Federal Funding for Tech-Schools

According to this article from the EdSuge news page, the Department of Education is considering extending funding to post-secondary technology schools with the purpose of allowing low-income students to learn modern technology skills so they can eventually get “high-paying, high-tech” jobs. To me, this seems like a great idea. Students from economically underprivileged areas will struggle paying the ever-steeper cost of a college degree yet the odds are against them succeeding in a career without post-secondary education. These scholarships would go to support the group of students who don’t qualify for the Pell grant, yet are still in acute financial need. Government-sponsored technology schools would be a great avenue for interested students to receive the necessary training to become successful programmers, designers, inventors and technology entrepreneurs. This education would lead to high-need, high-paying jobs and help break the cycle of poverty. (As a counter point though, this article, also from EdSurge, pointed out that 74% of STEM graduates with a bachelors don’t work in STEM fields. It didn't explain why or where they went instead though. Is it other lucrative fields, the lack of jobs, disinterest, or something else? Technology is simply one aspect of STEM too, so perhaps it's the 26% that gets jobs?)

Far from rejoicing about funding for these schools, the article focused on concerns. The think tank TCF has suggested that such schools could actually prey on students and sap government money without maintaining quality education or providing results (much like for-profit colleges). There is also the concern that students will be assessed based on standardized testing instead of portfolios—rather strange considering the nature of the education would be focused on creating projects. 

The concerns addressed are serious and could be destroy the entire project if the TCF’s fears manifest in reality. However, if the government monitor these schools and continue the funding, I think the schools could be very beneficial to students.