If you’re one of many Daytona State College students who was well on your way toward earning an associate degree, but had to put your college education on hold for whatever reason, college officials are about to make you an offer you may find hard to refuse.
Daytona State this week sent letters to more than 3,600 non-returning students dating as far back as 2013 who took classes but did not complete their degrees, offering a one-time only “Come Back to Daytona State” incentive valued at 25 percent off the cost of their in-state tuition for Fall 2018 Semester.
The opportunity is being offered to students who have completed at least 45 credits of coursework within their major and who have not re-enrolled in classes for at least 12 months.
“We know that finances are one of the many obstacles our students face when it comes to completing their college degrees,” said college President Tom LoBasso. “With the help of the Daytona State College Foundation, we have been able to offer this program that, when combined with financial aid, can remove this barrier and make completing their degrees more affordable.”
According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, barely over 50 percent of students who start college complete their course work and earn a degree. The rate is higher for those who start at four-year colleges, lower for those who start at two-year colleges: For those who started college in 2011, the national completion rate for those who started at four-year colleges was 64.7 percent, with completion within a six-year window. For those starting at two-year colleges, the completion rate was 37.5 percent, with 15 percent completing their coursework at four-year institutions.
“Dismal as these numbers are,” Joel Varga reported in a City Lab article last year, “they don’t reflect the full extent of the problem, since the statistics exclude students enrolled part-time and those who “stop out”—take a break from school to work or care for family and later return to college. There is anecdotal evidence that completion rates for these students are even lower. This means that a large swath of America’s potential workforce isn’t getting the education and training they need to support themselves and their families and climb into the middle class.
Students who receive the Daytona State letter and are considering taking advantage of the incentive offer also are encouraged to apply for financial aid as soon as possible by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) available online and accessible via the college’s website at DaytonaState.edu/finaid. Students are urged to apply for financial aid as soon as possible, since it takes 4-6 weeks to process the application.
The Come Back to Daytona State Scholarship must be redeemed by Aug. 27. For more information, please call or email (386) 506-3642, [email protected].
gmath55 says
How about 25% off the loan. College is over rated. Nowadays I would go to a trade school and get paid while learning and that is what college should be.
Guess What says
The DSC makes a lot of promises to students but there are no jobs and the jobs that are out there you don’t need a 2 year degree. What you get is a hefty bill to pay back monthly. I guess it’s time to lay off the staff for a change.
Knows Jack says
?Guys, the unemployment rate is under 5%. All that want to work are working! College enrollment follows the unemployment rate!
Born and Raised Here says
How about all high school students must serve 2 years in the military or a government service program, and then they get a free college education. To many young people working at a dead end job.