I’ll start with the facts: Today, over 70% of all college students graduate with an average of $29,400 in debt per person, for a grand national total of over $1.2 trillion, according to NBC news.  In the last ten years, student loan debts have significantly increased while graduates struggle even more due to a drop in average salaries.  If you don’t buy that, believe the statistics:  As published by a Wall Street Journal blog, “From 2005 to 2012, average student loan debt has jumped 35%, adjusting for inflation, while the medium salary has actually dropped by 2.2%.”  That’s quite a lofty spike in loan debt in just seven years.  Imagine what that could mean for those little toddlers learning their alphabet, looking to attend college in over a decade.  Numbers are intimidating.  Does that mean the twenty years of paying off loans should scare students away from the traditional higher education?

It’s a question much of the senior class is asking.  On a daily basis, the questions are fired away: “Do you know where you’re going to college?”  “What are your top two choices?”  “If money wasn’t a factor, where could you see yourself next year?”  I know from experience that these are tough questions.  For some, the response is automatic.  Other soon-to-be Air Academy grads aren’t so sure.  Why?  Acceptances.  Personal decisions.  Specific programs. Scholarships.  The long awaited, anxiously anticipated financial aid packages.  

There it is, ladies and gentlemen, students and hopeful financial-help-seekers.  The price of attending college has reached a new level of ridiculous.  It seems every year tuition goes up.  The hidden cost of room and board and personal expenses creep into every student’s and parent’s checkbook.  Maybe it seems this way because all of a sudden I have to start worrying about how I’m going to pay for an education.  We forget, as students of the public education system, that we have it good.  We don’t have to pay to get a high quality, 13-year education by the time we’re legally adults.  When you look at it that way, BYOD and five classes a day don’t seem all that bad.  

For many seniors, the answer to that everyday question comes down to the dollar.  Literally. Which college can I afford? It’s all fun and merry when you get that thick acceptance package; but when push comes to shove, the decision often centers around money.  We wish it wasn’t that way, but sometimes reality hurts.  Is college even worth it, then?  Do I want to be paying off $160,000 of debt until I’m 40 years old, with kids of my own looking to attend college that will undoubtedly have gotten even more expensive?  Is the cost of college worth its rewards?  It’s a reasonable question.  So how do you answer it?

1.  Ask yourself, does the career that I am aspiring toward require a college degree?  If so, and if the field you intend to enter will likely land you a decent salary job, then clearly your answer would be yes.  Attend a college.  Earn a degree.  If that means taking a gap year to earn some money for your higher education, then take a year or two off.  Get a job and gain some experience in the process.  If the answer to that question is no, don’t make the decision harder than it needs to be.  Enter a vocational program in your community and train to be the best at what you do.  Who says you need to waste your money on a degree that won’t be of any use to you?
2. Are my parents and I prepared to fund a college education?  Depending on your individual and family situation, a $50,000 per year education may or may not be financially feasible.  This is not to say that an aspiring student is out of luck if they simply can’t pay for college.  Instead, the option of taking time away from the education system doesn’t seem all that bad.  After all, the opportunities for going back to school later in life have expanded with online colleges.
3. Are the academics, along with the social life of college, right for you?  For many people I know, college wasn’t the right path because of personal situations.  Whether it be personal health reasons or a family reason keeping you in-state or at home, some young adults find it harder to get away.  That’s not a bad thing.  For some reason in our society, the notion of staying home for a year or two, maybe attending a community college close to home is coupled with a negative connotation.  When kids say they will be attending UCCS (University of Colorado at Colorado Springs) in the fall, many jump to the conclusion that these kids are “not good enough” to go out and live on their own at a “real” college.   Guess what: UCCS was recently ranked 46th out of the western region’s universities according to U.S. News.  Not bad, Colorado Springs, not bad.

College isn’t the only option.  In fact, for many, the financial aspect of college is not even worth it.  Joe Schneider, an Air Academy senior, says, “Generally, I don’t think it’s worth it to go to college if you’re going to be stuck in debt for the rest of your life.”  The looming fear of accumulating debt scares many away from expensive higher educations.  Luckily, this driving factor intimidates many students out of a miserable 40 years of paying off student loans.