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Imagine America Foundation Blog

Success Stories of Career College Students

Every year we start collecting nominations for the Imagine America Promise scholarship program.  This is one of the times we get to meet our recipients on a more personal level.  Not only are these students Imagine America recipients but they are also career college students learning skills to better their future.  After interviewing several Promise recipients, all I can say is they are quite amazing! 

Everyday Services Provided by Career College Grads

Do you know a career college graduate?  If you think you don’t, think again.  When you go to the doctor’s office, hospital, dentist, or even for a massage, you most likely have interacted with a career college graduate.  Many career college graduates are the backbone of these organizations; helping them to run smoothly.

Dental assistants prepare all the materials for the dentist and often times have the responsibility of putting the patient at ease.  I know whenever I go to the dentist I’m a nervous wreck and if it wasn’t for my dental assistant, I don’t know what I would do!

Some of the occupations in health services where you might see career college graduates are:

Choosing the Right Career College

Have you ever gone to Amazon and searched for college guide books?  Well I did and got 855 results.  I was expecting to find information geared to career colleges in at least one of these guides.  Wrong, all these guides were for students attending traditional four year colleges.  That means families, students, and guidance counselors using these guides will never know what to expect when attending a career college or that a career college could be the best college option.

As the leading provider of scholarship and award programs for students attending career colleges, the Imagine America Foundation decided to fill this missing niche of career college information.  The Imagine America’s Guide to Career Colleges 2008-2009 includes:

Little Known Facts about Students Attending Career Colleges

Career colleges provide opportunities to a larger share of women and minority students than do public and private, not-for-profit institutions.  Did you know that nearly 43 percent of career college students are minorities?  Nearly half of dependent students at career colleges come from families with parents who have a high school education or less.  With that in mind, career college students have a higher completion rate, 38% compared to 17% at community colleges. Does this surprise you?

Well, perhaps this won’t surprise you - traditional four year colleges and universities do not cater to every student.  Students who are independent, have incomes in the lowest quartile, and are racial or ethnic minorities are often looking for an alternative educational route.  Why?  These students typically know what career they are interested in, want to learn that skill and get out into the labor force as quickly as possible.  Six years after initial enrollment, students at career colleges attained certificates 8 months sooner and associate’s degrees 7 months sooner than students who started at public colleges.  What’s the benefit? – students have a chance to earn higher salaries and take on more job responsibly earlier than students who stared at a public school.

Knowledge that will get your students to the TOP!

Looking for informational resources geared toward students enrolling at career colleges? With the 2008 Imagine America’s Student’s Guide your students will learn all about student services, study tips, credit card do’s and don’ts, the importance of externships, different kinds of financial aid, what every high school graduate should know, and much more!

For students looking for information on enrolling at a career college there is no need to look any further.  Just hand them the Imagine America’s Student’s Guide and they can read the article on Applying to Career Colleges Q&A Enrollment Guide to get them on the right track. Life after high school often brings new changes and freedom to a student’s life.  Give your students an edge with this free publication resource offering students tons of advice on navigating college life.

Know someone in the military? They should check out our new section on the Imagine America Military Award Program (MAP). Find out how service in the military can lead to success in college or financial assistance for service members in this section.

Don't Delay!!

It is renewal time for all college participants of the award winning Imagine America High School Scholarship Program. Please note that November 21st is the deadline to be included in the 2008 Guide to Career Colleges. Not a participant last year? Now is the best time to enroll your college. With many exciting new features including the Neighborhood News press release program and expansion of the Imagine America Promise Program, as well as over 11,000 active high schools, we are looking for 2008 to be another great year. For more information on the Imagine America High School Scholarship Program, including how to enroll, please contact me at chrisc@career.org.

165 years and still going ...

Believe it or not, there are still a few people out there who believe the career college sector is a Johnny-come-lately to the field of higher education. Some even believe that these schools only offer minimal career options. (Somewhere millions of career college graduates, staff and faculty are scratching their heads, going “huh?”)  Indeed, nothing could be further from the truth. These schools offer training in over 200 career fields, offering certificates, associate, bachelor’s, masters or even doctorate degrees. The career college sector has been growing and thriving in the United States for over for over 165 years – and its impact is increasingly profound. 

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