As might be expected, educational institutions in the United States reflect the nation’s basic values, especially the equality of opportunity. From elementary school through college, Americans believe that everyone deserves an equal opportunity to get a good education. In order to develop educated population, all states have compulsory school attendance laws. These laws vary from one state to another, but they generally require school attendance from age 6 to 16. But most students attend school at least until high school graduation.

From the beginning, when Americans established their basic system of public schools in 1825, those who favored these public schools believed that these institutions would help reduce social class distinctions in the United States by educating children of all social classes in the same “common schools”. Americans views their public school system as an educational ladder, rising from elementary school to high school and finally college undergraduate and graduate programs.

The concept of the educational ladder is an almost perfect reflection of the American idea of individual success based on equality of opportunity and on “working your way to the top.” In the United States there are no separate educational systems with a higher level of education for the wealthy and a lower level of education for the masses. Rather, there is one system that is open to all. Individuals may climb as high on the ladder as they can. The abilities of the individuals, rather than their social class background, are expected to determine how high each person will go.

About 80% of American children receive their elementary and high school education in public schools, which are supported by state and local taxes and do not charge tuition. American Public schools are locally controlled, and they are free and open to all at the elementary and high school, but public universities charge tuition and have competitive entrance requirements. While other American children go to private schools, which charge tuition and are not under direct public control although many states set educational standards for them. To attend a private school, a student must apply and be accepted.

Most children start school at age five, by attending kindergarten, or even at age three or four by attending pre-school programs. Kindergarten teachers have taken on the job of introducing some academics, for example teaching letters, numbers, colors and shapes. Still, there’s a lot of time for play and fun. Then there are six years of elementary school and usually two years of middle school, and four years of high school. Not all school systems have kindergarten, but all do have twelve years of elementary, middle school, and senior high school. School systems may divide the twelve years up differently.

After high school, the majority of students go on to college. Undergraduate studies lead to a bachelor’s degree, which is generally what American mean when they speak of a “college diploma.” The bachelor’s degree can be followed by professional studies, which lead to degrees in professions such as law, medicine, and graduate studies, which lead to master and doctoral degrees.

2 The Increasing Responsibilities of Public Schools

With the development of the society, rising divorce rates have resulted in an increasing number of children in the public schools who are raised by only one parent and these children are more likely to have problems at school than the children raised in families with two parents. So, in the case like this, many children in public schools are “at risk” for having problems.

The education of new immigrant children also provides the public school system with some of its greatest challenges. Some observers believe they have placed more responsibilities on the public schools than the schools can possibly handle. Therefore, public schools are often expected to solve student problems that result from the weakening of family ties in the United States. At a time when enormous new burdens are being placed on the public schools, the nation finds itself faced with new limits on its material abundance. Money is both part of the problem and part of the solution. These limits have steadily reduced the amount of money available to the public schools as they try to deal with their rapidly growing problems.

Due to the problems above in public school, it is not surprising to find that home schooling, currently, is more popular in the United States. Home schooling just means teaching the children at home. Over 850,000 children are now home schooled in the United States alone.

The parents choose home schooling for the following reasons:

-The parents dislike the shortcomings of public school and the cost of private school;

-They think the classroom educational system is bad for their children who are especially bright but may have some learning problems;

-They prepare their children for tests rather than educate them;

-They love to spend more time with their children;

-They believe home schooling is supposed to get better results.

3 Higher Education

A university is much larger than a college. A university in the United States usually has several different colleges in it. Each college within a university has a special subject area. There may be a college of liberal arts where humanities, social science, natural science, and mathematics are taught. There may be a college of education where students learn to be teachers. A university always has programs for advanced or graduate study in a variety of subjects. There may be a medical school, a law school, and other advanced programs.

A university may get money for its expenses from several different sources. It may get some money from the state government. If so, it is a publicly funded university. It may get money only from private sources: contributions, tuition, investments, and other sources. If this is the case, it is a privately funded university. A university may also be funded by a religious group.

A university program for undergraduates usually takes four years. In this way, a university and a college are alike. College students usually spend four years in school also. A college, however, usually has only one or two kinds of programs. A college does not have graduate or professional programs in a variety of areas.

College students, like university students, usually have a high school diploma or its equivalent, when they enter college. Most students have completed regular high school programs. If a college student completes a course of study in the arts, he or she receives a Bachelor of Arts degree. In the sciences, the students receive a Bachelor of Science degree. If college students want to continue for a graduate or professional degree, they must go to a university. The college is usually funded in the same three ways as the university, publicly or privately funded or funded by a religious group.

Compared to universities and colleges, community colleges in the United States are quite different. The community college gives training for a variety of jobs, and also has an academic program. The programs of study in the community college usually last only two years. The community college serves the community, and anyone who lives nearby may go. When community college students complete a two-year program, they receive an associate of arts or associate of science degree. Community colleges are nearly always publicly funded, by the state, country, or city government, but not usually funded by religious groups.

If you want to get into a community college, there are no restrictions. You just need to graduate from high school. If you want to attend a large state-university in your own state, you must meet some requirements. Some states have very good universities so their requirements might be higher. Requirements include over all grades point average, scores on the SAT and ACT exams, Advanced Placement exams, letters of recommendation, and work experience.

If you want to attend a large state-university in another state, you have to pay more tuition and meet higher requirements. All university students must pay tuition expenses in the United States. If you want to attend a private school like Harvard or Yale, the requirements and tuition are much higher. Many poorer students who have high grades cannot attend Harvard or Yale simply because they cannot afford the tuition.

There are a number of financial aid programs in the form of loans and scholarships available at both public and private schools. However, the expenses of buying books and living away from home make it increasingly difficult for many students to attend even less expensive public universities. The middle-class family usually suffers a lot from the rising tuition cost. Many students must work during their college years to help meet even the cost. Students may choose the kind of higher education that they like best.

4. Educating the Individual

The goal of the American education system is to teach children how to learn and to help them reach their maximum potential. So American students are encouraged to express their own opinions in class and think for themselves.

The development of social and interpersonal skills may be considered as important as the development of intellectual skills. So to help students develop these important skills, schools have added a large number of activities outside classroom studies to daily life at school. These activities are almost as important as the students’ class work. Students are encouraged to participate in these activities to demonstrate their special talents, their level of maturity and responsibility, their leadership qualities, and their ability to get along with others.

Some Americans consider athletics, frequently called competitive sports, the most important of all extracurricular activities. This is because many people believe it is important for young people, particularly young men, to learn how to compete successfully. Team sports such as football, basketball, and baseball are important, so they teach students the “team spirit”. At times, this athletic competition may be carried to so extreme that some students and their parents may place more importance on the high school sports program than its academic offerings.
Student government is another activity designed to develop competitive, political, and social skills in students. The students elect a number of student government officers, who compete for the votes of their fellow students in school elections. So, this process of running for office and then taking responsibility for a number of student activities if elected is seen as good experience in developing their leadership and competitive skills, and helping them to be responsible for citizens.

Athletics and student governments are only two of a variety of extracurricular activities found in American schools. There are clubs and activities for almost every student interest, all aimed at helping the students to become more successful in later life.

5. Harvard University

Established in 1636, Harvard is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States. The University, which is based in Cambridge and Boston, has an enrollment of over 20,000 degree candidates, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Harvard has more than 360,000 alumni around the world.

Harvard University is devoted to excellence in teaching, learning, and research, and to developing leaders in many disciplines who make a difference globally. Harvard faculty are engaged with teaching and research to push the boundaries of human knowledge.

For students who are excited to investigate the biggest issues of the 21st century, Harvard offers an unparalleled student experience and a generous financial aid program, with over $160 million awarded to more than 60% of their undergraduate students. The University has twelve degree-granting Schools in addition to the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, offering a truly global education.

Welfare in US

The History of Welfare

Welfare in the United States commonly refers to the federal government welfare programs that have been put in place to assist the unemployed or underemployed. Help is extended to the poor through a variety of government welfare programs that include Medicaid, the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program, and Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC).

The history of welfare in the U.S. started long before the government welfare programs we know were created. In the early days of the United States, the colonies imported the British Poor Laws. These laws made a distinction between those who were unable to work due to their age or physical health and those who were able-bodied but unemployed. The former group was assisted with cash or alternative forms of help from the government. The latter group was given public service employment in workhouses.

Throughout the 1800's welfare history continued when there were attempts to reform how the government dealt with the poor. Some changes tried to help the poor move to work rather than continuing to need assistance. Social casework, consisting of caseworkers visiting the poor and training them in morals and a work ethic was advocated by reformers in the 1880s and 1890s.

Prior to the Great Depression, the United States Congress supported various programs to assist the poor. One of these, a Civil War Pension Program was passed in 1862 and provided aid to Civil War Veterans and their families.

When the Great Depression hit in the 1930's , many families suffered. It is estimated that one-fourth of the labor force was unemployed during the worst part of the depression. With many families suffering financial difficulties, the government stepped in to solve the problem and that is where the history of welfare as we know it really began.

The US government responded to the overwhelming number of families and individuals in need of aid by creating a welfare program that would give assistance to those who had little or no income.

Under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Social Security Act was enacted in 1935. The act, which was amended in 1939, established a number of programs designed to provide aid to various segments of the population. Unemployment compensation and AFDC (originally Aid to Dependent Children) are two of the programs that still exist today.

A number of government agencies were created to oversee the welfare programs. Some of the agencies that deal with welfare in the United States are the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Department of Labor, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Education.

The US welfare system stayed in the hands of the federal government for the next sixty-one years. Many Americans were unhappy with the welfare system, claiming that individuals were abusing the welfare program by not applying for jobs, having more children just to get more aid, and staying unmarried so as to qualify for greater benefits. Welfare system reform became a hot topic in the 1990's. Bill Clinton was elected as President with the intention of reforming the federally run US Welfare program.

In 1996 President Bill Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act to give the control of the welfare system back to the states. Under the act, the federal government gives annual lump sums to the states that those receiving aid are being encouraged to move from welfare to work. Though some have criticized the program, many acknowledge it has been successful.

Those who seek welfare information can find such information on the Internet or by looking under United States Government in their local phone book. Programs are available to those who qualify to provide welfare help in the areas of health, housing, tax relief, and cash assistance.

The Federal government provides assistance through TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). TANF is a grant given to each state to run their own welfare program. To help overcome the former problem of unemployment due to reliance on the welfare system, the TANF grant requires that all recipients of welfare aid must find work within two years of receiving aid, including single parents who are required to work at least 30 hours per week opposed to 35 or 55 required by two parent families. Failure to comply with work requirements could result in loss of benefits.

Welfare Department - The Dept of Health and Human Services

The US Dept of Health and Human Services oversees a variety of state welfare programs available for those in need across the country. These programs are regulated by the individual states to ensure the right people are getting welfare help that they need.
The Dept of Health and Human Services was not the original welfare department in the US. Originally the department of welfare that imposed regulations and oversaw the process to make sure it wasn’t being abused and was helping everyone fairly was the Dept of Health, Education and Welfare. However in 1979 the Department was busted up into more focuses entities.

There are a number of programs within each state welfare department which all have requirements and conditions that must be met to receive the welfare benefits. The programs vary slightly from state to state but generally provide the same welfare benefits. Welfare programs available in the United States include: Medicaid, Food Stamps, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Head Start, Work Study, and Medicare. Social Security, often times called an entitlement program, is also considered one of the welfare programs in the U.S..

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF: TANF is probably one of the most recognized of the welfare programs. Formerly known as Aid to Families with Dependant Children (AFDC), TANF was a reform measure for this program. No longer a lifelong program as AFDC was, TANF is a grant given to each state to run their own welfare program. To help overcome the former problem of unemployment due to reliance on the welfare system, the TANF grant requires that all recipients of welfare aid must find work within two years of receiving aid, including single parents who are required to work at least 30 hours per week opposed to 35 or 55 required by two parent families. Failure to comply with work requirements could result in loss of benefits, and most state’s plans terminate TANF benefits after five years.

Child Support Welfare: This segment of the welfare department provides partial or full child care fees for those families to help them be able to take advantage of work opportunities. This gives the care takers the needed support to provide quality child care for their child while they are at work.

Energy or Utility Assistance: This program provides partial or full support for utility bills for those who can not afford to heat their homes or pay for their water or other utilities. This program is available for those with limited income, who otherwise cannot afford to heat their homes. This program can pay for gas, electricity and even water.

Food Stamps: This department of welfare is one of the US welfare programs most beneficial to those in need. This program provides groceries at no cost to those who qualify. This program does have income restrictions as well as restrictions on the items that maybe purchased with food stamps. Only WIC approved items can be purchased from stores who participate with the program. This program is strictly monitored by state welfare departments. A monthly evaluation is performed to keep one qualified in this welfare program.

Medical Assistance Program: This part of a state welfare department is a very important welfare program that provides medical treatments to those without insurance and who can not afford medical coverage on their own. This program provides well visits as well as prescription coverage through Medicare and Medicaid coverage.

All of the welfare services that are provided by the US Dept of Health and Human Services have requirements that must be met to qualify and stay enrolled in the welfare program. Recipients must be at least 18 years of age and must be a legal residents of the state in which they are applying. All monetary resources must be included in applications. Accuracy and honest is required on applications to ensure services that are provided will continue to be provided.
A household budget needs to be created to show the willingness to save and provide individual financial freedom. In addition to application requirements to stay enrolled in these programs children also must be well cared for. All minors must keep their immunizations up to date. These minors must be enrolled in school and attend school to stay qualified for benefits. These are just a few of the requirements to be eligible for welfare assistance programs offered by the Dept of Health and Human Services.

These programs are available and provided for those who are having difficult times or who are unable to provide for themselves. Each state can provide more information on the program requirements from the state in which you are applying. The Dept of Health and Human Services funds these programs but they are strictly monitored by the individual states.