Arm yourself with a degree

        By Jenee’ Kivin

        Editor-in-Chief

    The price of goods is rising, the difficulty of finding jobs is increasing and the value of the dollar is plummeting. All in all, the cost of living is becoming harder to meet.

With the economy careening down the consequential path it is on right now, it is essential that we, as the upcoming generation, make intelligent decisions regarding our future. I believe, we, those of us attending Paradise Valley Community College are doing just that.

I am sure the majority of us have been bombarded with the same “be cool, stay in school” campaigns since high school, or even middle school, but really, it is not an issue of being cool. It’s an issue of being futuristically smart, responsible and self-preserving. Getting a college degree is about one of the best things we can do for ourselves right now that lie within each and everyone of our powers.

Due to the fact that I am surrounded by it day in and day out, I almost just assume, as you may possibly assume, that everyone goes on to getting a degree when they graduate high school, but really, I could count on one hand how many of my good friends actually have pursued college. As students, we are not the norm. According to a study done by the PEW Research Center, a highly regarded “fact tank,” in April of 2004, only 25 percent of the Americans they polled have college degrees.

One of the main hindrances that people use as a reason they do not pursue further education past high school is money. Though it is an understandable and significant hurdle, it not an excuse. There are plenty of combinable options available: grants, scholarships, payment plans, stipends and even student loans. As long as one has the drive and commitment, there is a path.

In the coming years I believe that having a degree will be like having gold. People are not going to be able to live on the minimum wage very much longer. Also jobs are becoming harder to find (at least from what I have seen). Based on another study conducted by the PEW Research Center in May of this year, 71 percent of the people they polled with less than a high school degree see a limitation in job opportunities while only 51 percent of college graduates feel the same way.

The workforce is a battlefield, and we need to prepare ourselves as best we can, and with as many weapons in our arsenal as possible to succeed in overtaking the competition. This is our livelihood we are fighting for. It should not be taken lightly.

As cliché as it is, here in the United States we are given such an abundance of education that it is unbelievably embarrassing that more people do not take advantage of this privilege. It needs to be taken advantage of, and it needs to happen now, so that we can ensure that we have a comfortable future for ourselves, as well as our children. If this generation does not step up, they are going to receive a hard wake up call.

Financial aid catches up with SIS

        By Jenee’ Kivin

        Editor-in-Chief

   For two weeks in September the PVCC Office of Student Financial Assistance offered limited service while they learned new business practices associated with the new student services software system, PeopleSoft, according to Ken Clarke, interim director of Financial Aid.

Last semester PVCC, along with the whole Maricopa County College district, transitioned to the new Student Information System system, developed by PeopleSoft. The financial aide sector was the last module to be completely integrated with the new system, and this is what caused the problem, says PVCC’s president, Paul Dale.

“The new SIS system takes longer (than the old one) to process student files, so the backlog of files began to accumulate,” says Dale. “One-third of our students are on some form of financial aide.”

From Sept. 8 to 19, the office opened from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. to assist day students. Doors closed from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., allowing staff to become familiar with the software. Clarke says the office continued taking calls during this time. Students dropped off documents through the office’s mail slot and left messages at the Information Center. The office reopened at 4 p.m. to serve evening students until normal closing time at 7 p.m.

Other financial aid offices in the Maricopa County Community College District also offered temporarily limited service due to the new software, says Clarke.

In order to make sure each file was done correctly and all files were caught up, staff in the financial aide office decided it would be best to halt further applications and focus on those already in transit, Dale says.

“The staff gave 110 percent to resolve this,” says Dale. “They were working long hours and even worked on Saturday. It is critical we make the student aide process a quick one.”

Office operations have returned to normal.

Dale says the only set back that is still getting worked out is that some direct student loans got delayed in the process, but the staff is working diligently to get them done.