Harvard was chartered in 1636, becoming the first institution of higher learning in the American Colonies. Early colleges provided religious training together with training in classical studies. Some have become today's private non-profit colleges or state universities. The first state-chartered university was the University of Georgia, chartered in 1782, and originally named "Franklin College."
Initially, Harvard students had to learn classical Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. After the U.S. became independent from Great Britain, students could replace one of the classical languages with modern French, the language of Voltaire, according to Morison and Commager's history, Growth of the American Republic.
The Rise of Secular Studies, and Land-Grant Universities
The Academy of Philadelphia, now the University of Pennsylvania, was founded in 1751 through the efforts of Benjamin Franklin. Its curriculum was based on ideas that a college should offer practical as well as classical instruction, originally described in Franklin's "Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pennsilvania" (1749). It prepared students for non-religious careers, including business. Land grants were made available to fund higher learning at the time of the Civil War, and specifically, to allow students to study subjects like agriculture and engineering instead of the traditional classical curriculum. In 1890, land grants were made available to Black schools as well, according to " Historically Black Colleges & Universities."
The Rise of U.S. For-Profit College
Also at about the time of the Civil War, Stratton and Bryant founded the first for-profit schools, which taught secretarial subjects, mostly to women, according to Anya Kamenetz ("The Profit Chase"). Today, with the internet, "for-profit" or "proprietary" colleges – whose pioneers include Devries and ITT Technical Institute (under the auspices of ITT Corporation) – have mushroomed, collecting about 24% of Pell Grants. Today's proprietary colleges offer conveniences such as home or online studies, opportunities to work at one's own pace, and, sometimes, accelerated progress towards a degree. Some also provide in-house loans to students, albeit, in some cases at least, at high interest rates. Some but not all are accredited by a recognized body. A list of accredited institutions providing elearning can be found at elearners.com.
Several proprietary colleges, including Kaplan and Ashford University, have "transfer" agreements with some community colleges, allowing student s to transfer credits they take at a for-profit school into their local community college coursework according to Grace Chen's (March 17, 2010) "For-Profit Colleges Fill the Void," published in the Community College Review.
The Rising Cost of Schooling
Although colonial college degrees were not that expensive, today's private non-profit colleges (whose tuition ranges from as low as $426.00 per credit at Cedar Crest in Pennsylvania to about $50,000/year at some schools) are increasing tuition in order to attract better (and better-known) professors, and to fund better scholarships. Public universities, whose fees vary by state (tuition remains lower in some states and in Canada), likewise are increasing their fees in order to attract professors, and also to provide more services, especially to minority and special needs students who attend state universities, according to U.S. News's article, "The Surprising Cost of Those College Tuition Hikes."
Interestingly, while tuition is increasing, the percentage of adjunct professors (part-time teachers) teaching in both public and private colleges is also increasing and is much higher today than it was in the 1970s. Some adjuncts teach part-time because they are professionals in particular fields, but others, sometimes new to the teaching field, sometimes experienced, provide courses a much lower cost than full-time professors and thus help the college save money. Many adjuncts do not have doctoral degrees (a master's degree with eighteen graduate semester hours in your field is sufficient for most college teaching).
Catering to Working Students
Proprietary colleges offer conveniences and cater to working students, while state universities have become increasingly crowded. Admissions criteria at "for-profits" varies greatly, but a high school diploma is still an essential in the job world. Not all "for-profit" colleges are reputable, and it's important to research any college you are considering carefully.
There are several state universities and "for profit" colleges today that also cater to working students. To learn more about these, see: "Study Options: College Deals for Working Students." Learn more about post-secondary study options at: "Choosing a Post-Secondary Studies Program."
Sources
Chen, Grace. "For-Profit Colleges Fill the Void." Community College Review. (2010/03/17; accessed 2011.)
Clark, Kim. "The Surprising Cost of Those College Tuition Hikes." U.S. News and World Report. (2009/01/15; accessed 2011.)
" Historically Black Colleges & Universities." HBCU. College View. (Accessed 2011.)
Kamenetz, Anya. "The Profit Chase" Slate Magazine. (2005/11/16; accessed 2011.)
Kirkham, Chris. "At Kaplan University, 'Guerrilla Registration' Leaves Students Deep In Debt." The Huffington Post. (2011/02/12; accessed 2011.)
Morison, Samuel Eliot; Commager, Henry Steele. Vol.1 of Growth of the American Republic, 6th ed. New York: Oxford University Press. (1969.)
University of Georgia. Factbook 2010: "General Information." (2010; accessed 2011.)
University of Pennsylvania. "About Our Founder." (Accessed 2011.)
Catherine E Whitehead - C. E. Whitehead holds degrees in education and linguistics. She likes languages, computers, and cooking.
Join the Conversation