Dear Second Chance Student, When I received your question, I knew I didn't have all the right answers for you so I asked Ken O'Connor, the Director of Student Advocacy at CUStudentLoans.org to help. Ken is recognized by CBS MoneyWatch as one the top 25 college twitterers! Thanks Ken!"First up, the student should not feel bad, or like they have made some kind of huge mistake by pursuing their prior degree. If they were talked into it by someone else, there is no sense in feeling bad after the fact.
I'm not a Prison HR expert, however, I do know they are the kind of organizations that would require Master's degree recipients for very specific positions. My advice would be to first focus on exactly what positions would require this advanced education. Then research the administration of other prisons, and look at the educational background of people that have the same positions you would like to hold. What schools did they go to? Did they like it there? Does it have an alumni base in the field you want to enter?
Unfortunately, school opportunities have irreparably changed as a result of completing a first bachelors degree. The student cannot ever be funded with any federal need based grants to pursue a 2nd bachelors, and most likely will not qualify for any institutional merit or need based grants no matter where she attends. If she were to purse a Master's Degree, they would be eligible for the same thing, just federal stafford loans. So my advice is to forget doing a second Bachelor's and go for a Masters instead. Consider a Master's in Public Administration, but only after being exactly sure that this would fill the requirement. The MPA is really only effective when combined with real work experience, but it could be the linchpin to securing the job when the opportunity arises.
Second, are there any places that offer aid to students/young professionals that are wanting to correct their mistakes and get a degree that they could actually benefit from in a career?
Schools will give support within their sphere of influence, and will arm the student with knowledge, but really only the student does any work towards advancing a career. No school is going to help you correct mistakes and no one comes out of programs instantly getting jobs anymore. The employment wheels are set in motion long before even starting a degree program. It sounds like the student wants a do-over because they are unhappy with their first degree choice.
On the second try, this student needs to be careful to avoid the mistake of thinking a school is going to bestow a magical gift to her, making her instantly employable. She needs to instead focus on what actual job skills and ability she needs to continue in her field. I suspect that in the field of prisons, there is NO CLASSROOM CAPABLE OF TEACHING THE LESSONS NEEDED TO WORK THERE. It's more about experience, and being connected politically. Since Dad has been in the business for over 20 years, I bet there might be some clout in her corner, so just getting a Master's to pad the resume will be enough to secure that job when it opens."
Hope this helps you! Best of luck!!
Classy Career Girl and Ken O'Connor
(photo by Tulane PR)
