As the world economy slows down, more so the American economy, more and more people are going back to school for graduate education. This has been a trend which has been observed in the past. And now universities are already seeing an increase in enrollment. One of the major reasons why students go in for a slightly longer stint at grad school in a slower economy is that since the employment opportunities are on the lower side, having higher level degrees under your belt is a definite plus as the economy tries to come out better and stronger on the other side of the economic slow down. One thing is for sure, economic slow downs are cyclical and are not going to last forever. So once the economy is looking up, you need to be sure that you have the right sort of skills to ride the wave. Even in a down economy, with the right mix of skills and higher degrees, students try to get that edge over their competition with respect to employers.

But not all is bad at the school level. With the state government tightening up budgets for state schools, many schools are raising money from outside. Recently, Virginia voters chose in November to authorize an $846 million general obligation bond issuance for higher education. More than $68 million of that will come to U.Va., with $14.3 million slated for the South Lawn Project, $5.7 million for renovations of the Gilmer Hall teaching laboratories used by biology and psychology and $4.6 million to renovate Fayerweather Hall for art history.

Says Margaret Wood, assistant to the dean at Wichita State University’s graduate school - “The economy has been a catalyst for people to consider whether their careers are headed in the right direction. A lot of the students who are continuing with school realize that a bachelor’s may not be enough anymore to ensure a quality job”, she says. “Bachelors’ are entry-level in many areas now,” Wood says.