One of the greatest attributes of public schools in NJ is that they are free and open to every child born in the state. There are a few public schools that are an exception to this rule. What makes public schools great, is unfortunately one of the factors that may also make it a poor choice.  Charter schools on the other hand can turn students away. This allows them to keep class sizes small and budgets lower. If there are more applications than the school’s charter will allow the school conducts a lottery to see who gets accepted.

Both charter schools in New Jersey and Public schools in New Jersey are funded by the taxpayers of their districts. Charter schools only receive 90% of their yearly budget’s from the district all other funding comes from private organizations, donors and grass roots efforts like bake sales and auctions. Some of these schools also receive grants from private foundations and corporations.  Many charter schools also charge a fee to the families of the students they serve.

Public schools in New Jersey are accountable to the public. They are subject to tons of rules and regulations, what they teach, how it is taught and who can teach, are all regulated by the federal government. Although the state and federal government hold some sway with charter schools it is not to the same extent as it is with the public schools in New Jersey.

Public schools are ran by publicly elected boards and charter schools can appoint their boards without any public input. In a charter school the headmaster or equivalent to the public school principal does not have to have a background in education nor a teaching degree or certification.

One thing that may pose a problem is the inception of new rules governing how charter schools are funded. In Newark NJ it is said that Mark Zuckerberg gave $100million to the local charter schools and the Governor of New Jersey wants to allow private corporations to fund charter schools and appoint profit-oriented boards of trustees. This doesn’t seem to be a good idea since then they might as well be categorized as private schools once this occurs.

Public schools in New Jersey are not in any danger of being made obsolete by their Charter counterparts and we do not have to worry about our children attending schools without any accountability to the public that they serve.

The new Washington buzz word is “healthcare reform”. In the Presidents program there will be a call for more nurses to service routine calls and the elderly than ever before in America. How all this is going to affect nursing in New Jersey is not well documented, but there are a few factors that you must take into consideration.

The facts show that the need for new nurses in New Jersey is expected to increase over the next 12 years. It is expected that the deficit will about 40,000 nurses by 2020. If Graduates today can be ready to fill those shoes in as little as 2-4 years. With only an average of less that 6,000 students entering nursing schools in New jersey each year it would seem that we will still not make the cut. The high cost of education is one of the potholes in the road to heading off this crisis.

Not only is there a shortage of nursing students but we will see a marked decrease in faculty as well. Many of the teaching staff at major nursing schools is approaching retirement age. With the current rate of retirement in teachers there are many would be nurses turned away at the front door. In the past few years, nursing schools in New Jersey has experienced a loss due to retirement, on average of 74 faculty members a year.

The baby boomers are reaching the age where they will need care. Some of these seniors will need round the clock care. Where will this workforce come from if we continue to pay nurses less than they are worth as well as make becoming a nurse a future financial hardship. Paying for nursing school is expensive and taking out student loans. Today students will have to look at all available grants and scholarships. They have to apply to as many as they think that they might qualify for in order to pursue their dreams.

You can find many grants and scholarships online and it is also a great idea to check into local grants. The New Jersey League of Nursing and the New Jersey State Nurses Association are two organizations that regularly give out scholarships to freshmen entering nursing schools in New Jersey. In fact most of the scholarships and grants are handled by one of these two organizations. There is also a great program aimed at children and family members of American Veterans.

One of the things that make New Jersey a great place to live is its excellent education system. Sure, there are some snags in it, but overall the system works. New Jersey is in good standing on the educational front. From K- 12 to is Ivy League Universities. A child growing up in the garden state can rest assured they will have the education and training they need to pursue whatever path to success they envision for their lives.

There is a wealth of post secondary schools both private and public. The average graduate stays in state to earn their degree. They have so many choices and a bevy of incentives. One of these is the tax break that parents get for paying into the 529 savings programs. Many of the states one and two year colleges and universities also offer in-house scholarships to help local students pay for the rising cost that a higher education will demand for years to come.

The high cost associated with a college education has caused some of our children to forget about dreaming, to settle for mediocre instead of seeing if they could be great. The federal government, the state and our educational institutions are not blind to this and they all are taking steps to help more youngsters realize their dreams. Just the fact that you live in New Jersey makes you eligible for many of them.

The scholarships listed here is only a small sampling of the kinds of funding available just for being a NJ resident.

Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation Scholarship
Application Deadlines: Varies
An annual college scholarship is rewarded as an inspiration to a survivor in order that they may achieve their full potential in life. Residents of the Jacksonville, Florida area and New York Metropolitan area including Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passiac and Union Counties in New Jersey who have had a diagnosis of leukemia or cancer prior to the age of 21 are eligible.

New Jersey Urban Scholars Program
Application Deadlines: Varies
High achieving students attending public secondary schools in the State’s urban and economically distressed areas (Type A and B school districts as defined by the New Jersey Department of Education) may be selected as Edward J. Bloustein Distinguished Scholars under funding provided through the Urban Scholars Program. Students who rank in the top 10% of their class and have a grade point average.

Bernard Kilgore Memorial Scholarship
Application Deadlines: February 15, Annually
One New Jersey high school student will be named the New Jersey High School Journalist of the Year and will be awarded the $5,000 Bernard Kilgore Memorial Scholarship by the New Jersey Press Foundation. This competition is co-sponsored by the Garden State Scholastic Press Association. The scholarship recipient will be entered in the competition for the National High School Journalist of the Year.

James R. McCormick Memorial Scholarship
Application Deadlines: December 07, Annually
The Jersey Shore Public Relations and Advertising Association announces its James R. McCormick Memorial Scholarship Awards program, open to students residing in Ocean or Monmouth County studying communication. Applications are available at www.jspraa.com Since 1983, JSPRAA has held the James R. McCormick Memorial Scholarship Award program to recognize the outstanding achievements of worthy applicants.

Most of the prestigious colleges in New Jersey are private schools. Most notably are the 7 “Ivy League” universities. There are seven of those and these schools all have a very rich history.

New College (est. 1636, now Harvard University)

Academy of Philadelphia (est. 1755, now University of Pennsylvania)

Dartmouth College (est. 1769)

College of New Jersey (est. 1746, now Princeton University)

King’s College (est. 1754, now Columbia University)

Cornell

Collegiate School (est. 1701, now Yale University)

College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (est. 1764, now Brown University)
Many hear the term “Ivy League” and automatically think of the rich and powerful it was actually a term coined by a sports writer about the private schools athletic conference. The term became official in 1954 after the formation of the NCAA. The term has come to mean so much more now. It is used to denote academic excellence, selectivity in admissions and of course social elitism.  Of the eight private colleges in New Jersey that make up the “Ivy League” seven while actually date back to the colonial times. Cornell was founded in 1865, while the other 7 colleges along with William and Mary, Rutgers and the two colonial colleges in Rhode Island and Providence Plantation, were all established in colonial times.

These schools are all located in or near New Jersey and are considered the best colleges the United States has to offer. There are not many schools in other countries that compare to these schools either. The private schools in New Jersey get a lot of their money in the form of research grants and other subsidies from the state and federal government. Other finances are garnered in the form of grants and endowments from wealthy patrons.

Enrollment in these schools range from 4000-14000 a year, while this is far less than public universities it is a huge leap over other liberal arts colleges of their ilk. Overall student enrollment in these schools range from 6100 for the smaller colleges and over 20,000 in schools likes Harvard and Cornell.

If you are fortunate enough to attend one of the “Ancient Eight” schools you will be following in the footsteps of some of the greatest scientists, politicians and attorneys the world has ever known. Most of them were founded pre-revolution an were all male institutions with a religious bent. There were a few that were non-sectarian, but now if you can afford the price tag and have the grades and can get accepted anyone is welcome to walk those hallowed halls of academia.

In order to get the most out of the graduates in New Jersey, you will need to look at all of the possibilities. Applying to graduate school is probably going to be one of the most stressful times in your academic career. The way to avoid stress is to organize your search.

You should research on different programs, this can be done by collecting brochures and going online to their websites. This way you can eliminate some and set others aside for more in depth research.  You should have at least 3-4 graduate schools in New Jersey on your short list. Once you have your top 3 schools it is time to get farther process.

In order to attend graduate schools in New Jersey you have to complete a 4-year program with an above average GPA and some schools require you to take an additional exam. The Graduate School Record Exam and other exams are designed to get a more accurate picture of the aptitude level of each applicant. Not everyone is cut out for graduate school work. Even if you have the most fantastic test scores and a perfect GPA you are not a shoo-in. Since you will be vying with thousands of other applicants it is important that the application stand out. You can do this by getting experience that is relevant to your field of study. If you are going to do this thing you need to show that you are both, motivated and disciplined, this is what makes you stand out as a cut above.

Letters of recommendation are also an important part of the application process for graduate schools in New Jersey. Each school has their own requirements for these and will generally send you these guidelines after they receive your application. Graduate Schools in New Jersey are not cheap so cost may also be a determining factor as to which ones you ultimately apply. You should try for any scholarship opportunities that are presented to you, many schools offer them. You may also use financial aid grants to pay for your continuing education. The final factor is the time frame that it takes to complete your studies. Most programs take two years or more to complete, but there are also some schools that have fast track programs that allow you to complete your studies in as little as one year. Just remember that the application process is a very time sensitive endeavor, it would be a shame if you went through all of the preparation and were overlooked because your application arrived after the deadline.

The rising cost of higher education leave a lot of high school students fearful of obtaining a degree and making an impact in their world. Scholarships offered by Universities and colleges in NJ have been helping young people realize their dreams for many years now. If you are a graduating senior or a person who is thinking about returning to school, there are scholarships available to help you reach your goal.
Colleges in NJ make their scholarships available based on a variety if criteria. If you look hard enough you will likely find one that you will more than qualify for. Some are geared toward academics but there are many more that are for things like race or ethnicity, gender, single parenthood, subject area and even the degree you are seeking.
Take Centenary College in NJ for instance, they offer scholarships to in state High school students that have consistently been a part of community service efforts. There is a fund totaling $10,000. this service can be in the area of culture or in environmental efforts.
When it comes down to finding the help you need to fund your college education New Jersey considers itself one of the most proactive states in the country. It has a lot of state generated scholarships and of course there is always the Pell Grant from the federal government. One of the best state grants is the Outstanding Scholar Recruitment Program. This is a scholarship aimed toward high school graduating seniors with top SAT scores and that have better than a 3.75 GPA. It is also needs based as well as merit. An eligible student can be receive anywhere between $2500.00 to $7500.00 a year.
The Edward J. Bloustein Distinguished Scholars Program is a stand alone scholarship aimed at New Jersey High School juniors. If they score a 1260 on their SAT’s and are ranked in the top 3 of the graduating class they qualify. They can use the $1000.00 at any of the colleges in NJ. There is also second component to this scholarship that is aimed at students from economically disadvantaged areas in New Jersey. To qualify these students must rank in the top 10% of their class and maintain a 3.0 GPA. The scholarship is set at $1965.00.
Colleges in NJ are leading the way in affordable education by offering scholarships that seem to be increasing each year. Finds your funding for any of the New Jersey institutions of higher learning online.

The rising cost of a college education is fast making it a dream only the rich can afford. To offset the high cost of college in New Jersey there is the 529 college savings plan. It is one of the most powerful tools a family can use to see to it that their child has a shot at a higher education. With the 529 savings plan you save because you do not pay taxes on all dollars used for education.
In colleges in New Jersey and around the country a child born today can expect to have to pay $144,000 or more for an education in a public institution and over $300,000 in a private college. For many families this is easily five or six years salary. In the last few years public college cost have increased approximately 40% and private institutions more than 25%, this trend in expected to continue over the next 10-20 years.
Let’s look at how the 529 works so you understand how it will help you send your child to a college in New Jersey. Normally when you save money you have to pay taxes on the principal, gains, interest, dividends and such. now what congress did was to pass a bill that let’s you save $12,000 per year per child without having to pay these taxes. As long as you use every dollar saved on education at an accredited college in NJ.
Contributions over the next five years, not to exceed a total of $60,000 per beneficiary, are permitted as long as no one gets additional contributions until the sixth year. As long as the money is used for things like tuition, books, and other fees associated with attending an accredited college or university it can be withdrawn without taxes or penalties. If your kid is lucky enough to get a scholarship you can withdraw an amount equal to the scholarship without penalty.
Now if you withdraw the funds for any reason other than attending college in New Jersey you will be taxed and assessed a 10% penalty. Although all states offer this plan some are more attractive than others. The NJ529 college savings plan is run by Franklin Templeton. It is the only one that has a scholarship that is actually tax free. The stipulation is that the student must attend one of the approved colleges in New Jersey. New jersey also has the highest contribution limit of any other state at $305,000 per beneficiary.

The number one advantage of attending private schools in NJ is that of smaller class sizes. The smaller the class the more attention a teacher can give to each student. Although there is a lot to be said for the higher academic standards as well as them having superior facilities. Because of their revenue structure they can afford to invest in more labs and facilities for extra curricular activities.

Variety

Independent schools or private schools in NJ are diverse. Parents can choose a school that reflects their heritage, religious affiliation and even a few that offer boarding.  If you want to send your child to a private school in NJ that is gender specific you can. Some private schools are designed so that a child can attend from age 4-18, this eliminates the horror of learning to adapt to anew school system every few years.

Class Size

Most private schools in NJ allow for optimum learning because of their smaller class sizes. It is believed that additional attention is the reason that more kids do well in private schools than in public schools where the teacher to student ratio is sometimes as high as 20.8 students per teacher, at best they offer 9.7 students per teacher. It is no way with those numbers that a child having any type of learning difficulty can receive the help they would get in a private school.

Curriculum Choices Increase

Private schools in NJ are not required to follow the National Curriculum. Many organize their own policies and provide unusual educational incentives as well as a larger variety of extra curricular activities. This is found in many primary schools, private schools do not stress the SAT’s as much and focus more on personal development and other educational areas.

Another advantage a child that attends private schools in NJ get is the emphasis on community service and the opportunities to study abroad during secondary education. Private schools seem to concentrate on preparing the student to function in a higher capacity in the world. Students who attend these schools are exposed to more high-brow culture and more refined sports that are seen to be the fancy of the elite.

Conclusion

It would seem that the biggest advantages to be had by attending private schools in NJ is the preparation for living in a global society. In a private school academics are stressed but they also teach more than just the ABC’s, they also stress civic duty and ethical practices.

The world has gotten smaller and we do our children a disservice by not insisting they excel in math and science. In order for this country to retain its competitive edge our future generations will need to out-innovate and out build the rest of the world. We are currently ranked at #65 among all the nations in math and science, what this mean is that we are lagging behind even some third world countries in terms of education.

Finnish 15-year-olds did the best in science and came in second in math. Other top-performing countries were: Hong Kong, Canada, Taiwan, Estonia, Japan and Korea. That means that we need to concentrate on finding the best schools in NJ that have great math and science programs. right now we are in the middle of the pack. It is being predicted that science and technology will be where the jobs of the future are and right now most kids are not preparing for that future. An interest in math and science has to be nurtured from the early years.

Many are looking to the magnet schools or schools for the gifted and talented for answers but what we need is for more main stream public schools in NJ to implement programs that will keep our kids in the running and prepare them for advancement on the world stage. Although some programs target only gifted kids, and still others target minority students for specialized math and science training it should be offered to all.

Right now the High Technology High School is ranked #1 for schools in NJ that teach math and science on a higher level. But not every child will be able to attend this school since it is in Lincroft, NJ. Another top school in NJ is the Biotechnology High School in Freehold. And at #3 is the Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School in Jersey City, NJ. Although there are high schools that teach high level math and science the kids that come in as freshmen are not prepared for it. Therefore, many will opt out of the classes that are not mandatory for graduating. These same kids go on to attend colleges in New Jersey and elsewhere without the proper foundations to succeed. It is the duty of parents and educators to fill in this gap. To lobby for stronger math and science curriculums that starts at the preschool level. Parents should start at home fostering a love of math and science in their children. We have to recognize that without these their futures will not be as bright as they should be.

The only thing in this country that is rising faster than medical cost is the college tuition. A Student wishing to graduate from a prestigious 4 year college like Princeton will need close to $180,000.00 per year. While that is on the high end of the scale other colleges are not that far behind. With the high interest rates on student loans, not many of the more than 2.8 million kids that graduate high school can afford continuing education, of those that do the outlook is grim as they have to contemplate paying back these loans. Many are in debt for up to 15-20 years after graduation. That is why the community colleges in NJ are trying to keep tuitions low and to help students find alternative means of funding their education.

Community colleges in NJ concentrate on knowing what jobs are available in the area and preparing their students to get into a position in as little time as possible. There are those who still feel that an education at one of the community colleges in NJ is somehow inferior to the ones you receive from major universities, but the opposite is true. The truth is the Associate Degree programs at any of the community colleges in NJ can spring board a student into a 4-year degree program at many universities. Paying less at this level is preferable if you plan to go this route.

So, you are probably thinking by now that you already know that it is expensive and were hoping there would be some sort of solution in this article. Well keep reading, the solution is simply to get as much of the funding from grants and scholarships as you can. These are monies that you do not have to pay back, unlike loans, and you also do not have to worry about paying interest. Start with your application for the Federal Pell Grant, also look for companies, organizations and school based scholarships and apply for as many as you think you can qualify for. each scholarship or grant will have its own criteria and deadline so start early.

Community colleges in NJ are staffed by faculty that is not in it for the money and for the most part the tuitions are kept low because of it. With prestigious universities your student dollars are mainly going to pay for pumped up professors and lofty administrators. You pay for classes that have nothing at all to do with the actual job you will be doing in your careers. Community college education cost less because it is streamlined and it concentrates on the basics.