A program on PBS that aired in May of 2011 attracted much attention. The discussion question of the day was, “Is a College Diploma Worth the Soaring Student Debt?” As a parent, what worries me is the uncertainty of what the educational landscape will look like by the time my girls are ready to attend university. I think this debate is important. I find myself asking many questions…
- Is education intrinsically valuable at all times, in all circumstances, and for all children?
- When is it and when isn’t it worth the debt to get a BA degree?
- Does a UCLA graduate who delivers pizza and has a $60,000 debt really have an advantage in life when compared to an 18-year-old who delivers pizza and has no debt? If so, what is this advantage? Does the advantage depend on the person’s goals post-university? What if an 18-year-old is not ready to determine whether their career path requires a diploma?
- Are there other equally valid ways for our children to gain critical knowledge? Does it always have to be in a classroom? (Such as joining AmeriCorps, the army, or traveling the world?)
- Can our children be successful in life without a college education?
Here is the PBS discussion link:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/jan-june11/college_05-27.html
it is worth if the student does know what he or she wants. if during high school years no interests defined, then it is better to do some assistant work in different fields and industries rather than pay tons of money and then realize that it was not the right choice.
This is an interesting option. I think many parents worry that if their children do not go to college immediately after high school that they lose their educational momentum and will not return. I think taking time to explore what they really want to do could be a very important step for some students.