Salaries Can’t Compete with the Rising Costs of a College Education

Sept. 21, 2010 - PRLog -- In the time it takes for a student to graduate from a four-year college, the costs for this privilege will have risen about 25%, a shocking increase for families struggling with stagnant salaries, increased healthcare costs and other financial woes.

The benefits of higher education are well documented and increasingly necessary for participation in a competitive workforce but paying for it is another issue.  Therefore, as students from the class of 2014 learn their way around their new college campuses, many will also find it crucial to learn their way around the financial aid office.  

“Students graduate from college with thousands of dollars in debt and families who have saved for years just can’t work the numbers without loans and second mortgages,” says Marla McDaniels Heath, President of The Jimmy McDaniels Foundation.  “Scholarships and grants are essential today more than ever and that’s why we pledge to contribute to this cause and assist students pursuing music degrees,” says Heath.

Last year, the average cost for one year at a public university with in-state tuition was more than $15,000 and for a private institution, costs averaged almost $36,000 – more than the price a brand new BMW 128i convertible.  Thinking of Harvard?  Think $56,750 and that’s only for one year!  The Jimmy McDaniels Foundation motto of Saving the Music in Higher Education has additional meaning when considering these figures.  “Post-secondary music education needs to be preserved and enhanced.  We want to let students know The Jimmy McDaniels Foundation is there to support their efforts, their dreams,” says Heath.

The Jimmy McDaniels Foundation is a national nonprofit organization founded in 2009 in the memory of musician James “Jimmy” McDaniels.  Its mission is to educate and encourage minority instrumental musicians who reside in Indianapolis, Indiana and Birmingham, Alabama and to provide educational grants that will inspire recipients to enrich their communities, the music profession and the general public.

Marla McDaniels Heath is available to discuss the rising costs of higher education, the importance of music education or The Jimmy McDaniels Foundation Scholarship Program.    

For more information about The Jimmy McDaniels Foundation, visit: http://www.thejimmymcdanielsfoundation.org.

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The Jimmy McDaniels Foundation is a national nonprofit organization committed to supporting higher educational opportunities for minority instrumental musicians and raising awareness of the unsung contributions to the history of American music.