Student Debt on the Rise

Student debt is a popular topic of discussion these days with rumors of a student loan plan by Obama supposedly taking effect in 2012. Student debt has been on the rise for the past few years and was up 5% from 2009 to 2010, according to surveys by The Project on Student Debt.

The five states in which students graduated with the highest amount of student debt in 2010 were: New Hampshire, with an average of $31,048; Maine, with an average of $29,983; Iowa with an average of $29,598; and Pennsylvania, with an average of $28,599. States with the lowest averages were: Utah at $15,509, Hawaii at $15,550, New Mexico at $16,399, Nevada at $16,622, and, surprisingly, California at $18,113.

Of the 1,923 public and private nonprofit four-year colleges that granted bachelor's degrees during the 2009-2010 school year, 1,067 voluntarily reported their statistics, for a total of 55% participation. Two-thirds of students graduating in 2010 had an average of $25,250 in student loan debt. States with the highest amount of debt are mostly within the northeast and midwest regions of the country, while the west features the lowest student debt rates. At the campus level, debt varied from $950 to $55,250. Ninety-eight colleges reported average debt of more than $35,000, and 73 colleges reported more than 90% of students graduated with debt.

While debt is on the rise, so are unemployment rates. The college graduate unemployment rate in 2009 was 8.7%, and in 2010 was 9.1%, the highest annual rate on record. High school graduates' unemployment rate was more than double at 20.4% for the 20-24 age group.

Some factors of the increases in student debt include: changes in college costs, family resources, need-based grant aid and state budget cuts. Some things that attribute to student debt include: tuition, books and supplies, living expenses, such as room and board, transportation, and more.

The statistics in this report reflect graduates of public and nonprofit four-year colleges because only five of the 471 for-profit schools reported student debt data in 2010. According to a survey by the U.S. Department of Education, 95% of students attending for-profit schools borrowed 45% more money in the form of student loans than students attending nonprofit schools. Some examples of for-profit schools are Kaplan and University of Phoenix.

In the state of Maryland, during the 2009-2010 school year,54% of students graduated with an average of $21,750 in federal loan debt. On the list of schools with the most debt, Maryland ranked at number 33. By comparison, 69% of Frostburg State University graduates had an average of $20,970 in student debt, and 62% of graduates had an average of $13,798 in federal loan debt.

Of the 4,755 undergraduate students at Frostburg State University, 72.3% have received financial aid. Institutional need based grant funding awards $960,000 each year. FSU awards $100,000 annually to first generation low income college students who participate in the Student Support Services Program. They also award $1.5 million in academic scholarships and $360,000 in foundation scholarships.

The 2011-2012 cost of tuition for undergraduate Maryland residents is $5,304 per year. For students of contiguous counties, which includes Bedford, Franklin, Fulton, and Somerset, PA; Loudoun, VA; and Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Jefferson, Mineral, and Morgan, WV, tuition costs $11,356 per year. For out-of-state residents, tuition costs $15,196 per year. These figures do not include fees, room and board, books, transportation, and personal expenses, which cost approximately $13,500 more per year. Graduate students who live in Maryland paid $5,706 for tuition, and out-of-state graduate students paid $6,948.

Resources: http://projectonstudentdebt.org/state_by_state-data.php
http://college-insight.org/#topics/go&h=b7e4d5cc899a26d47e0f690502a53538
http://www.frostburg.edu/ungrad/fald/cost.htm

Image: http://educationviews.org/2011/12/06/no-they-cant-renege-on-student-debt-charlotte-allen/

Graduate Program Information Session

There will be an Applied Computer Science graduate program information session, hosted by The Computer Science and Information Technologies Department, on Monday, December 5, 2011 at 5 p.m. in Lowndes 201 at Frostburg State University. The Four plus One Plan, in which you can achieve your undergraduate and master’s degrees in five years will also be discussed.

LSAT Exam Offered at FSU

The LSAT, Law School Admission Test, will be offered at Frostburg State University on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2012, in Dunkle Hall, Room 218. Interested students should register by Tuesday, January 10 by regular mail, online, or by telephone. To register online, visit www.lsac.org.

Spencer Deakin and Scott Johnson will be proctors for the exam. Other locations for the LSAT include Morgantown, WV and various locations in Baltimore. Registration fee for the exam is $139, but students must also pay $124 to join Credential Assembly Service for their LSAT score, letters of recommendation, and transcripts to be processed and sent to their prospective law schools. The total fee, therefore, is $263. Fees may be waivered for qualifying students, based on financial need. Visit http://www.lsac.org/JD/LSAT/fee-waivers.asp, but hurry because the deadline for fee waivers is early December. Late registration, which entails a $68 late fee, is January 20.

For questions about the LSAT, e-mail Scott Johnson at sjohnson@frostburg.edu call x7432, or stop by his office at Guild 137.

English Students Plan for the Future

Two seniors majoring in English at Frostburg State University discuss what they plan to do following graduation.

Lisa Sidley of Augusta, WV already has a Bachelor of Science in Sociology, but has decided she'd like to teach English. Because of the requirements of the MAT or Master of Arts in Teaching program, she will inadvertantly end up with a second bachelor's degree, ths one in English literature. Sidley hopes to begin the MAT program at Frostburg State University in the spring of 2012. Upon completion of the MAT program, she intends to substitute teach until she finds a full-time job in Hampshire County, where she resides. "To be honest, I'm hoping to win the lottery (big) and not have to wait on that day, but hey,we all know better!" Sidley said.

Lindsay Schmelling moved to Cresaptown, MD from her hometown of Lodi, WI to be with her boyfriend, who had been transferred by his place of employment. She also already has a degree from University of Wisconsin in Oshkosh, but her's is a Bachelor of Arts in English. She will need to complete a Bachelor of Science and fulfill the requirements of the MAT program in order to be accepted into it at Frostburg State, which is her goal. "I have taken the Praxis I, although it was about two years ago and in Wisconsin, so I don't know if the scores still count, in which case I will be taking it again soon."

FSU Students Plan for the Future

Several Frostburg State University students discuss their various plans following graduation.

Jessie Wismer of Annapolis, MD is a junior studying mass communications. She hopes to work as a staff event planner under and established wedding planning company or through hotel that hosts weddings. Her dream is to eventually own her own wedding planning company specializing in "green practices" and environmental sustainability. She is currently working as an assstant director of special events for the university, as which she and her co-workers handle many university events.

Tavarsha Timmons of Baltimore, MD is an English major and a junior. She intends to enter the MAT program at Frostburg, upon graduation and then hopes to eventually become a professor at a University of Maryland school.

Lindsay Crabtree of Oldtown, MD is an art and design major, with focus areas in painting and illustration and minors in graphic design and art history. The senior plans to graduate in spring 2012 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts is to attend Frostburg's MAT program. She hopes to find a career teaching art in a public school system while pursuing her doctorate. "Some laugh at this 'unrealistic and overly ambitious' statement, but my ultimate goal is to have my masters by age 21, and my doctorate by 23 or 24, and afterwards, have a career in teaching, preferably at the high school or college level, illustrate children's books, editorials, and complete my own children's book." Crabtree said.

Violence Hits Homes

Frostburg State is all too familiar with tragedy. On the morning of November 6, 2011 another life was taken far too early outside of 169 maple. A night that many will always remember. FSU seems to be gripped by death with constant reminders of our mortality. After previous tragedies, students should understand how violence solves nothing. In the past three years this campus has lost two students to random acts of violence, changing many lives forever.

These acts of violence are not isolated to only Frostburg State. Two months ago, a similar event occurred at Bowie State. Lives being taken away from young college students are occurring way too often. When will the past teach use a lesson? Or are we doomed to repeat history’s mistakes? Carter Burwell once said that “death is always around the corner, but often our society gives it ordinate help.”

Grad School Workshop held as part of English 489

Dr. Lutz's English 489 Capstone class in TH 229 was the venue for a graduate school workshop held last Tuesday morning, though all students were invited to the event, and many took advantage of the opportunity.

Dr. Kevin Kehrwald, Associate English Professor, opened the graduate school workshop held Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 8 a.m. in TH229 by talking about how to go about getting letters of recommendation for graduate school. Most graduate programs require 2 to 3 letters from past professors as part of their admissions process. Kehrwald's advice included giving professors ample time by letting them know as soon as students know they're ready to apply. He advised students to ask for letters in person, rather than via e-mail, and to make sure professors know what you intend to apply for and where. He also implied that it's a good idea to give the professor an addressed envelope with stamp to make the process easier for him or her. "We've all gotten where we are because of letters, so don't be afraid to ask us for them. It's part of what we do." Kehrwald told students.

Dr. Ralph Brewer, Associate Professor of English Education, talked about the Master of Arts in Teaching, or MAT, program. He handed out packets of admissions information, as well as what the course consists of. He told students that the program accepts only approximately 7 to 10 students per year, and that to get in, students will need to submit a writing sample and be prepared to teach an English lesson as they would teach when certified. On becoming teachers, Brewer told students, "Don't expect to go in and be given the best students."

Dr. Jill Morris, Assistant Professor of English, talked about other graduate programs, including that of Rhetoric Composition, in which students study a lot of critical theory. She also advised students thinking about teaching at the college level: "Don't go to grad school where you'd like to teach. It's considered in-breeding for colleges to hire their own PhD's." Morris talked about assistanceships and how they enable students to persue graduate degrees with less debt and more teaching experience.

Dr. Gerry LaFemina, Associate Professor of English and Director of the Frostburg Center for Creative Writing, spoke about studying creative writing at the graduate level. He advised students to never submit anything that hasn't been critiqued by several different creative writers or editors, and that when applying to grad school, students should submit their very best creative pieces as their writing samples and not be afraid to ask creative writing professors for letters of recommendation. "We're all here because people took the time and energy to talk about us." LaFemina said.

During the question and answer part of the workshop, Dr. Morris told students to first apply to the graduate program they're interested in, then send everything required to the department. "Sell yourself," she said, in regards to the personal statement that many programs require. Dr. Kehrwald chimed in by advising applicants to call the schools and follow up to ensure they received everything. Dr. Mary Anne Lutz, Professor of English, and the teacher of English 489 this semester, closed the workshop by advising students planning to go to graduate school next fall to get started recruiting professors for letters of recommendation now. "It's really important to give professors time to write letters," she said.

Homecoming 2011

Surprisingly Frostburg State's homecoming isn't really exciting to students at the university like previous years. Only one out of three people were excited to talk about homecoming because she actually enjoyed herself. Kristin Brown, a senior Music Performance major with a concentration in Voice from Kensington, Maryland had a great time. She attended the pep rally, football game, and school dance. “My sorority sister won homecoming queen!" Her only suggest for homecoming is to make it more of an accommodations for other students besides Greeks and athletes. Other students didn't feel like homecoming was exciting at all. Jessica Musselman from Libetytown, Maryland didn't participate in homecoming at all because she decided to go home. "I didn't know too much of anything about it". She feels like upper classman who live off campus like herself, don't know anything about homecoming unless they are a part of an on-campus organization. She suggests stopping students on campus and encouraging them to come to the events. Jasmine Lynee, a junior Psychology major at Frostburg believes that it didn't really feel special. "It wasn't one of my favorites." She feels like it didn't start feeling like homecoming until Saturday. She attended the comedy show, football game, and school dance, but she wasn't impressed by any of the events. She suggests promoting more school spirit and having events during the week, which would make it feel more like a homecoming week.

Career Expo Features Opportunities Outside of Teaching

The English Majors part of the Career Expo at Frostburg State University on Friday, Oct. 21, featured two past students as guest speakers representing two different occupations in the English field.

Katie Murray graduated from FSU in 2003, an English Literature major who was "not at all interested in teaching." She lived at home in Frostburg while she pursued her degree, which allowed her to be very active in campus life., including starting out as copy editor of The Bottom Line, and eventually becoming editor-in-chief. Upon graduating, Murray worked as an admissions counselor for FSU for six months, which allowed her to travel for the job. She then worked as a first year mentor at Goucher College for almost two years, during which time she lived on campus with a group of first year males. Finally, she landed the job she's currently in as Assistant Director of Family Services at George Mason University. Murray is most proud of an article she published as a grad assistant, and she credits her skills of being able to make an argument and back it up to her undergraduate English education at FSU.

Jayme Bartles graduated in 2005, also an English Literature major and also knowing she had no interest in teaching. During her senior year, she responded to an ad she saw for an editorial assistant for a publishing company. She laughed as she recalled getting lost on her way to the interview, an interview she says she "nailed." The publishing company, Rowman and Littlefield Publishing, must have been quite impressed because Bartles has worked for them ever since, working her way up to her current position of Production Editor. She talked about her job responsibilities, explaining that she works on as many as 20-25 books at a time, while responsible for overseeing everyone involved, including marketing, publicity and design. She enjoys the creativity her job allows, as well as getting to work with people who share a common bond. "It's a great feeling to know that you are constantly learning," she said smiling. Bartles closed by sharing with students that Rowman and Littlefield Publishing offers several internships and offering to take interested students' contact information back to the office with her.

This segment of the Career Expo ended with a question and answer period with the two guest speakers, during which students were interested in advice on finding careers and how to best market themselves. "Take advantage of Career Services here at FSU and start planning early." advised Murray. "Put yourself out there. Take the work no one else wants. That's how you get promoted." offered Bartles.

A Cold, Dreary Start to Homecoming Weekend

Students walk to and from classes at Frostburg State University on a cold, rainy October morning, as temperatures dipped into the low 40's throughout the day on Friday.
Jen Stevens, an English major from Libertytown, MD, (above left) discusses the dreary weather with Lisa Sidley of Keyser, WV, (above right) also an English major, before class in Dunkle Hall.
Dr. Frank Parks, an FSU English professor from Cumberland, MD, hands back quizzes to anxious students during English 270.
Elizabeth Nelson, a Chemistry major from Centreville, MD, speaks to representatives from Career Services in the Lane Center during the Career Expo.

Reminder: Career Expo Today

Just a reminder: There will be a Career Expo for English majors today, Oct. 21 at 11 a.m. in Library 237. Speakers will include two FSU English major alums: Jayme Bartles Reed, class of 2005, Production Editor at Rowman and Littlefield Publishing, and Katie Murray, class of 2003, Associate Director of Orientation and Family Programs, George Mason University. They will talk about their experiences after graduating from FSU and offer perspective on what can be done with an English degree. There will be time for students to ask questions.

Coverage of the event will follow.

Frostburg State University Football: The Truth about the Bobcats

After guiding FSU into a 1-9 record last year, “Trying to get back to our great football tradition and rebuild the school spirit is our ultimate goal” said Tom Rogish, the head coach of Frostburg State University’s football team. But how far away is a goal for a team that has won only three games in the past four seasons? What factors could have caused this “curse”? More importantly, what could it take to bring the Bobcats closer to their goal? This season, the football team continues to stay motivated and work their butts off for more wins to bring home, but football player number 89 Tejiri Erhie, mournfully says “Right now, we are doing terrible. Were about the same as last year, no progress.”

The Frostburg football coaches have a lot of faith in their team. When talking about the team’s record, Coach William Jackson said, “It could be better, but I know they are working hard and that is all that I ask for.” Coach Jackson and Rogish both stressed the fact that the team was playing a very hard division 3 schedule. “They played 5 teams who were top 25 in the nation” said Rogish.

“There are a lot of freshmen on our team who are new to the college football experience, playing against teams with a lot of experienced upper classmen” Coach Jackson explained. FSU’s football team this year carried a number of 54 freshmen on their football team, out of 95 students.

With such a tough schedule, the team is prepared by having hard practices Monday through Friday, and sometimes Saturday. They also have film studying and breakdowns of recorded practices and games, as well as their upcoming opponent’s games. And when it comes down to choosing who gets to start in a game, it is determined by “Production, and whoever works the hardest at practice,” says Coach Rogish. “It’s like a competition.”

Although the coaches are the ones who dictate the team, there is no better source to find out what really goes on during football games and within the team than a football player himself. Like his coaches, football player Marcus Wilson, a junior defensive corner back who has played all 3 years that he has spent at Frostburg, shares that his team has a very tough D-3 schedule. For example, the Bobcats lost against Wesley College with a score of 0-47. Wesley College is undefeated with a record of 9-0 and will be competing in the NCAA championship, Nov. 20 2010. Some of the other teams that have gave Frostburg a loss this season are Geneva College with a record of 5-5, Salisbury State University 7-2, and St. John Fisher College 8-2. These are very good records, considering Frostburg only has won 2 games this season. Wilson believes that this has a big impact on the amount of games that they have competed in.

When it comes to improving the team, Wilson says, “As a team, we could have a much stronger bond.” After going into a little more detail about what Marcus thinks could help improve the team, he also shared that if it were his way he would “recruit some more lineman.”

However, football player Rashad James, also a junior defensive corner back who has played all three years, expresses his opinion on improvement by sharing that “Using the best people at the best positions, we have enough talent that is not being used.” Both Wilson and James agreed that there is a lot of potential and talent on the team.

But another flaw of the team pointed is out by Rashad James; “People try to be their own superstars sometimes, instead of just having faith in each other.”

Ehrie, James, and Wilson all expressed that the team has a lack of a bond. They believe that if the team were a little bit closer together, it would improve the way they play. If he could change one thing, Tejiri Erhie, a sophomore wide receiver, said “I would try to get the players to become a family.”

“More fans supporting us could help us do better,” says Erhie. Wilson and James also agreed that fans and school spirit affect the way the team performs. For a team that doesn’t win many games, motivation is hard to maintain without fans and school spirit. But the Bobcats continue to stay motivated. In fact, criticism and teasing is nothing new to these fellows, as they are used to putting up with it. Some of the football players allow it to affect them in a negative way, but some let them affect them in a more positive way. When addressing the teasing and criticism, Rashad James said, “People tease us because they don’t understand how hard we play and how close the games usually are, they just tease us about losing or the final score.” And as a loyal football player would, Marcus Wilson makes the best of the negative criticism, and says “Sometimes I get angry, but it motivates me.”

There was no hesitation when all of the athletes expressed that the love for the game is what keeps them motivated the most. Their love for the sport is what keeps them focused to work hard at practices and to continue to play for the team. Their passion for the sport keeps them around to put up with the people who criticize and tease them. “It’s just D-3 football. Anybody who sticks it in for this long when we don’t win any games has to love it, I love football.” James said passionately. “The love for the game,” Wilson said, is what keeps him around. Erhie gave just about the same answer, “I love football, I love watching and I love playing.” All three of them plan to play again next season.

As the football players would like to make an improvement, the students on campus still look forward to seeing one. Many students are very supportive and still have hope for the Bobcats, but some students have given up on the team and stopped attending games. In fact, a lot of students agreed that they would go to games if the football team won more often. Jess Brown, a junior and history major, expressed that she would attend more football games if they won more often. “I only went to the games because my friends were going. If they had a better record, then I would have another reason to go more often.”

Another student, Allison Meads, who has attended only one football game, says, “I like football, but I can’t support a team who doesn’t win any games.” But she did agree that if they won more games she would go and watch. This shows that the football team has a big impact on the amount of school spirit, but it could possibly go both ways.

Although students have said that the football teams performance puts a hindrance on the amount of school spirit FSU has, there are still other sports at FSU that help bring the students close together. The women’s volleyball team accomplished an amazing overall record of 34-4. The men’s basketball team in 2009 finished with a 17-10 record. Many other sports teams are known for their good turn outs.

Frostburg students underestimate the Bobcat football team to a great extent. Although students have such high expectations for the team, they fail to realize their attendance could improve the team’s performance.

At the Frostburg homecoming game against Apprentice College, there was a surprising turn out of the amount of students that came out to support Frostburg on that cold snowy day. With all of the support, Frostburg took home a win, with a close finishing score of 25-20.

Coach Rogish and Coach Jackson, as well as the football players, all agreed that school spirit and fans do help. “Anybody would love to go to their own game and see a big crowd,” Coach Jackson says. If students were to be more supportive and attend more games, they might possibly see a difference in the way their Bobcat football team plays.

So now it is pretty obvious that Frostburg State University’s football team faces many obstacles, not only as individuals, but as a team. They are often misunderstood and misjudged, struggle to keep their motivation, and play a hard schedule. They think they have a lack of a strong team bond, but it has been said by their very own Coach Rogish, “At the end of the day they win together and they lose together”. Whether they overcome these obstacles or not they still deserve more than respect for their hard work and effort. Although they haven’t been the most successful in winning games, they are successful in staying motivated to reach their goals. Go Bobcats!

Graduate School Info is Only a Click Away

The typical student doesn't have a lot of time outside of school and homework for researching what to do after receiving a bachelors degree. Luckily, those considering graduate school as an option need only to go to their prospective college websites in order to find the answers they are looking for.

Take Frostburg State University's site, for instance. Under quick links, there's a link for Graduate Study, in which the answers to most of the easier questions about FSU's graduate programs can be found. For example, students interested in entering the Master of Arts in Teaching program will learn that there is a three step process for getting into the program, as well as what is expected of candidates and what students who are accepted into the program should expect.

Information on expenses, financial aid, scholarships, and graduate assistanceships can also be easily found on the frosturg.edu site, simply by clicking on the quick link for Graduate Study. There is also a place to request more information on FSU's graduate programs, as well as to schedule a visit or even go ahead and apply. There is even a career services link that can be easily found through the FSU website for those interested in looking into employment opportunities after either undergraduate or graduate studies.

For those questions that can't be answered with just the click of a mouse, there is a phone directory available on the site as well. So while students may feel they don't have the necessary time or tools to look into graduate study, in reality, they need only a few moments and access to a computer to gain most of the information they need.