CLICK HERE to watch the video

For sale signs that are becoming frustrating for people trying to unload their property. (photo by P. Kenneth Burns/November 2009)

While homes sales are up in the Baltimore area, there are still some frustrated people trying to sell their homes.  Alyssia Essig, a real estate agent with Pudential Carruthers in Baltimore, gives advice on how to have your home sold sooner.

CLICK HERE to listen.

The Essex campus of the Community College of Baltimore County. Essex along with it's two sister campuses saw an increase in enrollment this semester, matching a statewide trend. (photo by Kevin Smith/June 2005)

More people are opting for community college during these tough economic times.

An earlier Associated Press article says that community colleges across Maryland saw a nine percent increase in enrollment for the fall 2009 semester.

The Community College of Baltimore County saw a double digit percent increase.  Their fall enrollment rose 20 percent when compared to the previous fall.  A spokeswoman for the college said that economy was a major factor in the jump in enrollment citing President Obama pushing for every American to get a college degree, in addition to the low cost of tuition for the school.  The number of non-traditional students attending any of the college’s three campuses in Catonsville, Dundalk or Essex were not immediately available.

Baltimore City Community College did not return any phone calls for this story.  Anne Arundel Community College did not have any current number readily available.  Their most recent headcount was for the fall 2008 semester when 15,149 students attended.

Kenny Burns working at his full-time job at WAVA-FM in Arlington, Va. (personal photo/undated)

Follow Kenny Burns as he explains what a typical day for him is like as a college student, and broadcast professional.

CLICK HERE to view the video.

photo by P. Kenneth Burns/November 2009

Agata Williams, after earning her college degrees in her native Poland (Bachelors and Masters), moved to Washington, DC to earn her associates in Broadcasting from Montgomery College in Maryland.  After chasing her dream over the past decade, she has decided on and change of pace.  Next year, she will be heading back to school…again.

Click Here to see her story.

Tracy Thomas of Catonsville, Md. is a full-time student at Regent University in addition to being a full-time soldier. (photo by P. Kenneth Burns/November 2008)

A Baltimore County woman is being “all that she can be,” serving in the army in addition to attending school online.  Her juggling act is driven by her passion to ultimately help her fellow soldiers.

Click here to listen to her story.

26-year-old Tracy Thomas’ day begins early.  She leaves her home in Catonsville, Maryland by 5:30 in the morning, to arrive at her military job in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, by seven.  She originally joined the military after signing up after high school where she did a tour in Iraq between 2003-2004, leaving the service in 2004.  She recently rejoined last year, first as a reservist.  Then this year, she jumped back in full-time because of economic reasons.  “I needed stability and job security, I didn’t feel where I was that I was really growing and also I wanted a job that would give me credit for the military service that I had, because I began to see economy falling after reading different reports in 2008,” she said

After working an eight hour day, she drives the 90 minutes back to Maryland to attend classes at Regent University, online.  Thomas is currently taking a full course load.  Two accelerated classes for the first half of the semester, and another two in the second part.  Like most non-traditional students, she has her own tour of schools.  “I actually went to Katherine Gibbs and I left Katherine Gibbs.  I came here to Maryland.  I enrolled and I started the classes in Catonsville, and then they pretty much got me upset, so I left the school trying to show them,” she says giggling while admitting that trying to show them was not a good idea.

Thomas picked Regent University because she thought of it as a representation of her Christian faith.  The psychology major is using a combination of student loans and education benefits during her time in the military, including the Montgomery G.I. Bill.  She plans on using what she has learned to help other soldiers who she says have been damaged mentally.  A situation Thomas is familiar with.  “With one particular soldier who had came back, he use to just be in a daze.  And I would try my best to bring him back, to laugh, you know just to try to help him to just feel better.  I just hate to see soldiers especially when they didn’t ask to be put in a situation that they were put in,” she recalled.

Tracy Thomas has just over two years left in getting her Bachelor’s degree.  She plans on going for her Master’s degree, also in psychology.

FastWeb is one of the most popular websites for finding scholarships. It is referred to as a "scholarship matching" service. (from www.fastweb.com)

BALTIMORE – Just like the traditional full-time students who enter college right out of high school; non-traditional students, many who are part-time, need money to attend college.  The non-traditional student ranks particularly for community colleges are experiencing an upswing due to economic conditions.  A recent story in The Dartmouth shadows the national trend.  The paper reporting community college enrollment in New Hampshire is up 12 percent; due to the combination of fresh high school graduates looking for a cheap way to continue their education and older students looking to stay competitive in the job market.

Eventually, the road leads to transferring to a four-year institution, whether it is public or private.  The federal government offers two programs for students.  The Pell Grant is money that is awarded based on income, the cost of education and the expected contribution of the student.  In addition to the Pell Grant, the loan program is also a federal program.  Vince Pecora, Director of Financial Aid for Towson University in Baltimore County, says that many people do not believe that the student loan program is a government program.  “The federal government has very generous terms [when it comes to loans],” said Pecora.

In addition to the federal programs, there are a number of ways for students to find free money to pay for school.  Some schools, like Towson, offer their own database for scholarship information.  Pecora said that the “Scholarship Seeker” on the school’s website sometimes have small scholarships for students continuing their education where non-traditional students can apply.

Towson is also one of the more than 3,600 colleges and universities to link to FastWeb, a website launched in 1995, which touts itself as a “scholarship matching” service.  FastWeb is owned by Monster; known for its employment search database.  Company spokesman Steve Sylven says that the serves every student from high school getting ready for the next step to a mother of two looking to return to school.  The website has attracted 34 million users to its scholarship database containing 1.3 million scholarships worth over $3 billion.

FastWeb also goes beyond being a simple database, but it is a web community as well.  “we also provide a plethora of information and guidance as students find their college or first job,” said Sylven, “We [also] provide current news on financial aid, scholarships, college, jobs and internships, and student life.”

Maryland also funds a number of scholarships, many of which are need base, including scholarships from delegates and senators in the general assembly.  According to the Maryland Higher Education Commission, Governor Martin O’Malley (D) has pumped $333 million in to college scholarships  and grants since taking office.  State Secretary of Higher Education James E. Lyons, Sr. says that money for the programs will be administered by the commission’s Office of Student Financial Assistance.  “These scholarships and grants have been distributed to more than 174,000 students attending Maryland higher education institutions during his time in office,” said Lyons.

There was no break down available at press time for how many of the students were part-time or non-traditional.  Currently, state figures show that  of the more than 260,000 students enrolled at state funded schools, 42.5 percent are considered part-time students.

In Sunday’s Wall Street Journal, Tara Parker-Pope writes that “College Isn’t Just for 18-Year-Olds.”  As a matter of fact senior citizens are returning to the classroom; and colleges are willing to pay for their return.

Many older adults will find they may not need to pay full tuition. Purdue University in Indiana, for example, waives half the tuition for people age 60 and older (but with a cap on the number of credits taken with the discount).  It’s even cheaper for those who don’t want to pursue a full degree. Most schools provide bigger discounts for students who “audit” classes; they participate in class but don’t take tests or get credit toward a degree.  At the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University in New York, anyone 65 or older auditing a class pays one-quarter of the regular tuition. That lowers the cost of a typical class to about $640, from more than $2,500.  And in more than 20 states, including Texas, Florida and North Carolina, public colleges offer free tuition to older adults auditing classes.

While the article is a personal confidence booster that one is never too old to go back to school; I would like to see a focus on those students who are in their late 20s and older.  Stories about college students focus on the students who are right out of high school or senior citizens, such as this article here.  The headline of the article is kind of a throw off because I was thinking that the article would in fact focus on middle aged adults at the very least, but it almost entire;y focuses on senior citizens.

In addition, I would have included a story about someone who is getting their first undergraduate degree.  The first person that was featured, 68-year-old Tom Miller, had obtained a master’s degree many years prior before going back to school.  Considering the current economic situation, I would have found it more productive to focus on those who are going for their first undergraduate degree, as opposed to their second.

My mother says that I should knock my accomplishments because there are people who would love to be in my position.  She is right, however I know that I am not the only person who is pushing 30 (or in some cases 40, 50 and even 60) who has decided to finally put a wrap on their undergraduate degree.  I also know that I am not the only person who chooses to live off campus in the real community.  This is where the two worlds will collide.

In this particular blog, the topics will be issues facing the adult student as well as students who live off campus.  Issues like career, time management, where to get good grocery deals, decorating a home on a shoestring budget.