Affordable Degree Programs for Locals Launched
Staff Reporter-SKNVibes.com
|
|
|
John Evans, President of Education for Advancement
|
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS - A leading company for online education in the Caribbean, Education for Advancement (EFA), announced last night (May 22nd) that they will be opening a coordinating office in St. Kitts, allowing Kittitians and Nevisians an opportunity to obtain globally accredited degrees at a fraction of what they might cost overseas.
John Evans, who has more than 15 years experience in higher education and is President of EFA, gave a brief presentation at the Foundation for National Development (FND) in which he stated that the EFA’s decision to open an office in St. Kitts was a “result of changing needs in the Caribbean.”
“For you to be able to compete in the global market you need the same kind of [educational] advantages those in more developed countries have, and technology has enabled wider access now.
“Apart from the University of the West Indies, there aren’t that many opportunities here so people were previously forced to travel to the UK or USA, which is a very expensive process,” said Evans as he explained the importance of EFA’s opening in St. Kitts. ~~Adz:Right~~
According to Evans, EFA offers their degree programs for much less than the cost of traditional universities, with Master’s degrees costing US $12,600, Bachelor’s US $9,600, Associate’s US $4,800 and 1-year, Professional Career Qualification Certificates ranging in price from US $750-$1100 to complete.
By working in collaboration with a number of overseas universities, such as the University of Leicester and Ashworth University, EFA is able to offer 70 different distance learning programs to their students, including mass communications, business administration, emergency planning management, criminal justice and health care.
“All of our programs are fully inclusive of study materials, texts and online support,” said Evans. “We also offer flexible, interest-free payment plans—so, we really are a university for everyone.”
Evans added that by opening an office in St. Kitts, he expected the current contingent of 60 Kittitian and Nevisian students enrolled in EFA to grow exponentially. “By having staff on the ground in St. Kitts we will be able to offer counseling for students having trouble with their studies, help arrange payment plans and provide technical support.”
Several scholarships are being offered to celebrate the launch of EFA in St. Kitts, including one $2,000 and four $1,000 scholarships for the August term of the Master’s degree programs.
Interested Individuals can contact the EFA Learning Center by calling 465-4135 or visiting their website at www.efalearning.com
