There is much talk today about the value of an
education.
According to well-circulated statistics, a person with a 4-year
degree can expect increased earnings of $900,000 over a lifetime
compared to a high school graduate. A person with a master's degree can
expect to make $1.3 million dollars more compared to a high school
graduate, and $400,000 more compared to a person with a bachelor's
degree. The statistics look even better when one compares the income
potential of a person with a PhD, or with a Professional degree (MD or
JD professional), to a high school graduate (Increased
earning, 2005).
Not only these statistics do not say the whole story, but they are no
less deceptive than the practices of those pushing degrees from diploma
mills. You almost need an additional degree in knowledge
just to figure out
the magnitude of the higher education scam.
The first problem with these numbers is that the price of an education,
including the interest over 20 years you might pay if you take out a
loan in order to get an education, is never mentioned. Even state
colleges today can be very expensive when you add in all the real
costs, out-of-state education costs more
than in-state, private schools are at least twice as expensive, and
when one factors in those numbers, the extra sweat
to get a degree looks a lot less appealing or rational.
Another grossly overlooked issue is that averages aren't
predictive for the individual regardless of how good they look on the
surface. You may earn a lot more or even a lot
less in your chosen field, depending on a variety of factors, not all
of them under your control (Weston, 2005).
Then come the details. One thing which isn't typically mentioned is
that an Associate
degree actually does offer a "big bang for the buck" (you are lead to
believe otherwise with all the hype on advanced degrees); some Master's
degrees do not offer additional economic advantage compared with a
Bachelor's; studying engineering or computer science generally
offers a greater return over a lifetime in earnings; and getting a
professional degree (MD or
JD professional) can cause quite a bit of debt, but also seems worth
the trouble overall (Weston, 2005).
However, even honest researchers don't ask whether a business has to
give you a job even when you do have a degree, and it is accredited by
one of those six magical regional accreditors recognised by the United
States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher
Education Accreditation (CHEA). In fact, not even the US government, or
any of the 50 state governments, is obliged to give you a job if you
have an accredited 4-year degree, even if it is an honours degree! Why
all the hype about accredited degrees then — some states like Oregon
even require them for
employment with the government —, when there are absolutely no
guarantees other than the degree will cost you a lot of money, will
demand great sacrifices on you, and possibly even on your parents, and
it
may not pay off as much as you thought?
Finally, even honest researchers don't ask whether completing your
degree is worth much in an economic sense if you are already 35 or
older (older adults already suffer open descrimination in employment);
whether employers treat all accredited degrees equally (they don't, nor
can the government oblige them to do otherwise); whether all the
credits you've earned at one accredited institution are perfectly
transferrable or accepted at another accredited institution (they
aren't); whether the government treats all degrees from accredited
institutions equally (they don't, nor can "We the People" do anything
about it either); or whether an accredited degree from a lesser
institution is less expensive than a non-regionally accredited
degree
from a greater institution
(it isn't).
Have you begun to realise that
this accreditation thing is one Big Scam, and maybe you should continue
your education for different reasons, or simply for the love of knowing
all true philosophers are supposted to possess?
William Cullen Bryant University isn't a "regionally-accredited"
institution, but it is not a lesser institution, and it is in fact
accredited by
other institutions, which honor its degrees a lot more than the US
government honours its "accredited" degrees.
William Cullen Bryant University is a university
owned by the Hands of Change Association, an Arizona non-profit
corporation (file No. -1130056-0). The education offered here is so
inexpensive you will not need a loan, nor will you need financial aid
or scholarships in order to offset the expense that the
quasi-government bureaucracy of the accreditation agencies adds to the
tuition price tag. There is also no quasi-government
bureaucracy telling the university what field of study should be
available, and what shouldn't, no limits on freedom of educational
speech, no need to accept the FDA's "gunpoint medicine" either, if you
prefer more naturopathic, homeopathic, or holistic approaches to health.
William Cullen Bryant University offers degrees that can be based in
part on
past education, work history and life experience. Bachelor's degrees,
Master's degrees, or PhD's are offered
in the following fields:
William Cullen Bryant University, a
university with Serial
Number 003025, also enjoys full recognition by the Micronational
Professional Registry (MPR). Moreover, since the Chancellor of this
university
has had direct experience with it, it is also accredited through the
Fifth World Accreditation
Agency (5WAA). The Hands
of Change Association, the association with Serial
Number 006024 which owns William Cullen Bryant University, is also
a member in good standing of the Micronational
Professional Registry (MPR).
For further
information or questions contact:
Hands of Change Association
Fax: +1 215-326-2673
Email: hoca@5wmail.com
URL: http://hoca.5wmail.com
References and Notes
masters_doctorate.htm
SavingForCollege/IsYourDegreeWorth1million.aspx