U.S. degree

- U.S. citizens and residents can use federal student aid (Stafford and PLUS loans) to help finance an education in Ireland; all of the universities also offer some merit aid.

To be fair, the Irish universities are experiencing many of the cost structure issues that also plague U.S. institutions. The Higher Education Authority in Ireland has been very proactive in addressing this and has recently proposed strategic plans to better align missions and eliminate duplication among the universities. Getting a better understanding for the structure of the Irish system going forward is one of my key objectives for this trip.

As always, I welcome your comment. If you have any specific questions you would like me to pursue on this explorative journey, please send them my way!

Managing a Chronic Illness in College

When I was diagnosed with Type I or juvenile diabetes at the ripe old age of 30, I wondered what it would have been like to self-administer insulin shots and cope with the disease as a child or teenager. I knew then just how fortunate I was. I did not have to manage a chronic illness while navigating the transition to adulthood, the social and academic landscape, and the temptations of college life. Nevertheless, I am well aware of the unique challenges that a chronic condition presents for a young person dealing with a major life change, away from home for the first time, and facing the responsibility of taking care of oneself.

Last week an NYU student with Crohn’s Disease wrote a wonderful piece for The Choice blog of the New York Times on this very topic: http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/13/college-chronic-illness/. The various challenges she has had to confront illustrate that managing a chronic condition in college is not easy. This young woman had not considered her illness when she enrolled at a college far from her home, a decision she now recognizes was probably foolish. For this reason, she decided to share her experience and offer advice for other college age students balancing teen life with a chronic illness. Her five main points are 1) find a doctor either before leaving for school or soon after; 2) keep a complete set of medical records; 3) inform your professors; 4) stay in touch with your parents; and 5) know when it is time to seek help or even go home. I want to piggyback off of her sound recommendations and offer a few points of my own for any student with a chronic illness. 1) You are now an adult; take responsibility for your health; 2) let others know about your health issues and help them understand your illness; 3) seek out support groups beyond just your health professionals; and 4) most importantly, set yourself up for success, not failure.

Most college students have already turned 18 or are about to reach this milestone birthday. This means that under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, otherwise known as HIPAA, they are recognized as adults with full rights to medical privacy. Along with that comes the responsibility to manage their own health issues. As scary as that may be for parents, we must acknowledge that the time has come for our “adult” children to take primary charge of their care and habits, especially since family members may not be close by. We can offer guidance on their decision making, but they must learn to advocate and make smart choices for themselves.

For most teens with a chronic health issue, the first challenge is accepting that the illness requires constant attention, something that fellow classmates may not fully understand. The late night eating and other college rituals which are probably not healthy for any student can be seriously harmful to someone for whom moderation is a necessity. Yet even for the most outgoing student, sharing something as personal as a chronic illness, especially during the first weeks of college, may feel uncomfortable. The desire to fit in often compels students to take part in all of the activities that their newly acquired friends are doing, whether wise or not. It is easy to slide into a state of denial.

If sharing something as personal as a chronic illness is difficult, here is a helpful reminder to anyone coping with a health issue: you are not your disease. Students need to first separate their personal identity from the illness (I have diabetes; I am not diabetic!). That will hopefully make it easier to share the facts about a medical condition with a few close and trusted friends, and remove the mystery and possible stigma associated with it. Friends will probably have questions: What are the signs that you are in trouble and need assistance? What should we do to help you and under what circumstances? When should we call for help? The better informed they are, the easier it will be to confide in them and seek support when it is most needed.

Knowing the difference between healthy and harmful choices is one thing; having the discipline to always choose wisely, especially for a teenager, is another. A chronic health issue can wear on anyone’s emotions and resolve. With parents not in close proximity, students should seek out support groups on campus. The college health center is a good place to inquire. If there is no established campus group, seize the opportunity to start one. Having the support of schoolmates dealing with similar health challenges can provide encouragement to stay on track and make healthy lifestyle choices. There is a reason support groups exist; most of us can’t do it alone.

I advise anyone with a chronic illness to wear a medical bracelet or necklace, and certainly if there is the risk that at some point emergency medical attention may be required. The bracelet could be a lifesaver, especially if one is in an unfamiliar place without the usual support network. An insulin reaction, for example, might easily be mistaken for drunkenness or drug use. If you end up in an emergency situation, you don’t want your symptoms to be confused for something else. Carrying a card in one’s wallet is fine, but thanks to HIPAA, searching through a purse or wallet is off limits.

College students with chronic illnesses are forced to grow up faster. Taking responsibility and making mature lifestyle decisions come with the territory. How can we assist kids through this maturation process? Help them to see their own strengths and limitations. A student who suspects she is weak in self-discipline needs to assess how to avoid the temptation, and may want to inquire about the types of support facilities in place before choosing a college. More and more college campuses offer substance-free housing. While these dorms are not necessarily for students managing a chronic illness, they offer a smart way to set oneself up for success in maintaining a healthy lifestyle while still taking full advantage of the college experience.

Success in managing a chronic illness is easier when a student has the right support network (professionals, support groups, friends) and feels empowered to make smart decisions which will not compromise his or her health. Like most things related to choosing a college and making good choices, it comes back to right fit. It starts with finding a comfortable college environment where a student feels encouraged to make good choices and put health first.

Ranking Shenanigans – The Drivers behind the Manipulation Temptation

News broke last week that the U.S. News & World Report ninth ranked liberal arts college, Claremont McKenna College, has been fudging its reported incoming student SAT scores by ten to 20 points for the past six years. While you might not think that such a nominal overstatement in test performance would move the ranking needle materially (test scores are weighted 7.5% in the ranking formula), the inflated scores helped Claremont McKenna rise through the pack and break into the coveted top ten in 2011. Why such pressure on colleges to improve their place in the rankings pecking order, even to the extent that a highly recognized and respected admission dean would risk his job and career by perpetuating a fraud all of these years? A higher ranking translates into an increase in applications and higher yields (the number of accepted students who actually matriculate). Once colleges figured out that rankings can directly affect admission outcomes, the temptation to game the system became too much for some to resist.

After reading the Claremont McKenna news and speculation that many other colleges are finding ways to manipulate their numbers, I was struck by a thought; the group that most influences the rankings are not the colleges themselves, but rather the segment of the population that has come to rely on these rankings: parents and students. As much as I try to dissuade them, I do understand why parents focus and obsess over the low and still falling acceptance rates of the most selective colleges. Nevertheless, I encourage them to broaden their scope to include the many quality schools that are lower ranked and more robust in their admission numbers. Every time we rely on the U.S. News & World Report rankings as the quality standard bearer, we are perpetuating the misconceptions about excellence and motivating the actions that affect rankings. While reader perception of worth does not have its own separate weighting in the U.S. News & World Report formula the way that college peer opinion does, we are the ultimate drivers.

Think about this. If I use the rankings as my guide about where to apply, I, like everyone else who is employing the same skewed logic, will actually contribute to the ranking frenzy. The “top” colleges will draw more applications (good for rankings), have to reject a greater number of students (a huge boost for the rankings), which drives down their acceptance rates (a rankings game changer) and ultimately jacks up their yields (rankings home-run!). Never did I think that I would feel amazingly empowered by the realization that if I read and react to the U.S. News & World Report I could exercise such influence! Unfortunately, I am just one person. It is our collective action that will change this game.

Following Claremont McKenna’s disclosure last week, the finance magazine, Kiplinger, removed the school from its list of best buy colleges. One man erred in judgment and now this highly respected academic institution is no longer a smart educational investment? How can that be? Did anything else change at the school since last week? Sure, the average SATs are slightly lower than we thought and that, no doubt, will cause the college to fall in the 2012 rankings. Have we all been duped into thinking that Claremont McKenna was a better school than it really is? Perhaps…if you buy into the rankings.

The High Cost of Higher Ed – Do We Really Need the Climbing Wall?

Last week I called a business school buddy, my annual homage to his birthday. When I asked about his kids, he shared his relief and joy at writing the final tuition check with the last of his crew graduating from college this spring. I must confess; I was suddenly struck by “final college tuition payment envy.” With twelve semesters of tuition payments left to pay (and counting!), assuming my three daughters stick to the four-year plan, I am singing the middle class college cost blues.

Like so many others looking for a ray of college affordability hope, I was wishful that President Obama would propose something truly revolutionary to help all Americans afford the dream of sending their children to college. I can’t fault our president that his proposal announced last week will barely make a dent for lower income families struggling to afford college and will provide little if any relief for the middle class. The cost of college is so alarmingly out of control that increasing the availability of Perkins loans for lower income families is like trying to protect a gaping wound with one of those pinky-size band aids. The cost of college today has put affordability out of reach for most Americans, including many who are comfortably middle class. Nothing short of a complete and drastic overhaul of the higher education system will adequately address the issue. But for that to happen we need to understand how we’ve enabled this craziness.

Colleges and universities are now on the defensive, having for years fueled an arms race enticing students with state-of-the-art athletic, academic and dining facilities, deluxe dorms, and the best amenities that their spiraling tuition and fees could buy. But before we place all of the blame on colleges for escalating costs, ask yourself if you weren’t wowed by the climbing wall and yes, lazy rivers (!) that are becoming the hallmarks of college athletic facilities across the country. Have we inadvertently sent the message that this is what we value in a college education?

When I meet a family for the first time I ask both parents and the student to prioritize their wish list for college; reputation, cost, academics, dorms, location, school spirit, Greek life, athletics, etc…what is truly important for a college experience? Why aren’t academics always at the top of the list? As the total bill at the most expensive colleges approaches $250,000, shouldn’t we be asking ourselves if our students really need the climbing wall?

No amount of government assistance can even begin to make a dent in this pricey behemoth we know as higher education. President Obama can threaten to cut off federal aid to colleges that do not meet certain cost reduction expectations. However, colleges have already been through several rounds of layoffs. For many colleges, reducing faculty further will have a detrimental impact on the quality of education that they deliver. And let’s not lose sight of the fact that most academicians teach for the love of it, not the money...they are not raking it in. (However, some college presidents’ and coaches’ salaries, in my opinion, should be fair game for the chopping block.) The more practical option for schools is to think more strategically about programs. Are colleges becoming too creative and stretched thin by the panoply of majors that they offer just to keep up with the latest trends led by their academic competition (another arms race)? Why haven’t more schools considered forming consortium with neighboring institutions as a cost effective way to continue offering many academic options, similar to the collaboration established by Wellesley (liberal arts), Babson (business) and Olin (engineering) two years ago?

Colleges will have to be creative in figuring out how to trim down their cost structures burdened with many fixed expenses. We, the consumers, can help by sending a message to the colleges about what we really value. Free laundry, palatial dorms and yes, that ubiquitous climbing wall are all nice-to-have, but not the reason we send our kids to college. The next time you are impressed by the over-the-top athletic facilities on a college campus, especially if your child is not athletic, catch yourself and ask this question instead. How will this enhance the investment return on my child's four year college education? When put in those terms, the climbing wall is no longer so impressive.

Come February 1st, Filing Your FAFSA May Become Easier

FAFSA and easy are not two words that one generally finds in the same sentence. However, come February 1, families that have filed their tax returns might be able to take advantage of the IRS Data Retrieval tool which should simplify the process and allow them to complete the FAFSA form by accessing data from their 2011 return. This is good news for those who are organized and fortunate enough to receive all of their W-2 and 1099 statements early. The ability to use tax returns when completing financial aid forms is just one of several things families should know as they begin the 2012-2013 financial aid process for their students who will be enrolled in college next fall.

If you are new to the financial aid process, then you may only first be learning all of the buzz words and acronyms such as FAFSA, SAR, EFC, COA and CSS/Profile. Here’s a quick primer for beginners and a review for the financial aid veterans: All colleges require that students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to qualify for federal aid. It is available January 1 each year at http://www.fafsa.gov. Both student and a parent must complete and sign the form and each must apply for a pin (http://www.pin.ed.gov) which serves as the electronic signature. Once the form is submitted, preferably electronically, families will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) which notifies them of their Expected Family Contribution or EFC, deemed to be the amount they can afford to put towards the Cost of Attendance, or COA. Some private colleges may also require a CSS/Profile form for allocation of their institutional aid. This form is administered by the College Board and can be found on its website: http://www.collegeboard.com. Whether you must complete the FAFSA, CSS/Profile or both, you will be required to present parent and student income (prior year only for the FAFSA, two prior years for the Profile) and assets (as of the date of filing).

When is the right time to complete financial aid forms? If you are hoping to be considered for need-based aid, the time is now! And before you put this off any longer, visit the websites for each college to which your son or daughter is applying and check to see which forms the school requires as well as the submission deadlines. They may be as early as February, so do not delay!

Pressure to simplify the financial aid process has led to the development of the IRS data retrieval feature for the FAFSA. However, before you get too excited, take note of the drawbacks which may preclude you from taking advantage of this easier filing method. Married couples must file jointly, have filed their taxes at least two weeks before the college financial aid deadline (which may mean as early as January), and any subsequent amendments to the return will not be captured. If like mine, your 1099 statements inevitably arrive late in February or even March, you may be out of luck. For those up against tight deadlines, you will need to estimate your income for 2011 and amend your financial aid documents after you file your taxes.

Even if you do not qualify for need-based financial aid, you will still need to file a FAFSA if your child will borrow through the federal Stafford loan program or if you plan to take out a PLUS loan. Though neither of these loans requires that students demonstrate need, they are part of the Federal Direct Loan program (Note that some colleges also require the FAFSA for their institutional merit aid). A college’s posted filing deadline does not apply for non-need based federal aid so timing is less critical. Therefore, I recommend waiting and submitting the FAFSA after filing a tax return to avoid having to estimate income.

I welcome reader questions and specific topics you might want me to address (jane@klemmerec.com). Check back here for future posts regarding financial aid changes and updates.