London Calling. . .Do You Have the Degree?

It is challenging to forget the warm June day that brought the 2016 United Kingdom European Union Membership Referendum, after which popular vote to withdraw from the European Union was first cemented. The prevailing decision of the populace triggered immediate effects within the UK - two being the instantaneous resignation of then-Prime Minister David Cameron, and the Great Britain Pound’s drop to a 31-year low - and sent shockwaves across the European Union which reverberated globally.

With the formal exit from the EU undertaken at the beginning of 2020, and the subsequent wrath of the COVID-19 Pandemic from early 2020 through the present, the United Kingdom’s gates have been historically shuttered. The result? A new aftershock that has rocked the UK - a dearth of talented international talent, disincentivized or wholly prohibited from pursuing educational or professional opportunities within the country.

In face of a stagnant and homogenous talent pool, the British Government is keen on reversing this reality, which comes in the form of the new High Potential Individual (HPI) Visa. Launched on May 30th, 2022, this new offering, per the government itself, is a “short-term work visa for individuals at an early career stage, who have shown they have potential to benefit the UK workforce.”

Following the visa program’s launch, any non-citizen— whether presently outside of the UK, or presently within the UK possessing another visa type - may apply for the HPI Visa provided he/she has attained a degree from an eligible international university within the five years leading up to the date of one’s application.

Does your dream commute entail weaving through London landmarks such as St. Paul’s Cathedral? Or does it take place on a double-decker bus?

The definition is far from precise - but let’s break down some of the ambiguities.

• “Short-term work visa” - any successful applicant granted the HPI Visa would be granted two years of work visa status (for recipients possessing Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degrees) and three years of work visa status for PhD applicants. This implies that one possessing the HPI Visa is free to seek employment in the UK over the two- or three-year eligibility period, and would not require employer sponsorship. If employment is secured within the eligibility period, one would have the option to convert his/her HPI Visa to a longer-term employment visa upon its expiration, provided certain eligibility criteria are satisfied.

• “At an early career stage” - perhaps misleadingly, this statement does not mandate that an applicant is presently employed. Nor does it mandate that an applicant has received an offer for employment within the UK - as this would defeat the purpose of the HPI Visa altogether. The “early career stage” definition is relative to one’s education - stipulating that any applicant has been conferred either a Bachelor’s, Master’s, and/or Doctorate degree within the past five years. The major catch - however - is the list of universities that earn one the right to apply.

• “An eligible international university” - likely to be the most polarizing element of this novel visa program, the list of eligible international universities is based on an amalgamation of global university rankings, a university deemed eligible provided it lands on at least two lists amongst those considered as part of the evaluation process. This list is furthermore issued on an annual basis, thus an applicant’s eligibility is contingent on his/her degree institution securing a place on the specific list for the yearlong period during which his/her degree was conferred. Reviewing the latest list, effective 1 November 2021 to 31 October 2022, thirty-nine universities are listed, of which twenty are US institutions.

For professional opportunities in the UK, London likely comes to mind first. Though it is worth noting that the HPI Visa would enable one to seek sponsor-free employment across the entire United Kingdom.

If there is any criticism of the HPI Visa methodology, it would likely be towards honoring an approach already lambasted by critics as self-fulfilling and heavily favorable to Western academia. While taking a university ranking-forward approach may have been the government’s best effort to bring rigid structure to the eligibility criteria, the approach nevertheless reveals some inconsistencies and shortcomings. One such criticism is the lopsided favor of Western academia, and the narrow net this ranking-forward approach casts: returning to the 2021-2022 eligibility list, only ten countries are represented across the thirty-nine institutions, and only three (Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan) are located outside of North America, Europe, or Australia. It follows that Central & South America, Africa, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia are wholly excluded from all iterations of the list.

The annual shift in eligible rankings also makes for an awkward experience for an applicant whose institution appeared on certain, but not all, lists. An applicant with a degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, for example, would only be eligible to apply if his/her degree was conferred from 1 November 2016 to 31 October 2019, or 1 November 2020 to 31 October 2021, leaving gaps for class years 2020 and 2022 - purely owing to shifts in rankings. Taking a ranking-forward approach excludes talent who may have received an offer of admission to one of the eligible institutions, but were financially unable to attend. In a sphere where the prestige attached to institutional names is being deconstructed, this methodology could come as a harshly antiquated approach.

Nevertheless, in the grand scheme of visa opportunities, the HPI Visa is amongst the laxest of all - requiring minimal information to jumpstart the application. The College Sage completed a mock application via the application portal, and found the interface to be very intuitive, and the information requested to be straightforward and easily-retrievable. The one pivotal detail is, however, the submission of one’s degree - to come in the form of a reference number provided by firm Ecctis, with whom the UK government has partnered to assess diploma validity, or direct submission of a copy of one’s diploma.

The College Sage found the application portal to be refreshingly straightforward with resources to address some of the questions likely to come up in the application process.

The HPI Visa application does not come without numerous fees, some of which would not be refunded if even in the case of a rejected application. Any interested applicant should expect to pay the following, with USD conversions provided based on May 30th exchange rates.

• £210 ($266) for a qualification validity check by external firm Ecctis

• £715 ($904) for the general application fee

• £624 ($789) per year to cover one’s participation in the National Health Service (NHS), billed for all eligible years (2 or 3) at the time of application

Furthermore, applicants would need to prove that they possess £1270 ($1607) of funds available to support themselves, and would likely need to shell out an additional few hundred dollars for processing at one of the ten UK Visa Application Centers located across the country (prices vary by processing time).

The HPI Visa is a tremendous opportunity to take one’s professional ambitions to the United Kingdom, side-stepping the challenges of securing employment sponsorships, and alleviating one of the need to enroll in a degree program to get one’s foot in the country. Do you have the qualifications to apply? Contact The College Sage for more details on this novel visa opportunity - the next step in your career might just be across the pond.

Flying High with The College Sage at Trident Tech’s South Carolina Aeronautical Training Center

The College Sage recently had the opportunity to visit the new South Carolina Aeronautical Training Center at Trident Technical College, and we were very impressed by the unqiue opportunities this state-of-the-art training center provides students in the Lowcountry and beyond!

Located on the Thornley Campus of Trident Technical College in North Charleston, the South Carolina Aeronautical Training Center is housed in a brand new, 218,000-square-foot facility. There are many program offerings which provide tons of options to many different students!

Excited to visit the facility and learn more about a range of unique programs!

Some of the primary credit programs include Aircraft Assembly Technology, Avionics Maintenance Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology, and an Engineering Transfer Degree Program. The Student Pathways in Engineering and Computing for Transfers program (also known as SPECTRA) is especially notable, as Trident Tech has partnered with Clemson University to allow students to earn their Associate’s degree from Trident Tech and then transfer to Clemson after achieving at least 30 credit hours and maintaining a 2.7 GPA. Students will then go on to complete their Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Computer Science. The Citadel offers a similar 2+2 program where Trident Tech students can transfer into the The Citadel School of Engineering after completing their first two years of undergraduate studies at Trident Tech.

The SCATC also offers noncredit programs, which includes pathways in the fields of Robotics, Quality Control, and Aeronautical Skills. SCATC also offers readySC Program in partnership with Boeing. This program trains workers for jobs at the Boeing plant in North Charleston, equipping future Boeing employees for success via hands-on training as well as classroom instruction.

A peek into one of the many engineering labs!

While this blog only scratches the surface, one thing is clear - there are really neat things happening at Trident Technical College, and at their South Carolina Aeronautical Training Center in particular! With virtual and in-person tours on weekdays both on offer, The College Sage highly recommends paying a visit yourself. Do you have sky-high ambitions? Learn more here, and let the College Sage help you soar!

College 201: Life after Covid 19

We’re all adjusting to the new normal presented by Covid 19. We are learning to plan in an uncertain environment, stay optimistic in a challenging time, and stay mentally and physically healthy amidst the looming silent virus in the air. It’s not easy! And it’s especially not easy for education professionals, trying to balance the long-term benefits of keeping teaching alive as profits shrink and multiple communities weigh in on strategy and direction. 

Thanks to the Post & Courier Columbia for last night hosting The University of South Carolina Leadership Forum: The Future of SC's Largest College in the Age of COVID-19. On the Zoom call, USC leaders President Bob Caslen, USC Provost Bill Tate, USC Faculty Senate Chair Mark Cooper, USC Board of Trustees Chairman Dorn Smith, and USC Student Body President Issy Rushton discussed their views on  college life in the pandemic in beyond. Here is a summary of some of the key conclusions.

A leaner organization

Every challenge creates an opportunity. USC sees itself coming out of the pandemic as a leaner and more efficient organization. Initially, USC cut costs by 10% and has since taken a hard look at financials. So far overall enrollment is close to typical, but there has been a shift from out-of-state to in-state students, which brings with the mix a lower overall revenue stream. Board Chairman Dorn Smith suggested that they hope to not need more budget cuts, but they are keeping a diligent eye on financials. So far the university has weathered the storm better than initial concerns. Planned merit increases, what would have been the first increases in a decade, were put on hold for the time being.

Breeding resilience

Both faculty and students have had to adjust to the new normal for the time being, meaning more online teaching and significant social distancing requirements.  Importantly, faculty members were very much involved in the decision making process. USC Provost William Tate defended the university’s decision to return to the normal grading scale, having allowed a Pass/Fail alternative during the spring. He argued that the Pass/Fail option reflected the abrupt change in student circumstances last spring, but as students and faculty have had time to adapt to the new learning environment, there is a necessity to get back to a true grading scale. Faculty Senate Chair Mark Cooper also highlighted that the grade distribution this fall looks very similar to past semesters. Student body president Issy Rushton also noted that most students recognize that true grades are necessary for graduate school acceptances as well as securing jobs in the future.

Student opportunities unchanged

The panel also defended the decision to maintain the tuition rate, despite the move to a more computer based delivery method. Provost William Tate highlighted that student resources are all still available. Students are doing undergraduate research. Some 31% of students partake in such research, rating USC a top 25 performer on that basis. Also, students are still able to pursue thesis writing. Hopefully study abroad opportunities will reopen as some 30% of USC students typically enjoy that opportunity. Student body president Issy Rushton also noted that there are additional resources that didn’t exist before the pandemic such as tele-health appointments and online access to teachers and resources that is making them more efficient in their own studies.

Physical projects are being prioritized

Dorn Smith, USC Board Chairman, highlighted the importance and reality of needing to prioritize physical plant investments during a challenging period. He suggested that the Medical School complex remains a number one priority while other physical expansion such as South Campus dorms is more likely to be put on hold awaiting some clarity on the new normal for enrollment and residential choices. Other physical plant enhancements have proven successful to the University’s ability to pivot quickly on online learning. All 650 USC classrooms were wired with IT for synchronicity so that by the end of the summer, all classroom space could be utilized effectively in this new delivery environment. Even so, President Bob Caslen suggested that if he could ask for one more thing, hopefully going towards a greater degree of socially distanced in person class delivery, it would be more classroom space to be able to spread out safely.

Teachable moments

Obviously no challenge comes without learning opportunities. President Caslen highlighted that when the Columbia community pushed back on student partying early in the fall semester, he used the situation as a teachable moment with students. He sent a letter to all students to encourage them to think of themselves as a greater community of good. We are expecting much out of these 18-21 year olds, and generally 90% are responding in a positive manner.

And the million-dollar question remains

The million-dollar question is what will college look like in the future. The USC panel discussed the growing divide between the haves and have-nots. Certainly fewer overall students are willing to pay current prices for what they view as a diminished overall environment. Yes most educational professionals believe that smaller and less well-endowed institutions won’t make it through these challenges. That’s a trend already underway. The real question becomes, what is the future for the survivors? The answer depends on each university’s ability to produce a value added consumer proposition.

The College Sage view

 Initially, we were optimistic that at the end of the day, students still want the overall college experience, that window to experiment with classes they choose to take, majors they select to study, and a wealth of students to socialize with and learn from. That said, we’re increasingly nervous that perhaps educators are missing part of the new normal. First, we see repeatedly that often, parents are more invested in the college experience for their children than the students themselves. Teens today have many online and in-person communities, fellow students are just one community. Intellectual role models are everywhere, not just in the classrooms. Ease and cost definitely favor the home bedroom, especially for lower and middle class students. If you consider that 70% of students before the pandemic were not willing to go to college more than 250 miles from home, and then you add the pandemic, we are likely reverting to a much more locally sourced student body. Less international students coming to the US as countries seek their own educational answers to the pandemic are a true reality. On the pro bono side of our business, we clearly see students more focused on working than higher education at the moment. If we add up all these trends, we see a less diverse, more locally sourced, smaller student body.

Application volumes likely to be back-ended this cycle

Another likelihood is a reduction in Early Action and Early Decision applications. With students unable to visit campuses and decide on a favorite, we see less willingness to commit up front. And with high school counselors struggling to reach all their students, we see less Early Action applications as well. We have begun to notice some colleges extending Early deadlines. Wonder why?

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Where to now? 

Maybe the top 100 colleges and universities truly are resilient in this new normal. And maybe Dorn Smith is right that existing budget cuts are likely enough. The key is for university communities to challenge themselves with the hard questions. What is your consumer base asking for? And what are you delivering? Taking off the rose colored glasses would likely show a world where costs are too high and the delivery uneven. The shift to digital will undoubtedly change the landscape, it already was. And that’s a difficult transition. Just ask Kodak.