Scholarships for Dive professionals

[Northerncedar]

Unfortunately, freedom of speech hurts, and I hope that you don't take it personally. I think all of the harsh talk really are honest assessments. You would appreciate them later, after earning a relatively worthless degree (in the wrong hand) at an exorbitant price. If you plan to proceed with this university, I would highly recommend ROTC. You will get a small stipend, 4 years of active duty as a reserve officer, and 4 more years of inactive reserve (they have given up trying to call up the IRR - it is not worth the headache). Consider a softer branch of service like the Air Force or Navy - you deserve an ROTC commission after your years of services in the Marines.

 

[JonKranhouse]

Lynne - well said.

Skiz' disrespectful demeanor has no excuse. But his desperation is a predictable outcome of what the NY Times reported on last week, front page...

(SKIZ - read this article before you spend more money!!)

THE NEW POOR: In Hard Times, Lured Into Trade School and Debt

"One fast-growing American industry has become a conspicuous beneficiary of the recession: for-profit colleges and trade schools. At institutions that train students for careers in areas like health care, computers and food service, enrollments are soaring as people anxious about weak job prospects borrow aggressively to pay tuition that can exceed $30,000 a year.

But the profits have come at substantial taxpayer expense while often delivering dubious benefits to students, according to academics and advocates for greater oversight of financial aid."
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It's legal for a non-profit "institution" like Barry to use every marketing trick in the book (i.e. they're protected from fraud, just barely, by "buyer beware" case law). 30 years ago, NO higher-education school, from Ivy League to truck-driving school, used the level of shameless propaganda that's pervasive today.

Jump to article at NY Times...

 

[skiz22285]

Barry University is Private not-for-profit, 4-year. Its a Degree I am seeking not a diploma.
Diving Industry - Sport Management, Miami, Florida - Barry University

 

[RJP]

Barry University is Private not-for-profit, 4-year. Its a Degree I am seeking not a diploma.
Diving Industry - Sport Management, Miami, Florida - Barry University

At least they have it accurately positioned on their website:

:shocked2:

 

[vladimir]

Barry University is Private not-for-profit, 4-year. Its a Degree I am seeking not a diploma.
Diving Industry - Sport Management, Miami, Florida - Barry University

Understood; but the article that Jon and I linked to is still relevant to your situation, in the sense that you are:

a) using government subsidies in the form of grants and government-guaranteed loans and,

b) making a large investment in the hope of procuring a job that is not likely to be available or will not pay anywhere near enough to justify the investment.

From a public-policy perspective, it raises the question of whether these subsidies are an effective way to allocate money for education. From a personal point of view, well, it depends on how much money you can raise with your charity scheme here, but it should spur you to do a simple calculation that compares your investment to the present value of your future earnings. When you do that calculation, you should probably assume that neither Wayne Hasson nor Mike Ball nor Peter Hughes is likely to retire to hand you the reins of the business he built.

 

[Aggiebq86]

I figured since there are two threads on this, I'd reply two times.

If you have a desire to follow a career in Maritime Archeology, then major in that. My university has a program for that. Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation - Texas A&M University

If you have a desire for business management, then major in that. The sports management option could be obtained from a number of universities. One thing you may not have considered is this: With all the universities out there, why is Barry University the only one offering this degree? If there were a high demand for it, wouldn't many other universities, especially those with a strong sports management program or strong nautical background, be offering a similar degree?

You may want to either consider a business or sports management major at a less expensive school and supplement this with the needed diving instruction from other sources. Another thing to consider would be attending a commercial diving school. From looking at Barry's curriculum, it appears there are about 31 credit hours with some aspect of diving. The other 100 hours of the curriculum are non diving related.

One thing you will quickly realize once you are out of school is there is more that you don't know about your chosen field than what you do know based on what was learned in the classroom. Most employers don't think your trained and ready for the job when they hire you. They only look at your degree as proof that you a) have enough intestinal fortitude to complete something and b) have enough intelligence that they will be able to teach you what you need to know in order to do your job. None of them will hire someone with a degree but no experience to run their company. Think back to your Marine Corps days. When you were fresh out of Basic, you weren't put in charge of anything other than your rifle. The people with the experience are the ones in charge.

Best of luck in your endeavors. I would second what others have said regarding your website seeking donations. If you want to attempt to generate donations from it, you need to correct the grammar and spelling. No one is going to feel compelled to donate money toward your education with all the typos, misspellings, grammatical errors and incomplete thoughts. Think of that website as a cover letter and resume'. You are trying to get people to part with their hard earned money. Why should they if they don't think you put any effort into your request?

 

[Crowley]

Were the experiments a success? Can we all expect a granny transplant now?

I tried to graft my granny onto a napoleon wrasse and ended up with a sort of half arsed attempt at a 2 metre long, but very wrinkly, moray eel with a bulbous knob on it's head. I wanted a shark but granny's false teeth fell out.

TSandM I really need your help right now my tongue is so stuck I can't chew or swallow and I'm having these odd giggling fits.

I'm sorry I'm so off topic but the whole thing is making me laugh. My perspective on life may be slightly skewed but I'm having to look behind me to make sure the Sigma Tau Kappa gang aren't trying to nobble my octopus and tootle off with my shiny brass clips.

Live it, breathe it, die it if you have to, just don't expect all the tax from my smoking habit to pay for it.

Happy diving,

C.

 

[vladimir]

One thing you will quickly realize once you are out of school is there is more that you don't know about your chosen field than what you do know based on what was learned in the classroom. Most employers don't think your trained and ready for the job when they hire you. They only look at your degree as proof that you a) have enough intestinal fortitude to complete something and b) have enough intelligence that they will be able to teach you what you need to know in order to do your job. None of them will hire someone with a degree but no experience to run their company.

Good observation. Again, from the article JonKranhouse and I linked to, here's how the (for-profit) schools saw it:

“Our students are given the tools needed to become the future leaders in the industry,” proclaims the Le Cordon Bleu Web site. “Many graduates have attained positions of responsibility, visibility, and entrepreneurship soon after completing their studies.”

“It’s employable skills; that’s what we teach people here,” said the school president, Jon Alberts. “We try to give them as much of an industry experience in the classroom as possible.”

Employers saw it differently:

“You go out in the industry and work your way up,” said Brian R. Williams, the company’s senior vice president for culinary arts.

“When they graduate and come in the kitchen, I tell them, ‘I’m going to treat you like you don’t know anything,’ ” said Kenneth Giambalvo, executive chef at Bluehour, an upscale restaurant in Portland’s Pearl District. “It doesn’t really give them any edge.”

 

[Chris12day]

Barry University is Private not-for-profit, 4-year. Its a Degree I am seeking not a diploma.
Diving Industry - Sport Management, Miami, Florida - Barry University

It is the real world out there. Grow up.

Nothing wrong with a degree. A person needs to be able to support their self and family. The two are not necessarily compatable. Most of the members replying to you know the SCUBA business and its potential.

Do not waste your time and money on a something that is not what you really want or need.

Happy Diving!