As in any profession, many teachers are looking to achieve salary advancements by continuing education credits at a local college or university. Here's how to get salary advancements for teachers by continuing education, obtaining more college credits and earning a higher college degree.

It probably is every parent's dream that their child will attend college after high school. Studies show that job salaries have a direct correlation to the amount of education one has. To this goal, students are expected to take AP (advanced placement) classes and SAT scores become all important. But is this the only way to a college degree? Are endless hours of homework during high school, the stress and pressure to perform well during the SAT testing the only guarantee your child will enter college and thus succeed in life? The answer is a definite no. Even struggling students can attend college and the ways to get there will surprise you

High school grades and the college success rate are intimately intertwined. In 1967(1) the Ford Foundation sought to determine the actual relationship that appeared to exist between high school grades and the potential for future college success. The results were not very encouraging for those with bad high school grades. It appeared that students whose grades were lacking had difficulty blossoming in college initially, and throughout the years of study.

In fact, the study showed that the College Board scores were by far less reliable than the actual high school grades when it came to determine who was most likely to succeed. This understanding is echoed by a 1996 to 1999 study by the University of Berkeley.(2) This study suggested that standardized test scores are far too influenced by students’ socioeconomic backgrounds as opposed to work ethic and ability to perform consistently to standards. This study outlines that high school grades are a fairer and more equitable predictor of future success.

What is the difference between the SAT and the ACT? If you are wondering whether or not you have to take these tests, then you should know that you don't really have to take them at all. There are some colleges out there that do not require any of the tests and simply go by your GPA. Keep in mind, however, that most of these colleges would require an extremely high GPA if that is all they would go by in terms of scores.

Scores are very important to universities. Higher scores mean a higher ranking for them. Top universities such as Harvard and Yale won't even glance at your application unless you have scores that meet their minimum scores. Both the ACT and SAT scores can and most likely will be used as part of their application percentiles which means, if you scored on the seventy-fifth percentile, which is a decent score, that score will be looked at by the college.

Most selective colleges require standardized tests such as the SAT or the ACT. The question students ask most often is how much the tests count in admissions decisions. David Erdmann, dean of admissions at Rollins College, has perhaps given the most candid answer of all: “At most institutions, standardized test scores count less than students think and more than colleges are willing to admit.”

If you love working with clothes, accessories, and apparels, then perhaps a fashion designer career is for you. As a fashion designer, your career is about creation. You make what people wear. Clothing trends change several times in the course of a year and what's hot today will likely not be so stylish in twelve months. In that sense, there's a semblance of job stability since your skills will always be in demand. And what about salary? Fashion designers do quite alright.

Since the early 1980s, a small but gradually growing number of selective colleges no longer require any standardized tests, either the SAT or the ACT. Bates College was the first, followed by Bowdoin College, and now there are about forty of them, mostly small liberal arts colleges in the Northeast with strong academic reputations. These now include Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, College of the Holy Cross, Lawrence University, and Bard College. Recently, the first major research university, Wake Forest University, joined them. At all of these colleges, you can choose to submit test scores or not. You can submit your scores to some of them, but not others, if you prefer. It is still in your interest to do so if you have scores higher than the average for these schools, but the schools promise not to discriminate against you if you don’t, and they say they will not assume you have low test scores if you don’t submit.

Even though the bailout bill has been passed, most Americans are still wary of future financial woes. Students are especially worried, seeing as their funding for college is tied up in private loans and may have been affected by the recent sub prime mortgage crisis. Mark Kantrowitz, a leading financial aid expert and publisher of FinAid.org, has a few tips to help students continue to save for college:

The medical field is fast becoming a steady career option for many professional workers who want an occupation that challenges them and keeps them on their feet. But with the economy the way it is, many people are not sure which career is right for them. Some people may be afraid to spend years in college just to find out that their field is not in demand and they cannot find a job doing what they love. In order to have a steady occupation, it’s vital to understand what the best medical careers for the future would be. There has never been a better time to go back to school in order to expand your knowledge and start working in a career field that will enable you to make a very good living

Looking at the salary comparison of a college grad to a nongrad, it is easy to see the advantages of obtaining a degree. Those with a Bachelor's degree make a significant amount more than those without. For example, a professional with a Bachelor's in the early 2000s makes an estimated $52,200 per year. Those with only some college make roughly $36,800. The difference becomes even more prevalent as a person gains more education. A Master's degree will garner an average of $62,300, while a Doctoral degree generates $89,400. Salary levels can be seen most dramatically in those without a high school diploma. The average dropout only makes $23,400 per year.