Today is National Higher Education Day. But what does that mean exactly? What is the holiday, how often does it occur, and what is its true meaning? What is the goal of pursuing higher education, and how does this particular holiday draw attention to that pursuit? How can higher education help you in your own professional advancement?
Let’s take a closer look at defining what National Higher Education Day is as well as defining existing initiatives associated with higher education. Finally, we’ll look at how higher education can help people improve their lives both personally and professionally.
What Is National Higher Education Day?
Higher education is any kind of education or training program that extends past secondary school. Having a day to recognize higher education allows people to focus on the journey and benefits of higher education. According to NationalHigherEducationDay.org, National Higher Education Day occurs every year. It’s a day dedicated to honoring, educating, and inspiring future graduates of higher education. It serves to help graduates through the process of attending some sort of higher education and aiding them in graduating and getting a degree. Did you know that fewer than 50% of students attending college for the first time complete their degree in six years?
There are numerous ways to observe National Higher Education Day. You can post on social media about any goals you have once you complete your higher education using the hashtag #NationalHigherEducationDay. But when exactly does the holiday fall on the calendar?
When is National Higher Education Day?
National Higher Education Day occurs annually on June 6th of each year. Its main mission is to “champion the accessibility of higher education.” That means examining how many people higher education is available for, as well as how to make it available to a larger group of people. National Higher Education Day also has year-round activities meant to give potential students information on opportunities for scholarships as well as how to prepare themselves for higher education.
NationalHigherEducationDay.org spells out five specific objectives for the holiday. Those objectives are listed below:
- Ignite academic ambition and passion
- Encourage students to adopt a growth mindset
- Promote independent learning
- Raise awareness of financial aid opportunities
- Promote academic resources
It’s meant to encourage and excite learners about pursuing their field of study. It’s also intended to promote a “growth mindset.” That means prospective students are encouraged to use academics for personal growth from either a professional, financial, or personal perspective.
National Higher Education Day exists to help empower those looking to continue their pursuit of learning at the next level. There are many ways for them to do that — less important than the mechanism for higher education is the mere pursuit of it at all.
History of Higher Education Initiatives
The federal government passed the “Higher Education Act” into law in 1965. The law aims to “strengthen the educational resources of our colleges and universities and to provide financial assistance for students in postsecondary and higher education.” The law has also had amendments throughout the years.
It represents, at the federal level, the U.S. government’s commitment to honoring and supporting the pursuit of higher education, adding quantifiable resources that American students can use as they pursue this higher education. Individual states also have initiatives in place to assist in these efforts. For example, in Texas, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s goal is “to provide leadership and coordination for the Texas higher education system to achieve excellence for the college education of Texas students.”
Clearly, federal and state governments understand the importance of higher education. But what makes it so critical? The answer is simple: it helps build better lives.
How Higher Education Helps Build Lives
There are numerous ways in which higher education can help someone build a new and/or better life for themselves. Below are just a few of the ways in which higher education can do that:
You can jumpstart a new career
You may find yourself in a career you don’t enjoy or don’t envision a future in. Higher education can help you receive the training and/or information you need to move to an entirely new one.
Higher education helps you advance within your current field.
Perhaps you’re happy in your current career, but you want to go further in your field. Higher education can give you the knowledge, tools, and skills needed to move to an advanced level. Say, for example, you work in an industry you’re an expert in and enjoy. Seeking higher education for a role such as business administration may help give you the skills you need to become a manager in that field.
It makes you a more well-rounded professional overall
Higher education can grant you access to habits, skills, and overall professional qualities that make you a more well-rounded asset to employers. Learning disciplines like computer programming can help make you more valuable to an organization.
Investing in Higher Education
Now that you understand the importance of higher education, you may also be asking why it is worth the financial commitment involved. Look at higher education as an investment in yourself. Whether you want to transfer to an entirely new field or move further up the chain in an existing one, either path could lead to a considerably higher salary if you do your research about how much you can earn in a new industry/position. Higher education can often bring credibility that you can use as a bargaining chip when negotiating with an employer. It can also help you find work you genuinely enjoy and find rewarding.
Of course, to become truly proficient in your desired role, you’ll want to get the best training program possible. That’s why for your educational needs, you’ll want to choose Southern Careers Institute. SCI offers numerous training programs in a wide variety of fields. There are plenty of promising career paths you can pursue through one of SCI’s versatile and flexible hybrid online training programs.
If you’re ready to pursue professional recognition to get the promotion and raise that you want, reach out to SCI for more information and contact us today.
Sources
https://nationalhighereducationday.org/mission
https://nationalhighereducationday.org/
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-79/pdf/STATUTE-79-Pg1219.pdf#page=37
https://www2.ed.gov/policy/highered/leg/hea98/index.html
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED509084.pdf
https://southerncareer.wpengine.com/programs/
https://southerncareer.wpengine.com/
This article was published on: 06/5/20 9:00 AM
* SCI does not guarantee employment or a starting salary upon graduation, completion, or withdrawal from SCI. As an accredited post-secondary institution, SCI has various federal financial assistance programs available for students who qualify and are enrolled in SCI programs. This does not apply to seminar students.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
