The Idea of an Essay, Volume 3

150 The Idea of an Essay: Volume 3 in science and technology, business, government, or some other office or professional setting—the same jobs Bachelor’s degree holders apply for. When recruiters receive hundreds of resumes for each job posting, it’s easy to use education level as a way to shrink the field—and you may find your resume discarded without serious consideration. Many of these jobs don’t considerapplicants with less than a Bachelor’s degree at all, no matter how good your resume looks… One benefit of the Associate’s degree is that it is easy to use to get a Bachelor’s degree (“The Associates Degrees..”). The above excerpt from the article titled “The Associates Degrees: Pros and Cons” written by “The Online Degree Center” reaffirms my position; having an Associate’s certificate will not be as beneficial to a student when entering the workforce, because it is not as substantial. Each year, over 500 thousand prospective college students (USCensus.gov) who struggle with choosing a post- secondary institution, use the Online Degree Program. Based on the pros and cons regarding certificates, earning a bachelor’s degree should be the obvious choice. Community college is an option for nontraditional students who want to avoid the costs associated with private institutions. However, with investigation regarding grants, scholarships and low-rate loans the cost to attend a “for-profit” university can be dramatically reduced. With abundant financial resources available for single-parent students, financial burdens should not be an impediment when choosing an educational institution. Kim Jeounghee, author of “Welfare Reform and College Enrollment Among Single Mothers” explains that the federal government (during the present Obama administration) has allocated billions of dollars for single parents who are pursuing their education. Although the increase of federal funding to the Pell Grant and other financial aid programs is mainly directed toward community and state schools (where associates degree programs are encouraged with bias), these institutions offer both associate and bachelor degree programs. The above article restates my view that it is not necessary for a nontraditional student to choose his or her degree program based on financial aid availability. The federal