Ty Wright/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The pandemic hit almost every industry hard, but few were hit as hard as higher education.
Times were already tough for many American universities, mostly because of declining enrollment numbers and weakening financial support from state governments. The pandemic accelerated these trends and forced colleges especially smaller private colleges and a ton of midlevel state schools to gut their budgets and lay off workers to offset revenue losses.
As we emerge from this pandemic, it’s worth asking what will become of higher education in America. And if the situation is as dire as it appears, should students and parents seriously rethink the value of college?
Boom times ahead as unis outsource teaching
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The global market for a niche model of online education is set to triple over the next five years as universities outsource course design, delivery and marketing to private companies.
HolonIQ, an education market intelligence company, has estimated that the global online program management market, valued at $5.7 billion in 2020, is expected to grow to about $13.3 billion by 2025.
Some online university students might not realise they are being taught by a private company.
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But debate is raging over whether online program management (OPM) providers are a force for good, driving efficiencies and high-quality education, or whether these largely hidden partnerships are gouging students with excessive fees and undermining the traditional university model.
CT could pitch in half the cost of Biden s free preschool and community college plan
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Nathalia Gomez, left, and Jordan Reid, both of Danbury, work in the Naugatuck Valley Community College Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) on Thursday morning. October 10, 2019, in Danbury, Conn.H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut MediaShow MoreShow Less
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Katie Sninsky, owner of The Hideout, at right, poses with the enrolled children and two teachers on staff at the business in Shelton, Conn., on Friday May 15, 2020. The preschool and childcare facility is still open, but only have about 6 kids on site during the pandemic, where before they usually had about 30 at any given time.Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut MediaShow MoreShow Less
Biden pitches free preschool and community college
New York could pay half the cost of president s plan
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Pre schoolers at Harmony Kids, a daycare and preschool at 1 South Pearl Street Wednesday March 5, 2014, in Albany, NY. (John Carl D Annibale / Times Union)John Carl D Annibale/Albany Times Union
WASHINGTON President Joe Biden plans to create a universal pre-kindergarten program that’s free for all 3- and 4-year-olds. He also has proposed offering free community college for anyone who wants it.
The group that won’t participate for free is states. Biden’s plan to pay for these programs requires some state governments to shoulder roughly half the costs for their residents.
CT could pitch in half the cost of Biden s free preschool, community college plan
FacebookTwitterEmail
1of3
Nathalia Gomez, left, and Jordan Reid, both of Danbury, work in the Naugatuck Valley Community College Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) on Thursday morning. October 10, 2019, in Danbury, Conn.H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut MediaShow MoreShow Less
2of3
Katie Sninsky, owner of The Hideout, at right, poses with the enrolled children and two teachers on staff at the business in Shelton, Conn., on Friday May 15, 2020. The preschool and childcare facility is still open, but only have about 6 kids on site during the pandemic, where before they usually had about 30 at any given time.Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut MediaShow MoreShow Less