YOUNG CHILDREN. DOCUMENT, GEORGE ADDRESSING THOSE CONCERNS NEW AT SIX. WELL IT’S HARDLY BREAKING
NEWS TO SAY THE PRICE OF COLLEGE
IS SKY HIGH, AND IT’S OUT OF
REACH FOR MANY AND OTHERS FIND
THEMSELVES SWIMMING IN DEBT FOR
YEARS AFTER MANY YEARS AFTER,
BUT IF YOU COULD GET THE PRICE
DOWN TO $7000 A YEAR. MAYBE
WOULD THAT CHANGE THE EQUATION?
AND WHAT IF YOU COULD FINISH IN
TWO YEARS, DEVIN IS BACK WITH A
LOOK AT A PROGRAM THAT PROMISES
JUST THAT REALLY INTERESTING. I
FIRST HEARD ABOUT DEGREE FORWARD
LATE LAST YEAR, AND IN DECEMBER,
I HOSTED A CONVERSATION ABOUT IT
ON FLASHPOINT. THE RESPONSE ON
THAT SUNDAY ALONE WAS SO STRONG
DEGREE FORWARD ACTUALLY HAD TO
HIRE ANOTHER PERSON TO HANDLE
THE APPLICATIONS. NOW, I’D LOVE
TO SAY THAT SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT
FLASHPOINT. BUT IT REALLY SAYS
SOMETHING ABOUT THE HUNGER FOR
AN AFFORDABLE COLLEGE DEGREE.
IT’S BEEN AN ELEGANT TRAP. FOR
YEARS, YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
TOLD TIME AND AGAIN THAT A
COLLEGE DEGREE IS LESS A LUXURY
AND MORE REQUIREMENT IN TODAY’S
ECONOMY. TUITION’S JUST KEEP
RISING. AND TODAY A COLLEGE
GRADUATE LEAVES WITH A DEGREE
AND A BIG FAT IOU. THE AVERAGE
DEBT IS MORE THAN $28,000,
THOUGH IT IS OFTEN MUCH, MUCH
HIGHER 29 YEARS OLD AND I HAVE
$60,000 IN STUDENT LOAN DEBT
70,000 AND $26 OF STUDENT LOAN
DEBT. FOR MANY, THE BARRIER OF
COST IS TOO MUCH TO EVEN START
DOWN THE VERY EXPENSIVE PATH.
BUT FOR STILL OTHERS, LIFE
HAPPENS AND HOPES FOR A COLLEGE
DEGREE MOVED TO A BACK BURNER.
PEOPLE LIKE THIS GROUP I MET AT
DEGREE FORWARD STARTED COLLEGE
RIGHT AFTER HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE
IN 1993. BUT THE WHOLE STORY IF
YOU GO TO SCHOOL FULL TIME YOU
TECHNICALLY GOING TO BE BROKE,
SO I DID NOT GO TO COLLEGE,
RIGHT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL,
STRUGGLED THROUGHOUT HIGH SCHOOL
AND JUST DIDN’T SEE A PLACE FOR
IT FOR ME, AND THEN I GOT
MARRIED AND HAD CHILDREN. I
ENDED UP UM, ATTENDING EASTERN
MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY. I HAD SOME
STRUGGLES WITH MY MENTAL HEALTH
AND A ROOMMATE SITUATION ALSO,
UM SO THEN I. DECIDED HEY, LET
ME TAKE A STEP BACK AND
REEVALUATE WHAT I WANTED TO DO
OR SET. KELLY BLUNDEN AND INDIAN
ENGINES ARE NOW COLLEGE STUDENTS
, AND THEY ARE AMONG THE FIRST
IN THE NEW PROGRAM THAT’S COME
TO DETROIT CALLED DEGREE
FORWARD. GOOD DEGREE COMES FROM
SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE
UNIVERSITY. IT’S A PROJECT BASED
PROGRAM, MEANING YOU FINISH A
PROJECT. YOU MOVE ON ALL AT YOUR
PACE AND KELLY AIMED TO HAVE
BACHELOR’S DEGREES IN 2.5 YEARS.
INDIA SHOULD HAVE AN ASSOCIATE’S
DEGREE IN A YEAR AND A HALF.
DANIELLE NORTH IS THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR THAT THERE’S NOTHING
LIKE THIS AVAILABLE TO WORKING
PROFESSIONALS WORKING ADULTS,
FOLKS WHO HAVE KIDS AND LIFE AND
THINGS THAT THEY’RE JUGGLING. WE
HAVE SOME OTHER ONES WHO ARE AT
A ROADBLOCK IN THEIR CAREER. SO
IT’S LIKE I WANTED TO GO TO THE
NEXT LEVEL LIKE I APPLY FOR THIS
POSITION. AND THEY TOLD ME I
NEEDED TO HAVE A DEGREE IN
SOMETHING STUDENT GETS A COACH
SOMEONE LIKE DR RAYLAN HENRY TO
KEEP THEM ON TRACK. EBONY
JENNINGS IS THE SENIOR
RECRUITMENT MANAGER. BEING ABLE
TO GIVE THAT CONTRAST OF LIKE,
YES, I HAVE MY DEGREE. I WENT TO
MICHIGAN STATE, BUT
COMPARATIVELY, THIS IS THE DEBT
THAT I’M LOOKING AT. WE HAVE HAD
STUDENTS COME IN HERE CRYING.
SAYING I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT YOU
GUYS ARE HELPING ME LIKE THIS.
NOW IF YOU WANT THE FULL COLLEGE
EXPERIENCE THE FOOTBALL GAMES
CAMPUS LIFE, THAT SORT OF THING.
IT MIGHT NOT BE FOR YOU. BUT FOR
OTHERS, DO YOU GUYS MISS THE I
ASKED HER ABOUT THE SOCIAL SORT
OF STRUCTURE OF A LOOK AT YOU
BOTH. NOT AT ALL. NO I HAVE SO
MUCH SOCIAL IN MY LIFE WITH LIKE
, KIDS DON’T WANT TO SIT IN THE
CLASSROOM. I REALLY DON’T WANT
TO TALK TO ANYBODY. JUST GIVE ME
THE ASSIGNMENT COULD GET DONE
WITH IT. TURN IT IN. AND THAT
WOULD BE IT. YOU AND I COULD BE
FUN. MY GOODNESS, THIS IS
DIALECT. I MEAN, SPENDING ALL
THIS MONEY. THE IRONY OF YOU
CONNECTING OPEN CONNECTING OVER.
NOT CONNECTING REALLY GREAT.
YEAH RIGHT. IF YOU WANT TO LEARN
MORE ABOUT DEGREE FORWARD, WE’VE
PUT A LINK AT OUR WEBSITE AT
CLICKONDETROIT.COM AND THE
APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR THE
NEXT TERM IS COMING UP EARLY IN
JUNE. SO YOU WANT TO JUMP ON IT,
AND MAYBE THEY’LL NEED TO HIRE
MORE PEOPLE NETWORK. SOMETHING
TELLS ME THEY’RE GOING TO BE
SUPER BUSY PROGRAM THAT STARTED
IN BOSTON AND HAS MOVED ITS WAY
HERE AND AS YOU CAN SEE, AFTER A