Some parents may consider the following article a bit controversial. But I think its important that parents and students have an understanding of the realities of higher education. If you have an alternate view to share with readers, I encourage you to post your view/information in our Colleges Forum for further discussion.

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If you are the parent of a high-school student (freshman, sophomore, junior or senior), it is very likely you are contemplating how you will motivate your student to make the move from high-school to college when the time comes. While you are mulling this over in your mind, here is something else you should think about. “College,” the traditional step for many high-school graduates, may not be the best route to employment for your student.

Whoa! Doesn’t everyone need a college degree? Not really. Depending upon which data source you select, only 22-30 percent of U.S. jobs actually require a college degree--associate's, bachelor's, master's, doctoral, professional (excludes certificate and advanced diploma programs). Of that 22-30 percent, only about two-thirds actually require a bachelor's degree or higher; the remainder require only “education beyond high-school.” Sure, the advent of the information age means that life and times are changing, but these percentages have actually been fairly stable for the last decade or so.

Is this an “off-the-wall” theory? Not really. Employment researchers have consistently reported on the fallacy of the college degree requirement; but, there are many that feel its better to promote higher education even if it is no truly required. It’s only been in recent years that we have started worrying whether the price students and families pay for higher education really justifies the outcome for students.

In his book, Going Broke by Degree: Why College Costs Too Much, Richard Vedder--historical economist, Distinguished Professor of Economics at Ohio University, and commission member of the U.S. Secretary of Education’s Commission on the Future of Higher Education—-comments on the fallacy of the college degree as the golden egg. He writes that students and families are facing an ever-increasing burden, with little guarantee of a positive return on their investment. U.S. colleges and universities (specifically, those with undergraduate programs) notes Vedder, are inefficient and ineffective; serving not to educate, but merely to screen prospective employees for positions that truly do not require degrees. Students and families simply are not getting what they pay for.

If not college, then what? The world is literally filled with possibilities. The important thing for parents to remember is that here are many paths from high-school to employment, and a college degree is only one of those paths. Alternatives to traditional four-year college enrollment include internships/apprenticeships, vocational/technical training, junior/community college certificates/degrees, and/or military service. All of these paths can result in your student gaining the skills and experiences required for sustainable employment.

Does that mean you should dump the college fund and take a vacation? No, of course not! But it does mean that you should take a step back and help your student take an objective look at what he/she wants out of life before putting on the pressure to head for college. Remember, this is your student's future--not yours. It is important to let your student define "success" in a way that's meaningful and fulfilling to him or her. Give your student wings and let him or her fly.

Until next time!

Lynn Byrne

Preparing for college admissions? Trying to find direction? Need a little help with the planning? Check out my college planning series:

• College Planning Made Easy--the planning and preparation workbook for the take charge, college-bound student,
  
• Paying for College Made Easy--a college financing guide designed to assist students and families in preparing and planning for higher education expenses; and
  
• The Great Scholarship Search--my guide for students and parents researching and applying for scholarship funding.