[Note from Bob: I get WAY too many emails from readers who take out over $100K+ in student loans and upon graduation discover that even low paying jobs can be hard to come by. Many find themselves deep in debt with very little income – not exactly starting off on the right foot.
I believe there will always be a time and a place for a college degree, but – more now than ever – to assume that a degree will land you a good job is (in many cases) wishful thinking at best. Therefore, I thought it might be nice to hear Lynnae’s suggestions for alternatives.]
Dates for SAT tests are rolling in. Notices for parent FAFSA information nights come home with your high school kid on a weekly basis.
It seems all the teachers at high school are pushing your child toward college.
That’s a good thing, right?
Maybe, but maybe not.
A college education is a good thing, under the right set of circumstances. But some kids aren’t cut out for college. At least not right away.
Before pushing your child into college, be sure to consider these 5 reasons your kid shouldn’t go to college.
He wants to pursue a career that doesn’t require a college education.
If your child wants to be a doctor or lawyer, a college education is necessary. But what if your child wants to become a plumber, an electrician, a hairdresser, or a musician?
None of these careers absolutely require a college education. Some will net your child good money without college. The others, like becoming a musician, are fairly low paying jobs. If your child takes out loans to pay for a music degree, will he be able to afford to work in the music field while paying off the loans?
When your child has strong ideas about what he wants to do with his life, make sure he actually needs that college degree before paying for it.
She can’t handle the academics.
Some kids thrive in the classroom. Others do not. If your child struggles in high school to the point of hating school, will she be successful in college?
There’s no point in setting a kid up for failure. I’m all for challenging kids to push their abilities to the limit, but if your child truly can’t handle the academic requirements of college, maybe it’s best to pursue another plan.
Sometimes it can be hard to know whether to push your child toward college or not. As a parent, you know your child’s personality the best. When your child has faced challenges in the past, has she risen to the occasion? Does she struggle because she’s scared or because she could benefit from extra help or tutoring? If so, pushing a child gently to take a couple of college classes could be a good thing.
But if your child struggles because she is not at all academically bent, or because she is rebellious and not interested in trying, it may be best to skip college altogether, at least for now.
He isn’t responsible.
Does your child take high school seriously? Every high schooler I know is irresponsible in one way or another, but I’m talking about the kid who doesn’t care about school at all.
If your child skips class, blows off tests, and gets detention on a regular basis, waiting on college might be a good idea.
Why pay $30,000 a year for a kid to skip class? Before ponying up the money, make sure your child will use his time well at college.
She can’t go without taking on a mountain of debt.
If your child can’t afford to go to college without taking on tens of thousands of dollars in debt, she should consider waiting.
I know it seems unfair, but she will be better off in the long run, especially if she doesn’t know exactly what career to pursue.
It’s better to work for a couple of years to save some money for college before taking out loans. I’d rather have my student delay college than live out the rest of her life trying to repay large amounts of student loans.
What to Do Instead of College
Contrary to what many teachers lead you to believe, there are plenty of options for kids who are not college bound right after high school.
Get a Job
Even though jobs that don’t require a college education initially pay less than those that do, getting a job right out of high school is a great choice for some kids.
A job teaches kids responsibility, money management, and work skills. And you never know when a simple menial job will lead to much more.
My non-college educated brother began working at a restaurant bussing tables after high school. He took interest in the kitchen and eventually learned to cook. At this point in his life, he’s worked as a chef in restaurants across the country – without a college education.
Go to Trade School
College isn’t the only education available after high school. A trade school is also a respectable form of education.
Trade jobs can pay very well, and the learning required is much different than traditional classroom learning.
If your kid isn’t “book smart,” trade school might be just the thing he needs to launch a well-paying career. Don’t count it out.
Learn Independently
A lot of education is available at a low cost or free, without going to college.
It won’t get your kid a degree, but it may be what she needs to learn to make a good living.
Especially if your kid is entrepreneurial minded, she may be able to learn what she needs by doing the research online and taking some community based business courses.
I have a college degree, but I learned everything I needed to know about blogging and freelance writing through experience, online courses, and connections I made with people who were doing what I wanted to do.
Independent learning is an especially viable option if your child is a self-starter and highly motivated to learn.
Enroll in a Gap Year Program
Some kids just don’t know what they want to do with their lives. And at eighteen years old, that’s normal.
But if you don’t want to pay thousands of dollars while your kid figures out what to do with his life, explore gap year programs.
They’re typically less expensive than a year at a traditional college, and your kid will learn important life skills.
After a year at one of these programs, maybe your kid will be ready for college. Or maybe he’ll decide college is not for him.
At least he’ll know for sure before going into debt for an education he may not use.
I want to leave you with a word of encouragement.
If your child does not seem to be cut out for college, don’t panic.
The brother I talked about earlier? He faced some pretty big challenges in high school. He barely graduated. There was no question that he was not college bound.
However, he found his niche in cooking and has cooked at some pretty impressive restaurants during the New England tourist season. In the off-season, he has taken his earnings and traveled the world.
Currently, he’s considering opening his own catering business.
He has definitely bucked the system and taken the road less traveled, but it has not impacted his success in life.
Your child can do the same. Take a look at options other than college and try one out. You never know where it may lead.
Financial success is less dependent on how much money you make and more dependent on how well you use the money you make. If your child understands the concept of spending less than he makes, he will do well in life, regardless of his job or degree.
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This is a great article and definitely addresses some issues, however, in today’s job market, I am amazed at the low paying jobs that “require” a degree before you can even be considered. No matter how much training or life experience you have, if you don’t fit their criteria with the “degree”, you don’t have a chance of getting your foot in the door.
How would you address the issue of someone who has received their Associates Degree from a community college and wants to transfer to a university to complete their bachelor’s degree but is still having tremendous financial difficulty? Are there online universities that will provide you with a bachelors in business administration at a significantly reduced price than attending a university in your state?
Check out Thomas Edison State College. They also allow for maximum CLEP credits to apply towards graduation, and in some cases will allow for “non-traditional” credits to be accepted. For example, I know of someone that had worked for 15+ years in retail and wanted to finish a degree, and was able to do a couple of “portfolios” regarding certain aspects of experience that showed “acceptable knowledge” of the content in a class, and it counted as credit towards the class. Granted, at the 300 and 400 level classes, there are fewer opportunities for CLEP/alternate credits, but it’s absolutely worth looking into this fully-accredited college.
For the record, I learned of them through CollegePlus, which is a coaching program that prepares high school students for dual-credit, and non-traditional students for most effective CLEP credits, and continue on with the student to finish with a much less expensive degree.
I’m not that familiar with online universities. That may or may not be an option, though I would definitely recommend significantly researching any university, online or not.
As far as paying for college, I would say look for lower cost schools and either 1) work your way through and pay as you go (my husband and I both did this, though it was easier in the 90s), or 2) commit to finishing in two years and take as little in student loans as you can.
That may mean going to a college close to home, so you don’t have to pay room and board. And it definitely means having a work plan after college. Before taking out any student loans, you should have a good idea of what kind of entry level work is available and how much it pays. You need to know that you can afford to repay your debts.
I would also say set goals for paying off student loans before signing on the dotted line. Know that when you graduate you will pay off your loans in 5 years (or however long).
I understand where you are coming from, though I see a lot of people with college degrees saying this. In my opinion it is often not important for the actual job to have a degree however, the more important point is that often times you can not even get a job without a degree! The degree might be in a completely different area then what your job is, however, if you don’t have that degree you will have the hardest time to get hired for a job that pays well. And this is from personal experience. Work experience doesn’t always matter, mostly it is that degree that is what employers want – its almost as if they get subsidies for people with college degrees….
That’s very true. Still, a lot of times graduating high school students don’t really realize this. It’s better to put college off for a while, while a student matures than to pay big bucks for them to flunk out of college because they’re busy partying (hopefully nobody’s kids do that here, but it’s common).
Sometimes a little work experience in a fast food restaurant will convince a young person that a college degree is worth it, even if they’re not into the idea right after high school.
We want our children to explore life skills in the middle school/ high school years. It will hopefully help them discover what they are good at and what to get a degree or vocational training in instead of getting a generic degree.
To save money for college, we are also encouraging our children to earn as much college credit through things like Dual Enrollment and CLEP exams. My wife earned her degree this way for about $10,000.
Smart! That’s a great way to go if you have a kid who is able to handle college level work in high school. One of the charter schools around here really pushes that option, and many kids are graduating high school at the same time they receive their AA degree. Saves a ton of money!
Josh,
Having children explore life skills in the middle school/ high school years is an excellent method to prepare kids for either a job skill or college! My daughter acquired a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certification while in high school. That really prepared her for the nursing degree program in college! This way, she new exactly what she was getting into and sailed through her university studies.
Thank you! I agree! My son is 19 yrs old and just completed his first year at a state college. He’s already in debt about $4000.00 and we had to pay about $3000.00 Well, this year he’s enrolled at the local community college for $46.00 a unit! That’s a deal!!! During his senior year, the college counselor held a meeting and when asked about community college as as option, she had zero info to offer! She said something like “statistics show that community college students will usually never move on to a 4-year college”!
I hate how high schools often overlook community college. My daughter’s school did the same thing. We didn’t listen, though, and she registered for classes at the local CC today.
Most of her expenses should be covered by financial aid without loans, thankfully. She was a little bit bummed about not going away to college, but agreed that graduating as close to debt free as possible was better than having the typical college experience.
I love this article. Thank you for writing it!
My wife and I have discussed this topic on several occasions. Too many people have debt they could have totally avoided. College isn’t the only way to succeed in life, and, as a teacher, I think society does people a disservice by suggesting that everyone should go. More important than college is a dedication to lifelong learning and continual growth.
While I’m still a fan of college (I have a masters degree), I believe no one should enslave himself to a mountain of debt just to get an education.
Hey Bob, thanks for very timely post.
I’m right there with my 20 year old son right now. He’s about to start his 3rd year of college and a great university close to our home. His interest (and degree) is in Digital Media with an emphasis on Cinematic Studies. That’s fancy talk for Visual Effects.
He’s been doing this kind of work on his own since he was 16, after he was discovered online by a producer. He’s already done the visual effects for 4 Pure Flix Movies and 3 seasons of a TBS show. At this point, I think he’s just going because we think he should.
I wonder if we’re doing the right thing nearly every day.
Wow, your son has accomplished a lot already! Congratulations!
That is amazing! You must be so proud!
This is great information have been to college myself in now I am paying back loans now I can’t even get the job I desired still… I would have to move😞😞, but now I have started a personal lifestyle fashion blog so if anyone interested please come and check me out! Thanks! Glamphrodisiac.com
Not having a bachelors degree is holding me back from where I worked at a company for 22 years. I left to care for my father. I applied at the company this year for the same job I had done and am not eligible or they have better candidates because I do not have a bachelors degree?? I’m really in shock but obviously God does not want me there!! I even talked to my old manager and because I don’t have a bachelors (I do have an AA) it’s a no go. I am still friends with all my old managers and friends so I’m quite disappointed to say the least. I’m 46 so going to college for the next who knows how many years or even an accelerated degree ($33k) is just not a good financial investment for us. We’re good with finances and can’t afford to take on a $33k debt just for college!! So its been extremely difficult to find work I’ve been looking for a year now. Had a few bites but nothing yet. I don’t expect to even make close to what I made when I left the company but still to no avail. 22 years of payroll and accounting does not account for anything unfortunately. And I’ve had recruiters tell me well because you haven’t worked for the last six years??? Obviously most people have not been a full time caregiver…24 hrs a day seven days a week is more than a full time job. But good thing Gods in control of us and our money!
That’s a tough situation. I often wonder what I would do if I had to get an outside job right now, as I’d face the same issue. I haven’t been formally employed in over 18 years!
Still, you’re making a wise decision by not taking on a huge amount of debt for college in this state of life. I said a prayer that God would lead you to the right job for you.
I am in total agreement with the tech school idea. One son is starting CNC training in September. He already has as AA in Business. But, he has not been able to find any kind of job on the 2 years since graduation. He is autistic, but this is an area which could still be good for him. My other son is still in the liberal arts track at Com. College. I think he should consider tech training, like welding or plumbing. But, his IT professional father thinks he is on the right path. I am so frustrated because this 23 y/o still has no focus and has not ever worked. A trade could set him up for life.
My 18 year old is on the autism spectrum, and she’s the one I had in mind when I wrote this article. She’s going to give community college a try, because in Oregon, she can get good financial aid for community college as long as she starts within 6 months of graduating high school.
But we’re keeping an open mind and realizing that full time college may or may not work out.
I, on the other hand, got a liberal arts degree that I’ve never used. :/
Our 21-yo daughter took CLEPs and other exams-for-credit, then transferred into a 4-year University’s online degree program. She will graduate this month with a fully-accredited Bachelor of Science degree at a total cost of one year of traditional University tuition. This method allowed her to take time off for travel, change her major as she learned the one she’d originally chosen was not for her, AND she has absolutely no debt.
We have a friend whose daughter went that direction. It’s an awesome idea if it fits your kid’s learning style!
To Elizabeth most states have programs that are transitional for community college to four year university that are within the state you reside and most offer scholarships to help out, so whatever state you reside just google the information or contact the counselor at the community college in which you are attending, good luck!
Well said! College straight out of high school was clearly not for me. I just now finished my Master’s degree at age 51, paid for by VA benefits! I didn’t get my BS until I was 30 yrs old as part of a Commissioning program in the Navy. That program made it possible or me to become a Commissioned Officer from the enlisted ranks upon graduation. A Military career is still another good option rather than going straight to college.
My daughter on the other hand, went straight to college and got her nursing degree. She was hired as an RN the day before graduation and after only two years on the job has paid off all her student loans! So proud of her! Go Noles!
I love stories like this, because it shows that there is no one right way to do things. Different paths can lead to success. Congrats to your daughter!
Now I like this post! I am for sure going to pass this information on to my parent friends with college bound students to read first to see if their sons and daughters actually desire and/or are cut out for college. This post will save a lot of time, money and frustration. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Clarene Miller
P.S.: The next time someone (my so called educated friends) makes a crack about me “NOT” having a college education (I was never really interested in college) I’ll just remind them I finished paying off my mortgage the year I turned 50 and I only have a high school education – all with God’s help of course – and I’ll be sure to shoot em an email of this post. Thank you again.
Congratulations on paying off the mortgage! That’s huge!
I graduated from H.S. class of 1960. Then, if you went into almost anything except going on to college, you were “falling by the wayside”. Things started sorting themselves. Kids would flunk out and would be faced with making a living, avoiding the draft, and so on. A lot, ignoring the somewhat negative stigma, went into what they should have been doing in the first place right out of high school. Going into skilled trades, Finding employers that provide on the job training and, one of my favorites, taking a few years and taking work that you don’t particularly like but pays will. Or even going into the service awhile. You usually come away from this motivated and ready. OBTW, if you just lay around and vegetate and don’t do much then you usually get what you deserve.
Maybe someone else can resonate with my story.
Another path less traveled is to apply for a 4 year Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship. This allowed me to graduate San Diego State University at no cost and have a position waiting for me when I graduated college as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force in 2003.
My parents were convinced that if their children were motivated to attend college, we would find a way to put ourselves through. I did live at home while attending SDSU and worked at the University Library as an aid for 4 years to assist with gas, insurance, and the all-important carne asada burrito expenses.
Community College is also a great resource to fast track through a 4 year university program with intersession/summer courses, and smaller classroom that made my advanced math courses easier to complete.
The ROTC program did work for me and it may be the right option for some of your young adults. My daughters are 5 and 9, I’m very excited to see them explore their interests and what they will want to pursue.
ROTC is definitely a good option for some kids! And my parents had the same philosophy – if we wanted to go to college, we’d find a way to pay for it. I worked full time while putting myself through school. Of course school was a little less expensive back then…
I believe there is a very strong case to be made for community colleges or night courses there. The profs are often passionate, and some kids move on to higher ed afterwards.
You often have a much more closer relationship with Profs than in large institutions and this positive educational experience can spur even the least interested in widening their horizons and discover what it is they like.
This is all so true! My husband paid back $50,000 in student loans and does not even use his degree! I was educated at home and had no intentions of going to college as I started a business at age 17. However, I decided to pursue a degree “just in case” I ever needed it. I did things a little unconventionally and was able to earn my BA in one year for under $8,000. There are many different routes to getting an education and it is sad that our society tends to lean toward a “one size fits all.”
I say this all the time, I don’t think now is the time to go to college! My work is in social media marketing and like Bob, I too learned all of what I need to know from webinars and training I’ve taken. I did attend college, and graduated with a degree in Psychology which has undoubtedly helped me become a better manager first and now a marketer. These days, in place of college, there are a million resources (sooooo many of them free!) available to someone who is driven, motivated, organized, and willing to stay the course to learn on their own – things like Khan Academy and Coursera.com have sprouted up where you can learn practically anything. The ability to set your own course and instead of being constrained by someone else’s idea of requirements, you can explore and learn your way.
Exactly! And I think we’re only going to see an increase in these kinds of learning opportunities. It will be interesting to see what happens to the whole college model as online learning becomes more widely available. I don’t think higher education will be going away anytime soon, but I do think we’ll see a change.
Thank you, Barb Gray, for the information about Coursera.org. I am a 56-year old, working toward a bachelors degree for many years between 4 kids and a full time job. I have used Khan Academy in the past, and it helped me get through some tough classes. I have a few classes that could be CLEP’d and I had decided to CLEP Business Law first. With your tip, I found a wonderful American Law course on Coursera.org by professors from Penn Law school. I believe it will help me prepare very nicely for my CLEP exam. Thank you for sharing!
I’m all about taking a gap year from college. I wish I had taken a year to think things through and do a little bit of other work and learn other things besides studying after I finished high school. However, I’m all for going to college and am so happy that I did go to college. I know a whole lot of other people haven’t gone to college and are immensely successful. Life is all about what you make out of it!
Accepting the reality that you must first invest a large amount of money in an education that may not have even truly prepared you for a career before you will be considered for hire is the Lemmings’ way. There will always be plenty of people waiting in line to do things just as they were told. Right now, things are shifting and only those who pay attention and think outside the box will recognize that there are many different ways to be happy and fulfilled. I will teach my children the importance of asking questions, I will emphasize the importance of creative expression, self-teaching, tolerance, and never push them to conform to some antiquated standard of success. College is a racket.
Thank you for writing this article.
I mostly agree with this though at the same time, at 18, I was one of those kids who probably shouldn’t have gone to college. I hated school! I was an apathetic, mediocre student. Though I did manage to achieve honor roll in high school, surprisingly, while doodling on all my notebooks. My parents twisted my arm into going straight to college and I did, although I cried at college orientation. I had other aspirations in mind, but none of them would likely have lead to a solid salary – and, at that age, money seemed very unimportant to me. Part of me regrets going to college since going meant I couldn’t pursue my one of my dreams and part of me is glad that I at least have a degree since I got a good job immediately after graduating. But a lot of it is the degree the kid chooses. I wizened up sophomore year and switched from wildlife science to environmental policy and planning, which served me well. Engineering would have been better. But now I’m a stay at home mom earning nothing, which makes me wonder why I put in so much effort and abandoned the things I love at a time when I had the freedom to do them. Of course, I did meet my husband in college so that was one good thing that came out of it in addition to a career I believe in that I will be able to return to one day. I do think, for me at least, money is the least of my worries and it’s taken me a long time to realize that. Money doesn’t make me happy and certainly spending it doesn’t either. I’ve cut back on our expenses dramatically and am much happier for it.