Subscribe to the NetworkNot-so politically correct thoughts
A new article in the NY Times, apparently from the “Journal of the Obvious,” is talking about how college education is becoming unaffordable for middle class families. But, because college is now a necessity, people are paying for the education through taking on debt.
On one hand we could say the debt is worth it since college grads make an average of $26k more a year than someone without a college degree.
On the other hand we might say that accruing more debt, one that can easily cripple the graduate for years to come from doing missional things, isn’t worth it – and especially since more and more are going back to waiting tables even after graduating.
A few maybe not so politically correct thoughts that may make me seem a bit sinnacle:
- Since college education is now necessary in our culture, what would happen if it was part of the public school system – like elementary, jr. high, and high schools? Historically it has been largely a private venture here in the States because it wasn’t a “required” stage of education – but that has changed. I wonder what the next 200 years of our country will look like when it comes to college education – will it be paid for by taxpayers, like the the other stages of school?
- If billions of dollars have gone out to corporations that are still having $200,000 corporate retreats and buying ballparks in New York for marketing purposes, maybe the government would eventually “bail out” the Jamison’s from their $25,000 debt that will enslave them for the next 15 years for a college education.
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Well… college education isn’t always necessary… there are still skills that will be performed that don’t require a degree, and yet are still viable (and in many cases, valuable). For example, plumbing, electrical work, and construction; you may have to go to trade school for these sorts of things, and it may be provided by a union (and you may therefore be limited in your opportunities as a result of it.)
But I don’t see Joe the Plumber going into $100k of debt to learn how to be a plumber, even at a trade school, or taking 4 years to do it.
Now, college doesn’t have to cost $25k a year either. I just looked up my local community college, and I get 18 hours x $108 / credit hour = roughly $2,000 per semester, or $4,000 / year, for quite a few opportunities.
Once people learn to get past the dirty little secret that it doesn’t matter where (or if) you go to college, it’s what you learn and what you know… I think (hope) we’ll see the college tuition bubble start to burst.