Last day of the fair, tuition cost comparisons and an alumni success story

Fairgoers checking out the college cost comparison chart.

I can’t believe the last day of the fair already! I’ve had a great time talking with people at the booth and, of course, spinning the Wheel of Luck!

Today is “bargain day” at the fair, which means most vendors are selling items for a discounted price. How does that relate to our booth?

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system is proud to share tuition costs with prospective students, because the system’s colleges and universities provide a more affordable education than other public and private institutions in the state.

Tuition at the system’s two-year colleges is under $4,799 per year, and it is under $6,507 per year at our four-year universities. Talk about a real bargain!

Shonda and Bobby Moody stopped by the booth today. Both are proud graduates of Anoka Technical College.

Anoka Technical College alums Shonda and Bobby Moody stopped in to say hello today. They are both graduates of Anoka Tech’s Supervisory Management program. Shonda told me that when she landed a job at Eco-Lab, the company informed her that it was due to her training and technical education.

While in college, Shonda was president of Anoka Tech’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter, and she also attributes her career success to her experiences in the honor society.

That’s all for this year! I hope you have found some helpful information and, most importantly, don’t forget to visit us next year at the fair!

More about Minnesota State Colleges and Universities

A short Q and A, industrial technology at Rainy River Community College and more

There is still a lot going on at our booth.

Here we are nearly at the end of the fair! Today we’ve had lots of great questions that are definitely worth repeating:

At what age should I begin to look at colleges?

Any age! In high school, the typical grade is 10^th or 11^th. By this time, you may be able to tell what area of study best interests them. This is also the age to start thinking about enrolling in the PSEO program (Post-Secondary Enrollment Options), which is available to juniors and seniors who meet the requirements and want to take college-level courses. (Find out more at www.mnscu.edu)

Are there any options available for senior citizens who just want to take some classses?

Yes! Some colleges and universities within our Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system will allow seniors to sit in on classes of their choice if space is available for a small fee. The seniors who attend these sessions will not receive college credit; however, it is a great opportunity to learn for the sake of learning.

Barb Fisher of Rainy River Community College in International Falls visited our booth today. She told me about the new industrial technology program that partners with the Boise Paper mill of International Falls. The industrial technology program allows graduates to be among the first in the hiring pool at Boise, and provides great opportunities for advancement.

One day left to get out to our booth!

More about Minnesota State Colleges and Universities

Minnesota Online, emergency preparedness kits and more

Trustee David Paskach takes a turn hosting the wheel of luck.

Labor Day weekend has arrived and life in the booth is going well! It's warm out today and many fairgoers are walking away from our booth with complimentary UPS fans.

Kathy Grady was here from North Hennepin College answering questions about Minnesota Online. Minnesota Online is a Web site that provides students with online course, program and registration information for the 32 institutions in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.

Visit the Minnesota Online Web site.

Kathy explained that students have to apply to each individual institution to take classes online; however, once accepted, a person can take as many online courses as are offered by the institutions they've been accepted to. She told me that it is good to find out if online courses are best suited for you.

To find out if you are a good candidate for online courses and programs, you can fill out a questionnaire on the Minnesota Online Web site that will help you determine your learning style.

Find out if online learning is right for you.

Today our first responder’s area featured information on disaster survival. Tracy Worsley, the Emergency Preparedness Manager at the Fire/EMS/Safety Center, informed me how important it is to have a set plan in the event of an emergency. He showed me a bin of items that may be helpful in case of an emergency, and also informed me about some useful Web sites that people who want to create their own emergency kit at home can visit.

Emergency Preparedness Manager Tracy Worsley displays an emergency preparedness kit and other first responder training materials.

Helpful emergency preparedness Web sites:
American Red Cross
Federal Emergency Management Agency

That’s the report for today. Don’t forget there are only two days left at the fair!

More about Minnesota State Colleges and Universities