NOTRE DAME, INDIANA – According to a new College Value Report by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, the value of higher education is worth the cost to both the individual student and the state as a whole. The report outlines the measurable value of higher education in Indiana and the personal impact of student decisions on outcomes for wages and workplace engagement, among other considerations.

“Education is more valuable than ever. In a strong but changing economy, Hoosiers must seek out the opportunities to reskill or prepare themselves in order to advance in their careers,” said Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers in a release. “This new report shows the value of higher education goes beyond financial aspects and gets to the heart of meaningful and relevant work for Hoosiers.”

Holy Cross College offers a three-year, accelerated bachelor’s degrees in business, psychology, theology, English, and liberal studies. Students still get a valuable college experience with significant savings of both cost and time; three-year students are ready to enter a career or graduate studies earlier.  This three-year option also helps decrease potential student debt accruement by eliminating the fourth year in undergrad study and students are less likely to take out additional loans.

“I am studying Theology at Holy Cross College. I chose the accelerated degree program at Holy Cross because I plan to attend graduate school after receiving my bachelor’s degree and wanted to lessen the time I would have to spend in school before being able to work in my field,” noted student Mikayleigh Clark.

Student Steve Viz is currently working to complete a degree in liberal studies with a business minor. He chose the accelerated program after he decided he wanted to participate in the Masters of Science and Management (MSM) Program at the University of Notre Dame through the Mendoza College of Business.

“With the help of my advisor Dr. David Lutz, Dr. Mike Griffin, and Father Tyson, I was able to set a path here at Holy Cross College where I can complete my BA here and my masters at Notre Dame in four years. This path provides a challenging and excellent academic environment for my four years in the tri-campus community,” said Viz.

The three-year curriculum is rigorous and ideal for a student who enters Holy Cross prepared to declare an accelerated major and take upper-level courses right away. Similar to a traditional, four-year degree, an accelerated baccalaureate program requires the completion of 120 credits. Students must be highly motivated and prepared for challenging semester workloads, timely completion of Holy Cross core classes, and some summer coursework.

“My favorite part of the program is the support system it provides; all of the staff involved in the program are very helpful and always willing to offer support along one’s journey through the accelerated degree program. The program can prove to be a bit challenging due to the extra classes one has to take every semester to finish faster, but because each major is planned out ahead of time there is little stress when it comes to assuring one fits in all their required classes,” said Clark. “In the future, I plan to teach theology at a college level; my dream is to one day teach theology at Notre Dame.”

“The accelerated track demands that students take additional credits during the school year and as well as during the summer to complete this track on time. Courses during the summer proved challenging as I tried to balance internships as well my caddying job at a local country club,” noted Viz.

He continued, “I plan to graduate from Holy Cross in May of 2021 and then immediately begin my Notre Dame education that June with the MSM program. I want to work long term in corporate finance, and my experiences at both Holy Cross and Notre Dame will help prepare me for this.”

 

Below are links to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education’s College Value Report:

College value report discusses the importance of a college education: https://www.in.gov/che/files/200304_RELEASE_College%20Value%20Report.pdf

College report data at a glance: https://www.in.gov/che/files/2020_College_Value_Report_Data%20At-A-Glance.pdf