As chair of the University of Alaska’s Board of Regents, I hear a lot of stories from our students. Often these stories come from students who face down enormous challenges, stick with it, work hard and earn that certificate, associate, bachelor’s or master’s degree. For most of them, the payoff of a better job, increased earnings and more skills and opportunities is well worth it.� MORE....

In the Fall of 2011, a call to action began to gain momentum in Higher Education. The focus: the math of on time graduation. 12 credits per semester, the average student full time enrollment, would require 5 years for a student to graduate with a BA degree, and 2.5 years to graduate with an AA. When calculated, that can equate to $10,000 more in school related expenses alone. Those added costs can be alarming when you start adding in living and entertainment expenses, and yet, simple to reduce—15 credits a semester, one more class each term, could eliminate a whole year in school and school related expenses.� MORE....

At 50, I’m not considered a traditional student in the usual sense of the term. My years between 18 and 24 were not filled with thoughts of colleges or degrees, but about getting the best paying job I could to help my family. I was “getting by” but never able to really “get ahead.” I was held back often for lack of a degree. First it was that coveted high school degree, which I got a little later than most, now it’s a bachelors degree, but that will be awarded to me this spring. Overall my experience with education has been a struggle, and I can honestly say that decisions I made way back then, had flaws. MORE....