Josef Katz {Marketing Maestro}

Last week Fox 13 in Tampa ran a story on StraighterLine.  Today Fox 9 in Minneapolis, MN ran the segment below on our online college courses. 

This week was all about MN for us.  In addition to this news segment and great press coverage we signed on a new partner college which is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN (their programs are online).  Student’s who take their required college courses online with StraighterLine can transfer their college credits to Capella University for full college credit.  This is a great benefit and cost savings for anyone looking to get a college degree.

Which state will be next to cover our programs?

PS - If you are interested in helping spread the word and addressing the rising cost of a college education let me know.

Related Posts
Going to College in Tampa Florida
College Financial Aid Crisis Growing in Illinois

Fox 13 in Tampa, FL ran a story about the company I work for.  The College for $99 a Month segment has aired in a few markets in the past.   If you or anyone you know is planning to go to college in Tampa FL (or any city for that matter) check out our online college courses and save yourself up to 90% on your first year’s college tuition. 

Fox did a great job explaining how the StraighterLine program works and the benefits of online education.  If you have any questions, I am always available to discuss in more detail.

What do you think about online education?

As a lover of bike riding (the non motor version – that you pedal) I am always looking for a great ride in Bergen County, NJ. I ride solo a few times a week but going with a group has a number of benefits, such as:

• People to keep you company
• People to help if something goes wrong (hit by a car – it happens) flat tire, get lost etc…
• You can go longer distances (or faster if that is your goal) since the group keeps you motivated
• Find new roads and paths to take
  

Last week I found a group that meets at the Tenafly Bicycle Workshop. They leave at 8am Sunday mornings (they don’t ride in the rain) and go for about a 35 mile ride through a number of the neighboring towns. The pace is very comfortable for beginner and intermediate cyclists. There are some hills but overall the terrain covered is flat. If you have a road bike, a helmet and cycling shoes (ideal but not required) come out and join the group. Best part is it is free and you can meet some fellow bike riders in Bergen County.

If you are looking for longer and faster paced rides (50 miles at 18+ mph) let me know. I found a group that also meets Sunday mornings not too far from the Tenafly Bicycle Workshop.

Bergen County has some great places to ride so get out there, see the county and get some exercise.

If you live in the county and want to ride just let me know.

Illinois MAP scholarships are in a crisis

“Illinois turns away 27,000 for financial aid,” an article in the Chicago Tribune last week, reports some grim news for students who have been counting on scholarships from Illinois’s state-funded Monetary Award Program (MAP) program.

Here’s the crisis in a nutshell . . .

• This May, 27,000 eligible applicants were turned away because Illinois didn’t have enough money to cover MAP scholarships.

• Those 27,000 students are part of an even bigger group. In the academic year that just ended, a total of 120,000 eligible MAP applicants were turned away. (Compare that to 60,000 the year before.) And the crisis is expected to grow dramatically in the year ahead.

• The majority of students – 17,575 of the 27,000 – were seeking small loans to help pay for their tuition at public community colleges.

This crisis in educational funding is not unique to Illinois – it’s also being played out in California, Massachusetts and other states. But maybe companies like StraighterLine (where I now work) can help. If you're a student (or know one) in Illinois or elsewhere who needs help trimming college costs, explore the advantages of taking online cost-effective college courses. StraighterLine courses are not going to solve the crisis in IL but it can help you take your freshman year courses for less.

Last Tuesday night after dinner with some friends the “guys” decided to go to the local club, Mexicali Blues, for a drink. Boy did we have a great time. It was open jam night so admission was free and the music was great. 10 Years I have been passing the club and never went in but now we plan to go back every few weeks to hang out, hear some great music and just relax.

Every Tuesday night is Open Jam night at Mexicali Blues in Teaneck, NJ and boy, can some of these folks play!! A few of these musicians must have a few extra fingers the way they play the bass and guitars.

Mexicali Blues has a full bar and does offer food. I don’t know how the Open Jam works but I think if you are a musician you can just show up and put your name on a list. It is first come first playing sort of thing. I am sure it doesn’t hurt to be a regular and know the “gang”.

Mexicali Blues does have groups that play there on the weekends and you can check the site for a full list of the events coming to Teaneck, NJ (who would have thought Teaneck was a hot stop on the touring circuit…)

If you enjoy blues and/or live music and find yourself in the Teaneck, NJ area stop by on a Tuesday night and hang out with me and my pals. We will be the guys in the back without any instruments just enjoying the music and good friends (and possibly an adult beverage…). Maybe one day we will be just like the gang from the sitcom Cheers and everyone will scream JOSEF when I walk into the club.