The Global scenario of socio-economic development is changing while knowledge supplants physical capital as the source of present (and future) wealth. Technology is the driving force behind this process. Information technology, biotechnology and other innovations are leading to remarkable changes in the way we like to work.

As knowledge becomes increasingly important, so does higher education. Countries need to educate more of their young people to reach a global standard. The quality of

knowledge generated within higher educational institutions and its accountability to the wider economy is becoming increasingly critical for national competitiveness. This poses a serious challenge to the countries of the developing world like Bangladesh many of whom are undergoing a rapid transformation in all fronts, and are keenly striving to become a member of the global community of modern nations.

Objectives of the Paper:

A)Trace the evolution of different facets of institutional systems of higher education in Bangladesh.

B)Find out the governance, management and administrative problems of higher education.

C)Suggest areas of action that need immediate attention.

Methodology:

A)Use of secondary published sources

B)Interview of persons involved in planning and updating higher education.

The evolution of higher education system in Bengal:

The English developed a system of higher education in colonial India offered through the colleges which basically created only writers or -munshis’ as they were commonly known. Their skill revolved around record and accounts keeping and drafting of documents. Till the early nineteenth century the emphasis was on the learning of Persian language in most of the schools and colleges as the official language of governance was Persian. As more English speaking Company servants arrived from England, Persian, the official language began to loose importance. This was when the Calcutta Hindu College (1816) was established. This was the first Asian College established to impart western education on the -natives’. The establishment of Calcutta Hindu College not only ushered in the western system of education in Bengal but was also one of the first steps taken to impart modern education in this part of the sub-continent.However, the declared policy of the East India Company when it came to education was to create a class of loyal servants to work in offices of the English rulers. In 1835 the Chairman of the Education Committee of the East India Company Thomas Rabington Mackle while delivering on the objective of adopting English as a medium of instruction in some schools emphatically said -the objective was to create a class of people Indian in blood and color but English in taste, in opinions, in mind and in intellect.’ (Sharfuddin 1996, p.6)Towards the beginning of the nineteenth century the Jesuit priests also played a very important role in thetransformation of the education system in India.Schools established by Christian missions started to emerge in different parts of India. Initially they catered to the education needs of Christian converts, where teaching of the Bible was given a priority. One thing must be rememberedhere: that the dividend from these developments were rather enjoyed more by the Bengalis of the western part of Bengal than those from the east and the irony was that it was the Hindus who took advantage of the availability of Hindu College. Muslims unfortunately shied away from western or higher education and held on to the traditional religious schools and madrasas (discussed later).

The history of modern higher education in Bangladesh may be traced back to the establishment of Dhaka University in 1921. The establishment of Dhaka University was considered an imperial concession made to appease the adversefeelings of the Muslim middle class of East Bengal following the annulment of the partition of Bengal in 1911, which resulted from the movement of protestled by the more privileged Hindu Community. Quite a few post secondary schools andcolleges existed before the establishment of Dhaka University. However, entry and education in these schools and colleges were often limited tomiddle class or the upper middle class children while children from lower income orlower middle class backgroundsoften could not enter the educational institutions impartingeven basic primary education. Parents and guardianseither could not afford to send their children to school or thought it more wiseto engage their children in helping them in their profession, mostly as agriculturallaborers.Practically all schools were established by the wealthy -zemindars’ (the land owners) and were foundedon religious practices. Lessons on the matters relating to religious belief, mostly Hinduism and Islam were given priority.There were schools of other faiths as well, though their number would be much less. The teaching method encouraged memorizing and there were no room for creative learning or thinking.

The Sepoy Mutiny (the first Indian War of Independence) is seen as a turning point in Indian social history. After the mutiny was suppressed the governance of India passed from the Company to the Crown. The new English government in India thought wisely that to avoid incidences like the mutiny of the sepoys there has to be more meaningful integration of the whiteruling classwith the people of India. They believed the separation of the general people from the rulers should be narrowed and institutional facilities should be provided to the people in different spheres of their life, education being an important one. In 1857 the University of Calcutta along with those in Bombay and Madras were established with London University as the model. In those days London University only conducted examinations. Before the establishment of Calcutta University there were a few intermediate colleges in East Bengal. Later most of such colleges were upgraded as degree colleges and affiliated withCalcutta University, viz; Chittagong College in 1869, BM College in Barisal in 1884, Sylhet MC College in 1892. When the partition of India took place in 1947 practically all major districts of Bengal had a higher secondary school and college and side by side with otherreligious schools.

Independent Bangladesh

When Bangladesh emerged as an independent nation in 1971, the country had four general universities (Dhaka, Rajshahi, Jahangir Nagar and Chittagong) and two specialized universities ( Bangladesh University of Science and Technology-BUET, and Bangladesh Agricultural University-BAU).

Today Bangladesh has 25 public universities where 12,41,352 regular students study at different levels from undergraduate to post-graduate. This includes those studying in 1175 affiliated colleges ( 8,55,744) under the National University. (UGC. 2006. p 130). There are also 51 professional Colleges (Medical, Dental, Law, Polytechnic etc) where 82,000 students study. (GOB, Statistical Pocket Book. 2006)

To enter a university or a degree college one has to complete 12 years of high school studies. Entry into all public universities is highly competitive and the ratio of intake to admission seekers is 1:65. Very often the students do not get the subject of their choice. The curricula of the public universities spread over basic science, humanities, engineering, agriculture and social sciences. The medium of instruction is usually bilingual-Bangla and English. Education in the public universities of Bangladesh is heavily subsidized. The entire development budget and approximately 90 percent of the recurring budget of public universities comes from the government exchequer. On an average, recurringexpenses in public universities are Taka 37,000 per student per year and the total collection from fees and charges per student per year is less than Taka 1000 ( UGC, 2006, p.131). However budged allocation for public universities is grossly inadequate. All public universities operate from their own campuses, built on land allocated by the government, utilities are highly subsidized and salaries of teaching and non teaching staff are relatively low. No taxes are levied on them and the salaries paid to all types of employees are tax free.

Plan of study at public universities and colleges:

The general public universities and colleges receive students from four streams of high schoolsources. They are a) Humanities b) Science c) Commerce d) Madrasa system. A student passing from humanities and commerce can take undergraduate course in the subjects relating to humanities and commerce. A science graduate can enter undergraduate studies in any subject. In colleges affiliated to National University the students at the entry level normally faces less competition than they would experience in the public universities. Again the intensity of competition between the public and private collegesdiffers. However, the quality of education in almost all of the affiliated colleges are far low from the desired level, the primary problem being the absence of qualified teachers and infrastructural support. The financial benefits currently offered to teachers, whether in colleges or public universities are far from satisfactory.

Most of the specialized universities or colleges only cater to the needs of science students excepting few like Home Economics, Fine Arts, Fashion Design and Leather Technology and Textile Engineering.

The emergence of private universities:

A recent addition to the higher education system in Bangladesh is the emergence of the private universities. Although private universities existed in other countries for long, the first private university in Bangladesh did not make its appearance till 1992. A law titled -Private University Act of Bangladesh’ was passed in the National Parliament in 1992 and the first private university of the country, the North South University, started functioning in the same year. Today the country has 56 such private universities where approximately 1,24,267 students pursue their studies in subjects ranging from business to fashion design and media studies.

The promoters of private universities in Bangladesh can be classified into six broad categories:

a)Retired bureaucrats

b)Successful businessmen

c)Senior academicians

d)Active/retired politicians

e)NGOs

f)Combination of some of the above.

There are private universities of another category operating in Bangladesh: they are the Bangladesh campuses of some low profile overseas private universities and colleges.

The creation of private universities can be thought of as the outcome of the trend of growing number of students leaving the country in the eighties. The primary reasons were the inability of the public universities in providing enough seats to admission seekers and the frequent political unrest and campus problems resulting in unscheduled closure of universities which prolonged academic sessions. Not only did university level students leave the country for higher education, there were also thousands of school going children who were admitted to schools in neighboring India, Singapore and Thailand.

Education in private universities is expensive as these universities do not receive any financial support from the government but are heavily taxed. They have to bear the entire recurring and development expenditure from the fees received from the students. The courses offered in practically all private universities are job focused as learners would like to have some sort of assurance that they will be able to recover their high educational expenses once they graduates from a private university.

Objectives and clientele of private universities:

As mentioned earlier though in public universities the subjects studied were quite varied and diverse, most of the enrollment in private universities are still in the area of business studies. A business graduate is expected to be offered a job before most other graduates. This is not unusual. Even in the US the most popular undergraduate major is still business (90 percent), education (8 percent) and health care (7 per cent). These are all job focused education and university education in the US is expensive. (Lind 2006, p.4).

In the neighboring India there are 1600 universities, institutes and colleges whose main area of education and research is business. Most of these institutions are in the private sector and fees in these institutions is considerably high. The degree offered by business schools in the private universities of Bangladesh happens to be bread-winner for most private universities. As previously mentioned education in private universities is expensive and costs are not subsidized by government. The universities have to bear the entire recurring and development expenditure out of the fees realized from the students. In many countries, especially in the US, private Universities receive substantial amount of endowment funding from private benefactors, corporate house and alumni. The 20 richest universities in the US (Harvard, Berkley, MIT etc) both private and public, have endowment that collectively amount to almost $ 200 billion (Clausen 2006, p.1). Such practices are practically non-existent in Bangladesh. Sources of funding other than students fees have yet to be explored in most private universities.

Besides business the other courses offered by the private universities usually includes computer science, telecommunication, engineering, law, pharmacy, architecture, English and development studies. One university offers degrees in medicine while two others in creative arts, fashion and media studies. One university besides offering the usual courses also offers courses in Islamic theology.

Recruitment, development and retention of faculty members:

The recruitment of faculty members in institutions of higher learning in Bangladesh comes in many forms and shapes. The private colleges usually recruits their teaching staff either through advertisements or other informal means. Recruitment in public colleges is done through the Public Service Commission and is competitive. The public universities have their recruitment policies laid down by the statutes and are also very competitive, especially at the entry level. Though academic performance usually is given preference over other issues deviations are not rare. This happens usually to accommodate -political’ candidates. In private universities there is no uniform recruitment policy. Almost without exception all senior level positions are filled in by teachers from public universities. For some universities their experience has been invaluable for these private universities. Some have tried recruitment of senior teachers from non resident Bangladeshis or even foreigners. Normally the senior level positions in many of the private universities carry high financial benefit. This has caused quite a high turnover in some public universities especially in subjects like business, economics, English, pharmacy, mathematics, architecture, law and computer sciences. At the entry level there is no standard procedure for recruitment in public universities. Some practices recruitment through public advertisements and formal interviews and presentation, other recruits just through negotiation. Though the teachers who gets recruited through Public Service Commission gets some sort of training after they have completed two to three years of teaching, there is no laid down policy for training and development of teachers either in the public or private universities. Whatever development happens to a teacher at the university level, especially in public universities, this happens through availability oflocal and international scholarships (UGC, Commonwealth, Ausaid. Ford Foundation, ICSSR etc.) for pursuing higher degrees. For the teachers in the private colleges training and development is practically non existent.

The problem of availability of proper qualified and experienced faculty members is becoming extremely acute, both in the public and private universities. This is simply the issue of demand and supply. Bright graduates are not inspired to enter the teaching

profession especially in the public universities, primarily because the financial benefit are too meager. In case of private universities the problem is different. Most of the founders of private universities do not have first hand practical experience about the running of an educational institution like a university.They are unable to comprehend the real life scenario of this sector. Some try to run their universities as government offices, others as their another business concern or another NGO outfit. Some have tried to enforce 9-5 office hours. The attrition rate of faculty members in private universities is high. This is in part because in many private universities the overall work environment is not attractive due to unwise and impractical management decision and practices.

Management issues:

(a)Public Universities: Public universities are managed and governedby Acts

and Ordinances made by the government. Four Universities (DU, RU, JU and CU) are run under the separate UniversityActs of 1973. The spirit of these Acts reflects the intention to protect the autonomy of the country’s highest seats of learning. Through the formation of a democratically elected university senate, syndicate and other statutory bodies, the university administration was expected to be made accountable to the university community itself, rather than subservient to the government or the party in power. The University Grants Commission (UGC) was also created in 1973 as a buffer between the government and the universities. The 1973 University Acts replaced the old University Acts which were seen as giving the university administration unbridled powers to press academic freedom. However these Acts were not fully implementeduntil the early 1990s as the successive military and quasi military governments after the coup in 1975 were uncomfortable with autonomy and academic freedom of the universities granted by the Acts. Though some provisions of these Acts needs review, all governments at different times continuously kept on flouting these laws and tried to interfere in the running of the universities to suit their political needs
Each of other universities have their own Acts/Ordinances/and Statutes. Most

of these Acts are made such that the government has tight control over the

running of these universities.

(b)Private universities: Private universities are managed under the Private University Act 1992. These universities are not completely outside government control. The top administrative and academic positions, including that of the vice-chancellor, are formally appointed on the recommendation of the governing body of the respective university, by the President of the country, who isstatutorily the Chancellor of all universities. The government is in the process of reviewing this act to have more control over the private universities. It is believed that such a process is on the way as quite a few private universities were identified running their academic and administrative functions without ensuring minimum acceptable standard.

(c)Colleges: All degree colleges are affiliated under the National University which oversees the academic matters while the administrative issues are dealt separately by the Ministry of Education or in the case of private colleges by the respectivegoverning bodies of such colleges.

Erosion of standard and norms:

The erosion of ethical standards and norms in higher education, governance and management that began in the 1970s after the military took over the state power became more widespread and institutionalized in later years. As soon as a new government assumed power, it became common practice in the public universities to replace the duly elected and appointed Vice-chancellors with persons regarded as loyal to the party in power. The transfer of college principals and teachers on political consideration is quite widespread.

In some private universities infighting and feuding amongst the founders for control of the university is common. There were instances where some went to court to settle such issues as to who will become the Vice chancellor and others have tried using students to serve their purpose.

Madrasa education:

One of the oldest form of institutional education in the Muslim world has been the madrasa system of education. Currently madrasas have entered the higher education system of Bangladesh. Madrasas were originally places of worship or Khanqas that later developed into -maktabs’ which taught Quran recitation and Islamic rituals. Madrasas were formed as sites of Islamic theological education.( Tiffany p.1)

Islam’s Prophet (SM) gave topmost priority on seeking knowledge and for hundreds of years since the days of the Prophet, seeking knowledge was an integral part of Islamic tradition.

In the period when the Arab Muslims did not have the skill to either write or read, would memorize the verses from the Holy Quran. During the life of the Prophet the interpretation was left to the Prophet. After his death, Muslim scholars, most of whom were the disciples of the Prophet and self taught, sought answers in the sayings and daily life of the Prophet. The mosques continued to be the centre of learning even after the Prophet’s death. As Islamcontinued to spread after the death of the Prophet and other parts of Arabia and North and West Africa came under the fold of Islamic belief, the belief itself came into contact with other traditions and languages. It became necessary to create cadre of Muslim experts who would develop sophisticated writings and textbooks on Islamic teachings for the non-Arab Muslim populations. This was the beginning of madrasa system of education, the centre of learning the initial purpose of which was to preserve religious conformity through uniform teaching of Islam for all. The early madrasas taught jurisprudence, medicine, astronomy, architecture, philosophy, science and public administration.

During the seven hundred year rule of the Ottoman Turks (13th to 20th century) madrasa system of education spread all over the Muslim World and in areas where believers in the religion resided. When Europe was plunged into the Dark Ages of the Medieval Period, these madrasas in many places were the only places where knowledge was created, practiced and learned.

In the eleventhand twelfth century, madrasa system of education went through radical transformation and two types of education evolved. The first one was scholastic theology to produce spiritual leaders, and secondly earthly knowledge to produce government servants who would be appointed in various countries and regions of the Muslim World. Numerous madrasas were established in addition to providing Islamic knowledge imparted secular education in the field of science, philosophy and public administration and governance. The early madrasas produced renowned scholars and philosophers who contributed to earthly secular knowledge too. Unfortunately when Europe was reawakening (Renaissance) in the 14th and 15th century the Muslim empires started to crumble and the Muslims themselves got involved in political rivalries and intrigues. The Muslim scholars began to shun the pursuit of knowledge and go back to the basics. Rational science was abandoned.

The post Industrial Revolution in England witnessed the expansion of the British empire and the English Crown taking control of many of the territories in the Middle East and the Indian sub-continent up to the islands of Malaya and Indonesia. With the colonization came a new modern system of education. Unfortunately it was the social elites who had access to such modern education and the poor section of the people were left to the madrasa system which was suffering from total stagnancy. An education system which produced scholars, scientists and philosophers began to regularly churn out half-educated Mullahs whose learning and teaching revolved only around the Holy Quoran devoid of any analysis and scientific interpretation.

The first educational institution established by the East India Company in India was Calcutta Madrasa in 1781. This was done by Governor General Warren Hastings on the request of the Muslim elites. From then onward education, secondary or higher, went on two different direction-one religious, where medium of instruction was Arabic, Persian and Urdu and the other one western, liberal, taught in English and Bangla. While the latter emerged as the education of the middle class and upper class the madrasa system catered to the poorer section of the society. In most cases food and lodging for a madrasa student was free. Though the British tried to introduce some modernism in the madrasa education and introduce English and Bangla into the system the Muslim elites never responded to such an attempt with the belief that English was the language of the infidels (mushrik) and Bangla belonged to the Hindus.

After the failure of the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857, Muslims in India were divided in their opinion on how to improve the general condition of the wretched Muslim community. One groups argued that the Muslim of the sub-continent should stick to the basics and shun everything that they considered western including the study of modern science, logic, philosophy and language ( English). To further their cause they established the -Darul Ulum Deoband- in Uttar Pradesh, India in 1863. The other group led by enlightened people like Sir Syed Ahmed who advocated that to match the march towards the overall progress of the west Muslims must rediscover themselves and get back to the practice of modern science and knowledge and learn English. To further their cause they established Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in 1875 later to become Aligarh Muslim University. This ushered an era of clear bifurcation of -Muslim Brand- of education in the Indian Sub-continent which continues to a great extent even to the present day.

The Calcutta Madrasa was renamed as Aleya Madrasa and concentrated on teaching of Muslim Law and jurisprudence instead of an all round progressive education for the Muslims. All efforts to modernize the madrasa education by the British failed and in 1910 the British divided the madrasa education system into two branches, the Old Scheme madrasa Education and the New Scheme madrasa education. This represented separation of secular education for the upper middle class elite and basic unresearched religious education for the poor. (Tiffany p.2)). The government took over the administration of the New Scheme System and the Old Scheme System was primarily left to the Mullahs. The New Scheme System later on came to be popularly known as Aleya Madrasa and the second variety that that remained outside the purview and control of the government took the name of quomi madrasa. A Madrasa Education Board was established in 1949 to regulate the course of studies and conduct examinations. These madrasas received government funding while the quomi madrasas were neither controlled by the government nor received any government funding. They received funding from private donation from home and abroad and all attempts to bring them under government control failed.

When Bangladesh became independent in 1971 Bangladesh had around 1000 aleya madrasas. These madrasas teach science, history, agriculture, biology, English, Bangla besides religious education. The majority of the graduates of the aleya madrasa system pursues higher education in universities or join the job market while the graduates of the quomimadrasas ends up being -Imams’ or -Muazzens’ in mosques or teaches in quomi madrasa. With their level of knowledge and quality of education and skills they are unable to make any meaningful contribution to the normal economic life of the country.

At present Bangladesh has about 9200+ aleya madrasa where 34,53,00 (all levels) students study whereas no credible statistics are available relating to the quomi variety of madrasa education. (GOB -2006. p. 364) Though the leaders of quomi madrasas claim there are around 5 million students studying in 15000 quomi madrasas of the country controlled by at least 13 bodies or persons. (Daily Star, 2005)Learning in these madrasas are by rote. There is no scope for critical thinking or analysis. They have no access to any form of IT and most of the quomi students are not allowed to read newspapers or watch TV. Mathematics is totally unknown to them and teaching and learning in mostly done in Urdu and Arabic.

Today twenty percent of students in educational institutions are in madrasas (both variety) and the government expenditure in madrasa education in higher than the mainstream public education. Since the 1980s the number of madrasa has been increasing faster than the mainstream educational institutions. Between 1999-2005 while the number of secondary and higher secondary educational institutions increased by 16 percent the registered madrasa increased by 27.9 percent (GOB 2006. p. 364). To further complicate the existing education scenario in Bangladesh, the immediate past Four Party Alliance government of the country declared that the Fazil and Kamil degrees given by the madrasas would be considered as equivalent to degrees of Bachelor and Mastersof general universities and the quomi madrasa degrees would also be recognized by the government. This would simply mean such graduates would be eligible for all types of public and private sector jobs having no basic skills needed for such jobs.

The Road Ahead:

Three and half decades earlier when Bangladesh emerged as an independent nation it was still a country dependent on agriculture. Agriculture produced about 60 percentof the countries GDP and bulk of its labor force relied on agriculture for their livelihood. During the eighties and nineties, Bangladesh, has seen an incredible transformation of its economy and society. It has done well in the management of natural disaster, sanitation, population control, women empowerment and literacy enhancement. However it could not assure development and sustenance of a good higher education system for its people. In 1971 the new born country inherited a system of higher education which primarily functioned in dual mode. The general and technical and vocational education was imparted through colleges, institutes and universities and were controlled by the government. The government through its agencies and ministries monitored the development, management and progress of this education. Both English and Bangla were used as mediums of instruction in these institutions of higher learning. Texts and reading materialshad both local and foreign origin and research in most cases were minimal. The system suddenly received a jolt immediately after the independence of the country when the government without any prior preparation announced that imparting of higher education would be in Bangla. By the time this decision was reversed in the mid eighties a generation of graduates went through a process of such a system as no quality books and references were available in Bangla that could be used for higher education and as such an acceptable quality in higher education could not be maintained. During this period the country also experienced a development where many children of the affluent or upper middle class left the country for education -be it in the primary or tertiary level. Some went to good schools some to below average ones. Capitalizing on this phenomenon some private entrepreneurs started a new venture of offering education both in the higher and lower level. In the meantime, the country also gradually shifted its focus for economic development from agriculture to manufacturing and service sector. Because of this shift and gradual trickle of local and foreign investment in the private sector, the demand for graduates with basic skill and knowledge in English and IT started to grow. The centers of learning both in the higher and the lower section realized this, sawopportunity and tried to promote their institutions (both schools and universities) where facilities for learning English and acquiring skill in IT were available. However the ground reality was far from satisfactory though some did try to keep up to the promise. In recent years the country saw the mushrooming of English medium schools and universities, many lacking the minimum facilities for imparting good quality education. Parents, whose real options are limited are often compelled to send their children to such schools, paying exorbitant fees.

The public sector higher education system has its own embedded problems. It lacks proper funding, pragmatic management and required infrastructure and academic environment. Because of adequate financial and other incentives it has also failed to attract qualified teachers and instructors. The lack of funding has stunted the availability of proper research facilities. In the job market the graduates from the public sector and the private sector often face embarrassing situations as their competitiveness differ in many areas. Again the private sector education is mostly job oriented where creation of knowledge is practically non- existent.

Besides public and private sector higher education system, Bangladesh along with India and Pakistan also has a very strong madrasa system of education that produces thousands of graduates. The madrasa system of education in this part of the world dates back to eighteenth century. As the Hindus and the Buddhist had their own education based on religion it was logical for the Muslims during this period to have their own system of education too. In later years the Hindus and the Buddhists realized the importance of integrating their systems with the Western system while the Muslim failed to do so. A section of the Muslims though tried to reform the education system of the Muslims and bring about a sense ofmodernity their success was limited as the larger section of the Muslim community concluded that anything that is Western in un-Islamic.

Scrutinizing the prevalent higher education system of Bangladesh it can be safely concluded that the system is faltering and is in a moribund state. The purpose of any higher education system should be to fertilize a nation’s intellect and provide the milieu out of which emerge the engineer, the lawyer, the IT professionals and researchers. If Bangladesh is to be a partner of the growing economic power houses of the region the proper creation and dissemination of knowledge must be given the topmost priority. Under the present system of education this is not possible.

The University Grants Commission, the overseeing authority of the universities both public and private, in its latest annual report published in January, 2007, opined the quality of education in universities could not be improved unless the quality of teachers and education at primary and secondary levels are improved. Nothing could be more true. Education in the primary and secondary level also exist in multifaceted form. There are government and privately owned schools, both Bangla and English medium together with the madrasas. There are colleges and universities both in the private and public sector. The public sector universities are of recent origin while colleges in the private sector have existed for the last hundred years.High school graduates can also go to technical and vocational institutions of higher learning like medical colleges, engineering universities and technical colleges.

Andre Beteille, an eminent sociologist said -universities are not only centres of learning, however badly or well they play their part in transmission and creation of knowledge, they are also social institutions that provide the setting for a very distinctive kind of interaction among men and women and between generations-. (Beteille, 2005, p.1). This is where Bangladesh’s principle provider of higher education – the universities, have failed though the government pursued a policy of expansion, planning to open new universities converting some of the former technical into technical universities. However, maintaining the quality of the academic programs in the universities as well as colleges remained a continuing challenge.

The private universities have emerged in response to the failing of the public system but they were not intended to be an alternative to public universities. They can play only a complementary role and fill a gap in the country’s tertiary education system. The basic task of creation and dissemination of knowledge in the field of liberal arts, humanities, basic sciences, social sciences medicine etc. will remain primarily the domain of the public universities.

Bangladesh’s higher education can be classified into the following system:

a)College system -both public and private. One could graduate from colleges with a Masters degree though most colleges still lack proper funding, academic and administrative facilities.

b)The university system – both public and private. With the establishment of Dhaka University in 1921 an new chapter was opened in the history of higher education in Bangladesh. Today there are twenty fiveof them in Bangladesh. The number of students in these universities stood at 12,41,352 in December 2006. The Private universities are of recent origin and there are 56 of them. They offer mostly job oriented courses where 1,24,267 students are enrolled. The public university system in this part of the sub-continent originated in 1921.Inglobal ranking, none of theuniversities of Bangladesh could find a place for itself. The Spain based Webometrics Ranking of world universities in their report published in January 2008 put Bangladesh University of Science and Technology in the 3969th position out of 4000 universities ranked.

c)The madrasa system of education is growing at a rapid speed and offering courses most of which is of no use for modern day economic and development activities.

Action Priorities:

Students in Bangladesh may complete with students from the more developed countries and do well. The university faculties in Bangladesh are often able to demonstrate their ability to conduct world class research. But these are individual efforts rather than the outcome of a system that is properly planned, adequately resourced and functioning effectively.

The systemic and far-reaching changes in governance, administration and academic affairs needed in university education in Bangladesh call for attention on a priority basis to some key areas indicated in this paper. These include clearer articulation of policy, improved governance and management, and adequate provision for and better use of financial resources.

i. Articulations of higher education policy

The goals, priorities and strategies in higher education and strategies for achieving the defined outcomes in the context of the 21st. century global market, the knowledge economy and national aspirations and values must be articulated and delineated clearly. This is not a one-shot affair and requires a mechanism involving major stakeholders to continue focus on policies, priorities and their implementation.

The structure and content of higher educationcurricula and teaching-learning practices the balance between specialized and general liberal arts education, the complementarities of public and private providers of higher education, and the links between primary, secondary and tertiary stages of education should be important elements of policy consideration.

Madrasa education in Bangladesh is a historical reality. Though it has failed to serve the national development purpose in any meaningful it would not bepossibleto write it offin near future. The government has to just continue to motivate, the teachers and administrators highlighting the benefits of restructuring the system and updating its age old curricula. Sporadic attempts were made at times to modernize the madrasa education system in the country but these have consistently failed. The main opposition were from madrasa leaders and they even threatened -Jihad’ if the government tried to bring about any reforms in their system, especially to the quomi variety. No reform will be possible through force. Attempts should be made to make people involved in madrasa education understand the positive side of introducing skill development courses in the system. In neighboring India the number of madrasas is estimated to be between thirty to forty thousand. Except in some parts of Kerala and West Bengal these madrasas cater strictly to Muslim children. In West Bengal the madrasa education has gone through a transformation, though small but very significant. Madrasas in West Bengal and Kerala have introduced modern education, including English, basic science, IT and in some even Sanskrit. In 2007 five thousand six hundred and sixty six non Muslim students studied in the madrasas of West Bengal which increased to six thousand six hundred and ninety two in 2008. This primarily happened as the graduates of madrasas in West Bengal found it possible to enter main stream job market with education form the madrasas. The madrasa (especially those of quomi variety) should be exposed to such developments happening in our neighboring country.

A total integration of the multi-faceted institutional system of higher education is neither possible nor practical under the present circumstances. Bangladesh is not the only country having such a system. The issue is whether such a system is capable of producing people who would be able to leadthe countryinto a modern knowledge based 21st. century. This is where all efforts will have to be concentrated.

ii. Governance management and financing of higher education

Policy-making for higher education must be completely depoliticized. The focus must be on the overreaching goals of maintaining quality norms and protecting academic freedom in higher education.

Till recent times UGC was an organization that was unable to perform its task as a proper overseeing body because of its over politicization. It has to be turned into an effective and genuinely autonomous body that would be able to initiate policy discourse.

Norms of quality and performance criteria of institutions, specialized fields of study and research, teacher and student performance and mechanisms for enforcement of standards and criteria must be established. It has also to be recognized that quality assurance in higher education is possible only through greater self-regulation, peer review and internal accountability, and transparency in decision-making.

Less than two percent of the education budget is allocated for higher education in Bangladesh. This has to be increased significantly. Expenditures in higher education must be conceived as investment for human capital development rather than expenditure. Such increase in allocation can only assure a continuous supply of proper human resource to make Bangladesh a competitive nation.

Bangladeshis positioned between two emerging titans of the 21st century – China and India. Her geopolitical positions confronts Bangladesh with great challenges and opportunities , if she proves capable of acceptingthe challenges and seize opportunities. Development of a system of higher education that meets the quality standards of the 21st century is the desired road to fulfillment of the potential of our young people and prosperity for the nation.

References
Beteille, A. (2005). -Universities as Public Institutions, – Economic and Political Weekly, July 30, 2005.
UNESCO (2001). Higher Education in Developing Countries-Peril and Promise. Paris: UNESCO
UGC (2006) Annual Report of the UGC 2006. Dhaka: Bangladesh University Grants Commission.
GOB. Statistical Pocket Book. 2006. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Planning Division, Ministry of Planning.
Sharfuddin, A.M (1996). Amadder Shikkha Kon Pathey. Dhaka: University Press Limited.
Lind, M. (2006).-Why the Liberal Arts Still Matter.- The Wilson Quarterly, Vol. 30 No. 4, Autumn 2006. Washington D.C
Clausen, C.(2006).-The New Ivory Tower,.- The Wilson Quarterly, Vol. 30 No. 4, Autumn 2006. Washington D.C
Tiffany, E. (2007). -Madrasas in Bangladesh,- IPCS Special Report, No. 47, August 2007. New Delhi.
Daily Star (2005). Madrasas mushroom with state favour, English Daily, August 04, 2005, Dhaka.

During the last few years, universities have increased manifold to impart higher education through various colleges all over the country. Liberal grants have been sanctioned by University Grants Commission. Many colleges have emerged in the private sector also to provide higher education. In different big cities and towns, massive infrastructure of buildings has come – up which is supposed to be the centre of higher learning. However, theses centres have started converting into hot beds of political intrigues. They were expected to radiate learning, discipline, sense of responsibility towards the nation, but they seem to be breathing violence, indiscipline, strikes, political groupism and even vandalism. The House of worship and learning has turned into the House of Satan. The youth is turning unpatriotic. The students take admission in these universities for the sake of just qualification instead of developing self-reliance, confidence and a sense of duty with planned career.

Now -a-days, we find that there is over-crowding in the classes of higher education also. The ratio of teachers as compared to pupils is very low and the teachers don’t have any personal feelings with the students. And thus higher education is examination ridden. Easy and shortcut methods are being adopted to achieve success. The students are getting fascinated to all things except books. The dependence on the Examinations only is the main cause of deterioration in our education system. No real or practical knowledge is gained by the students. There is a big gap between the practical life and education in colleges. Going to colleges seems to be a place of enjoyment in paradise for the students. However, their rosy dreams are shattered when they come out of colleges and enter the actual life. They have to return disappointed when they search for a service from door to door. It is due to purely technical education given to them.

The system of imparting higher education should be such that after completing education in college, the youth should not be dependent solely on service, but must be able to start some independent small scale industry or business on his own. Vocationalisation of education is the need of the hour. More and more technical and vocational institutions need to be started where training modules in practical aspects of career must be compulsory. Every effort should be made to inspire the students with noble and innovative ideas. It should be compulsory for students to appear in psychological tests. This will enable the students to choose subjects and careers of their own choice. In this way, the students can plan their careers from the very beginning. Just after their schooling, they would be able to decide the career which they wish or are interested in pursuing.

For more success in higher education, it is required that instead of lengthy examinations at a stretch, the due importance should be given to intelligence tests, personal interview and class room works at regular intervals. The development of clean character towards prosperity of nation is another important aim of higher education. The aspects of these higher studies must develop lessons of national integration as well as international integration and unity more effectively.

A great stress needs to be given for establishing good libraries in our colleges and universities. Students should be encouraged to make free use of them under the able guidance of teachers free of cost. More discussions and arguments on varied topics can impart more knowledge and information than more lecturing and completing the course. Equally important are the laboratories with latest equipments and items. To test the learning of books, students need to have good laboratories. An experiment is an unending quest of learning and knowledge on a permanent basis. The institutions providing higher education should be made temples of the modern age.

Not so long ago businessmen, and women, were looked up to; the title of CEO came with an underlying respect from the employees of an organization, as well as outsiders. It really meant something to hold the highest position within a company. Flash back to today and the title Chief Executive Officer evokes quite a different picture. Type -CEO’ into any popular search engine and within 5.8 seconds you will be bombarded with over 300,000 results. Many of which also contain phrases like: crisis, bailout or lawsuit.

In an effort to remedy this situation, Universities have begun to integrate ethics education into their business curriculums, as well as into the regular curriculum for all students. In a study conducted by Angela Hernquist, doctoral candidate from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, 90% of responding institutions indicated that Ethics was part of their curriculum. Over a decade earlier the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy passed the requirement that all licensed Certified Public Accountants complete a four hour, board approved, ethics course (VanZante). This requirement was later supplemented by two hours or ethics courses every three years. Following the Enron, and subsequent Anderson LLP collapses, TSBPA required an additional four hours of ethics every two years beginning January of 2005 (VanZante).

It is certainly nice to hear that things are being done to ensure that graduates leaving their field of study will be better prepared for the workplace, but are we really meant to believe that a five credit course, or a mere four hours can change who a person really is? From personal experience I can confidently say no, the ethics education that I have received in college has done nothing to influence what kind of person I am. A brief rundown of the course syllabus may hold the key as to why I do not feel that I got my money’s worth of ethics. While utilitarianism and other various philosophies may be at the foundation of a great education, what do they really have to do with ethics today? Will I make a better CEO because I understand Ayn Rand?

Time in the classrooms of our Universities would be better spent teaching mathematics, writing, or even psychology. Perhaps if we understood why people behaved unethically we could do something to stop it. One thing is clear; the ethics we are being taught today are failing us. Failing us as students, and as citizens of the world. If we are really to believe that we do not learn ethics until college that what hope is there when nearly 25% of Americans never make it that far (Henry). Are we a nation of heathens running around like a ticking time bomb? I propose that we begin learning ethics much earlier than college, even earlier than grade school. Ethics begin in the home, the community, and the individual.

People are beginning to recognize the need for early ethics education in children, and have started to do something about it. Patti Martin, B.S., M.A., Director of Ethical Education, has opened an ethics course for children ages 2-12. Her program is called Sunday Ethical Education for Kids, or SEEKS. SEEK aims to do what some parents apparently cannot, to instill ethics into the children of the community in one hour segments. SEEK meets once a week, on Sundays naturally, at the University of Missouri Extension Center, in Mid Rivers Missouri. There are no expectations, just the hope that parents will bring their children by to get some much needed guidance on becoming a better person.

Maybe more programs are needed in colleges, or maybe the child ethics courses offered at the University of Missouri are the answer. Whatever that answer may be, one thing is for sure, we haven’t found it yet, and if we do not find it soon we are setting ourselves up for more disaster. I don’t know how the rest of the country feels, but I am not looking forward to a lifetime of paying the high salaries of today’s CEOs in what feels like a never ending stream of corporate bailouts.

Henry, Tamara. “Report: Greater Percent of Americans Educated”. USA Today 6/05/2002

Hernquist, Angela. “A Survey of Ethics Courses in State College and University Curricula”. University of Nevada Las Vegas. February 2005

“Raising Ethical Children”. Mid Rivers Ethical Society. 11/28/2008 .

VanZante, Neal. “Improving Professional Ethics”. The CPA Journal May 2005

Educational Tourism in India

The fact that education can not be confined within certain classrooms and other boundaries makes countless people travel overseas to quench their thirst for knowledge. For instance, thousands of students from different corner of the world catch cheap flights to India for enrolling at the different world renowned Indian colleges and universities. Indian universities offer a plethora of knowledge packed short term courses. Besides being time efficient, the cost of these courses often turn out to be a fraction of what is charged in many other parts of the world. No wonder, scores of knowledge seekers buy tickets for cheap flights to India year after year.

Institutes of Learning

The country is full of numerous institutes that are a hot draw with foreigners catching flights to India for educational purposes. For instance, the Delhi University offers a number of such courses. These courses are usually about 4 months long and span subjects as diverse as Indian Philosophy and Culture, Indian Music, Post Independence Indian Economy, and Introduction to Sanskrit Language. Apart from the manifold savings that students get to make on course fee and precious times, the experience of being in India allows one to get a first hand experience of India’s cultural scene. Similarly, short term courses are also offered by the University of Madras on subjects like Travel, Medicine, Women and Environment in India, and Folk Music of India.

English Language and Benefits

A major reason that prompts a large number of foreigners to catch flights to India for fulfilling their educational requirements is the usage of a highly standardised degree of English in many of the educational institutions. It goes without saying that the quality of the courses are also of an exceptionally high level. Indian universities also participate in a world of student exchange programmes and study tours, which gives a sharp impetus to the number of overseas students booking flights to India.

Comprehensive Educational Tourism Packages

A number of Indian universities offer convenient educational tourism packages. These packages are specially designed in a manner, which makes the courses easily comprehensible to the visiting students. Sometimes, the packages also include a number of additional features besides the subject matters. These could include exposure to India’s history and culture, flora and fauna, and wildlife and ecology.

A Quick Glance at the Utility of Education Tourism in India

Some of the universities assist students in making arrangements for priority visas and flight bookings

Foreign students get standardised meals and lodging facilities

Competitive rates are charged for comprehensive educational packages

Girl students are given special security cover in many of the colleges and universities

Students get instructed in internationally approved information packed courses in some of the top most Indian universities and colleges.

Scholarships are now available for ACE recommended classes that are accepted at many participating online colleges. Online colleges are interested in finding students who have already been exposed to learning through this medium, and offering scholarships for free classes is one way to do that. Colleges and educational companies are partnering together to offer scholarships for accredited classes to interested students. Students can choose one of several distance learning colleges or universities.

If a student decides to apply for the free scholarship, they must meet certain qualifications. Students who are not U.S. citizens or over the age of 18 aren’t eligible for this particular scholarship. They must have a high school diploma or a GED, and must not have already achieved a bachelor’s degree, or be currently enrolled in college. They must also agree to take an entrance exam to ensure they can meet the rigorous requirements of college level learning.

The scholarship is for one college level class. The curriculum is not intended to be easy or an automatic A. Each class is designed by college professors and faculty to meet certain requirements that participating universities stipulate. If a student is not willing to put in at least six to eight hours of study time per week, they may not successfully complete the class.

Each class that is covered by the scholarship is about five weeks long. As a general rule, the classes that are offered are either an intro to psychology class or an English composition class. These two classes are the most frequently offered because most colleges and universities require them in order to graduate.

If a student for some reason cannot complete the class, they needn’t worry. It won’t affect their GPA for classes taken at a later date. Only credits that are transferred will affect a student’s GPA.

The fact of the matter is that online learning isn’t for everyone. It takes a certain amount of self-motivation to work in an online college environment. There are no teachers to remind you about assignments or study time. Online students must be able to complete tasks on their own, and to work out a schedule for study and stick to it.

Many schools, colleges, universities, etc have been started so that no one is deprived of education. Formal education has become a must. But is the formal education still works the same way as it was started during the British rule. Is the education still on the same level as it was started by Mahatma Phule. Although the quality of education has increased, the system has started getting bad. Indian religion has always considered education as sacred, but does the sacredness still exist? All in India citizen has the right to education but is that norm of Indian democracy actually practised? Does India treats all students equal and gives them equal education? Is the Indian education system corrupted? Let’s find the answer to these questions.

1

The TOI report

MBBS seats sold for between Rs 12 lakh and Rs 40 lakh by two private colleges in Chennai barely exposes the tip of the iceberg. The scam gets bigger, more brazen as medical graduates embark on specializations that are necessary for a successful career. The price this year for a post-graduate seat in radiology in most leading private colleges across the country is Rs 2 crore while in cardiology, gynaecology and orthopaedics are priced around Rs 1.5 crore

This is an example of clear corruption in Indian Education System.

Middle caste students and poor students who have brains can never get into these colleges although they have the ability to perform. Marks, grades, percentages hardly matters to these institutions. Is this the sacredness these medical colleges are showing?

Other educational institutions like schools and colleges also have started taking bribes on the name of donation which costs up to 10 to 15 lakhs. Where do the middle class people go for educating their child? The Indian democracy says Every Citizen Have a Right to Education. But this is not practised. The education system is not directly depriving the child from taking education but indirectly it is saying that marks and intelligence have no value in front of money today.

2

There is no need of Entrance Test in India. But this is another way of getting money. This system has also started in India to a very large extent. Making money is very famous through entrance exams. Just pay Lakhs and crores of rupees for the entrance exam in different fields like science, MBA, and many other major degrees is a must. All corrupt educational institutes have started making money through this source also. Some private educational companies in India has started a business of entrance exams. Not only these companies but also the educational institutes earns crores of hard money. Educational institutes enjoy the money which they have earned on the name of entrance exams.

This corrupted way of earning money leads some of the students who cannot pays the money no where. Talented middle class or poor people try to take loans which again creates a problem for them. Some who do not find a way out of this problem often ends their life. The suicide rates have increases every year of students who cannot get into their desired colleges.

3

The third major problem in Indian education system is the marks allocation system.

Who will study when students can get 60% marks through copy paste?

Some institutes have started to give 60% marks for internal assessment. Internal assessment are easy but are made more easy by these institution by just letting the students to copy paste the stuffs from various sources especially internet. Mostly internal assessment works includes projects, researches on different topics which can be easily available. This does not only make the students lazy but also kills the talent in them. The hidden talent in them is also not discovered by the students by this systems.

No need to work hard, no need to study. No need to be awake nights and days for the remaining 40% marks when you are getting 60% marks.

This system has also been introduce by these institutions as it not only lessen the work but also becomes a medium of earning. Students bribe the teachers and other authority but giving big fat donations and get the degree from these corrupted educational institutes.

4

India is a vast country with the second highest population in the world. As there is more population there are more students in India looking for schools, colleges, etc. Government is taking measures to built up more schools and colleges as there is limitation of seats in the existing ones.

During this process of building institutions some private institutions starts doing business without any recognition. These education institutions are totally fake with nothing in it. These education institutions are eating crores of rupees by providing zero education to students. The degree of these colleges are useless. These degrees have no value anywhere. After these education no student can stand con their feet.

There are various ways of finding these fake institutions.

People should keep their eyes and ears open to the surrounding happenings and report to police or government authority if they come across such institutions.

Government should take enough measures to find them. This business should be immediately stopped as it spoils the life of students for their own selfish motives. Just for money these institutions are built up which leads the students nowhere. The builders of such institution should be punished severely so that people do not try to cheat our present generation and future of India.

5

Indian education system is also in corruption because of high rate of teacher absenteeism in the country was a key factor in education system in India according to the new global study.

The UNESCO’s International Institute of Educational Planning study on corruption in education released recently says that 25% teacher absenteeism in India is among the highest in the world, second only after Uganda that has a higher rate. The global average of teacher absenteeism is about 20%.

Politics in teacher appointments and transfers is a major reason for teacher absenteeism according to a professor at National University for Education Planning and Administration.

The study also says – Teacher absenteeism does not just affect quality of education it is also a huge drain on resources resulting in the wastage of 22.5%of education funds in India.

The study identifies the absence of well established criteria for teacher recruitment a uniform policy on promotion, remuneration and deployment as some of the main reasons identified for teacher absenteeism. However the report found married teachers to be more regular at job than unmarried teachers.

In Bihar two of every five teachers were reported absent the figure in UP was reported to be one-third of the total teachers. However in states like Gujarat and Kerala the figure was lower than 15% the report based on several small studies.

Teachers also believe highly in private tutoring a practice identified by UNESCO as unethical. It does not complement learning at school and leads to corruption the report said. The teachers starts taking big sum of money for their private coaching’s and pays less attention to schooling. They avoid teaching in schools with good explanations and start giving more attention to students who take private tuitions.

Another major problem of Indian education was the view of students towards the activity of copying in exams. Students say that copying and cheating in exam is their traditional right. In many Indian universities, institutes and colleges cheating is now well established.

The report also said that – The fees for manipulating entrance tests ranges between $ 80 to $ 20,000 for popular programmes such as computer science, medicine and engineering.

Teachers misguidance and such behaviours leads to the sorry state of Indian education.

6

Corruption is not limit till here. Corruption has also taken worst face at some places.

Some of the Educational Institutes have allowed students to give the certificates to other on the rent like any other products. You can easily obtain a certificate after paying Rs.25000 fees and giving exams.

After this you can also give it to others on the rent of Rs. 3000 per month, just like giving any other property on the rent.

The Indian education system is in Distress.

THESE are only 6 of the main corruption in the system now. There are also many others small corruption taking place within the education system of India. These corruption are not only polluting the Indian education system but also killing our generation and the future of India.

After going through this piece of information one questions bangs in to our minds. – WHERE IS THE INDIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM GOING?

The following article gives us a quick view of the current corruption.

“You are not to accept a bribe, for the bribe blinds clear-sighted men and can distort the words of righteous men,” states the Law of Moses, written some 3,500 years ago. The news indicates how far the insidious enemy of corruption has spread in the field of education. Will such bold revelation of corruption awaken the blunt consciousness of those corrupt? One should remember, corruption hastened the mighty Roman empire’s downfall.

Corruption is seen everywhere. Now only it is becoming an issue for talk. This issue has emerged as a great one threatening all who involved in it. Mr. M. Ananthakrishnan has come forward now to show the real show happening in the name of education. But it seems no clear action taken further for this issue.

These were the comments on the above article by a reader and they are quite appropriate to certain extent.

We always blame the system for corruption and its evil actions but we forget some or the other way we are the part of this system. Present generation is also giving encouragement to the corruption by adopting the corrupted means of studying. If students are alert and stop giving donations and fees there will be hardly any corruption left in the education system. Saying NO is the best way to stop it. All students should be united and raise their voices against corruption. No students should get involved in the corrupted practises as this gives support to the existing corruption. One must be alert and aware of their rights as students and perform their duties well. This is the only way through corruption can be enrooted from the system and we can have a clean system like the one we had earlier.

Government also should take measures to find corrupted actions in the education institutions and throw them out of the country.

Government should also take measures to investigate and perform sting operations to catch people red handed as this will create fear and reduce corruption.

Lastly the people who practise corrupted practise should be made aware that they are spoiling the future of India which will lead them nowhere but behind the bars. These people should be severely punished by law.

The forum 15 – Ethics and Corruption in Education

Published by UNESCO also has a number of things in it related to corruption in education system. It explains us how corruptions have been practised, its causes, etc.

A social issue of India – Indian Education System Corrupted. Find its causes. Instead of blaming people around each one should do their best to stop it and not support it. India cannot progress if its people are not educated. Value the education we are getting and do not dirty it. Make use of it.

Just don’t blame N check your child’s activity but also observe what the thoughts of teachers R N On that basis can be called a teacher. don’t take school admission N studies only as matters of a little bribe, at once observe that our one generation is being trained by a bribers N thus literally illiterate so what literacy they can give? Ask this Q while deciding teacher for your child (from whom we expect very much) Then make someone his/her ’s GURU. So make some sincere one their teacher, N they can be still found. so

education- a sensitive matter that needs to be cared otherwise we all will lose our one generation.

(one of the comment on the corruption in education system in India)

Many traditional colleges and universities offer a convenient payment plan, which can be divided up into 10-12 months.  After determining the entire yearly cost, that figure would be divided by the number of monthly payments and paid at the college’s billing office.  Payments are usually determined from one year to the next and students must finish paying for one year of college before entering into a payment arrangement for the next.  An example would be a college that would cost $12,000.00 per year in courses, meals and living on campus.  In this scenario, many students can pay $1,000.00 per months for one year.  For many families, a payment plan is much easier than trying to come up with a lump sum payment upfront.

Every year, many students qualify for federal student loans.  Applications and information can be obtained at a high school guidance counselor’s office and/or the college of interest’s billing office.  Applications for student loans are accepted each year and are generally required to be submitted at, or near, each new year.  In order to be considered, student’s must be willing and able to provide documented income for themselves and their family so that their loan application can be properly assessed.

Local businesses, organizations and even colleges often provide scholarships to students who they believe will excel at college studies.  These scholarships are usually available to high school seniors and are based on a number of factors, including grades, participation in school activities, employment and a personal interview.  In order to be considered for a scholarship, students must apply by obtaining an application at their high school guidance counselor’s office or from the organization granting the scholarship.

For students who are not eligible for the above options, but still want to attend college, there is an alternate option that will gradually help them to work toward their degree.  College courses are offered at a certain cost, which is calculated on a credit hour basis.  Many colleges allow students to enroll in several classes without becoming a full-time student and being required to pay the full tuition.  These students can often pay as they go, which means they only pay for the course(s) they are taking at the time and this will be a much more affordable way to pay for college.  It will take longer to obtain a degree, but anything worth having is worth waiting for.

Anyone who wants extra cash to pay for college may find that a part-time job will help, along with selling items at online auction sites, such as eBay and Yahoo.  Many students have financed their college tuition through these auction sites without taking too much time away from their studies.