According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 1980, the annual cost of a four year college degree was $10,231, including tuition, fees and room and board. Currently, the cost of a college education ranges from around $25,000 to nearly $100,000 annually without room and board. Because inflation continues to increase and many are struggling to make ends meet, families are questioning whether student loans are the answer to their child’s future.
From working with a variety of students who have different goals, college is not the answer for every student. We as a society have a problem in the way we expect students to know what they should do at the age of 18, especially when we do not equip them with the resources to make the “most important decision in their life.” Furthermore, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, research has shown the brain does not finish developing until the mid-late 20s, by which time the college decision has already been chosen.
When determining if college is a good fit at the current price tag, it’s important to consider a variety of factors. Some career programs require specific degrees and training from a four-year college program, including many medical-related fields or those pertaining to engineering. For those who are exploring degree programs that aren’t as straightforward in the types of training they provide, location and networking opportunities could play a more important role in aiding stronger job placement upon graduation.
With that in mind, the US has almost 4,000 degree-granting institutions to choose from. Many people automatically assume staying in-state is the best option for students. However, this isn’t always the case. Some out-of-state programs offer more enticing scholarships to out-of-state students because they want to enhance student membership with students from all 50 states to have different perspectives in their classrooms.
Fortunately for those who are unsure if college would be a good fit, Indiana has various lower cost community college programs through Ivy Tech that have affiliated transfer programs after two years into a four-year degree program at universities such as Butler University or Indiana University Bloomington.
For these reasons, I was motivated to open Hoosier Academic Coaching to equip students with the resources to allow them to explore potential opportunities, allowing them to build necessary skills to make more informed decisions about the opportunity of an education and the debt associated with a four-year college degree. With the students I assist, I also support them with building a college list that would be a suitable fit for their character and can potentially provide greater scholarship opportunities to programs out-of-state. When I am not working with students, I am out visiting programs across the US and internationally to determine whether or not they would be a better fit in a holistic sense than some of the in-state offerings. My goal is to teach students how to make the most of one of the greatest investments they will ever make in their lifetimes, next to purchasing a house or a car.
When high school graduation season comes around next year, I ask you not to assume all seniors who are graduating are college bound. Instead of saying, “what school are you attending?” Ask something along the lines of, “what are you hoping to do now?” It’s important that we continue to respect and value those who decide to serve our great country in the line of service or start at a community college to learn how to open a small business with the same emphasis we place on our high school seniors who are college bound.
Meaghan Rysdale is the founder of Hoosier Academic Coaching in Greenwood, which assists high school students with the college admissions process and scholarships. She is an active member of the Higher Educational Consultants Association and Independent Educational Consultants Association and serves on the Government Relations Committee for Indiana National Association College Admissions Counseling. Send comments to [email protected].
