COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., May 4, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mother's Day usually means chocolates and flowers, however, according to a recent survey conducted by Harris/Decima, what moms really want is the gift that lasts a lifetime – education. Results show that 43 percent of moms not planning to return to school in the next two years would continue their education if nothing stood in their way. The survey was completed on behalf of Everest College, and included more than 450 moms in Colorado, Missouri, Nevada and Utah.
For moms who aren't currently in school, the top three barriers keeping them from continuing their education are financial means (63 percent), time (53 percent) and childcare (38 percent). For moms with kids under the age of five, childcare is the largest barrier (69 percent).
Despite the barriers, more than one-quarter (29 percent) of moms plan to go back to school within the next five years. For the moms surveyed, the top reasons for returning to school are to have access to more career opportunities (42 percent), to make more money (32 percent) and to enhance their current career (31 percent). Among current students, the main motivations for furthering their education are to be a role model for their children (51 percent), make more money, (47 percent) and to help support their family (47 percent).
"At Everest College our focus is to help all students, including moms, overcome challenges and barriers to succeed and fulfill their dreams," said Mark Cameron, regional vice president of operations. "Our campuses truly go above and beyond to support the students we serve. In addition to providing our students with access to quality education and workforce training, we also connect them to important school and community resources depending on their specific needs."
The moms surveyed were asked about how helpful specific services and/or resources would be if they were available to them by their college. Online courses were viewed as most helpful (83 percent), followed by childcare (42 percent) and access to health care (41 percent) and discounts on transit passes (28 percent).
According to Cameron, each Everest College campus prides itself on its community connections. "We build strong relationships within the community and we leverage those to provide our students with access to a wealth of resources from childcare, housing and food assistance to transportation and access to health insurance. If there is a need, we will find a way to address it. Also if an is the best option and fit for a student, career-oriented associate, bachelor's and master's degrees are available through Everest University Online, a division of Everest University."
This Mother's Day, Everest College is proud to honor its students and graduates who are moms and have overcome extraordinary challenges to earn their college degrees.
The Value of a Degree
The survey found that having a college or university degree has helped most moms increase their income (73 percent). Half (55 percent) of moms who didn't complete a college or university degree feel the lack of a degree prevents them from having their preferred career.
A photo accompanying this release is available at .
About the Survey:
Everest College's 2011 Mother's Day survey was conducted by Harris/Decima from April 5th to April 25th, 2011. A total of 467 mothers in Colorado, Missouri, Nevada, and Utah were surveyed using Harris/Decima's online panel.
About Everest College:
Everest College is part of the Everest family of schools, which provides career-oriented diploma and degree programs in health care, criminal justice, skilled trades, business, paralegal and information technology. Programs vary by campus. Everest College has six Mountain Region campuses, including Colorado Springs, Aurora and Thornton in Colorado as well as Salt Lake City, Utah; Henderson, Nevada; and Springfield, Missouri. Everest College has more than 100 schools in the U.S. and Canada, and is owned by Corinthian Colleges, Inc., one of the largest post-secondary education companies in North America. For more information, visit .
The Corinthian Colleges, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=8848
About Harris/Decima:
Harris/Decima is a Harris Interactive company and is one of Canada's most established names in public opinion and market research, with a 25-year track record of innovation and client satisfaction. Today, they are among Canada's largest full service research firms and fastest growing success story. The secret of our success is simple: work hard to meet every client's expectations, by providing professional service with a personal touch. Our people are driven to excel at helping our clients excel. For more information, visit .
Note: Everest VP, Mark Cameron, and Everest graduate, Maria Guzman, are available for comment/interview.
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The photo is also available via AP PhotoExpress.
CONTACT: Tammy Stratton The Bawmann Group (for Everest College) 303-320-7790 tammy@morethanpr.com
