is college for all? not necessarily

Although college degrees are portrayed as the key to success for money, are they really worth it? Is a college degree all that it’s said to be? As Zagier states in “College for all? Experts say not necessarily.” On average those who attend four year colleges have a debt of $23,200 which was a $5,000 increase to the prior years. Not only were the debt prices increasing, but two-thirds of four year graduating classes still owe money for student loans. This shows how student debts are becoming more of a burden. Earning a four year college degree isn’t necessarily for everyone, but there are always alternate options like going to community colleges, or attending technical training both in which may be more beneficial to some.
Many of the alternate options rather than a four year college have ways of helping students get internships and jobs in general, or, if students choose to attend community colleges, there tend to be many programs that help their students. Catherine Gewertz used Chessy Dintruff from Northern Virginia Community College as her example in “College for All Reconsidered: Are Four-Year Degrees for All?” At Northern Virginia Community College students can become a part of the NOVA partnership program. The program was crafted to support high school and later their community college students as they further their education. Later, students who are in good standing are guaranteed a spot in a Virginia State University. Chessy was part of the school’s pathway to a baccalaureate program which helped prepare her to enroll into a four-year college. San Diego City College has the U-Link program, something similar to Northern Virginia Community College’s assistance program. If students maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0, they are able to get guaranteed acceptance to University of California, San Diego. Programs like these are beneficial to the students because students tend to pay less for general education courses and some courses that lead into their intended major.
With the alternate options, people may not be attending a four year college, but they can still further their education and go somewhere in life. They can still serve as role models to siblings or mentors in their communities. Those who choose not to go for a four year degree are still setting a good example for others around them. They are working to better their life by taking other paths that give them opportunities to grow as a person. Community colleges and other options available for pursuing a better future allow those people to earn an education their own way and take charge of their lives. They might not be receiving a 4 year college degree but it’s still a method of furthering ones education.
Alternate schooling programs are beneficial to those who know specifically what they want to go into. For example, Zagier described Kate Hodges who went to Tulsa Welding School. The alternate schooling options to a four year college have personal benefits. For instance, in “The Importance of Learning Styles in Training” by Mike Collins, he tells how technical training allows for hands on experience which may appeal to certain people whereas others may prefer community college or certificate programs with the classroom experience. Some alternate programs work specifically benefiting certain learning styles. Kinesthetic learners can benefit more from technical training or community college, whereas auditory and visual learners would benefit more from certificate programs or even community colleges as well.
On the other hand, in the “Transcript of President Barak Obama’s Commencement Address at Hampton University” Obama disagrees when he states that “jobs today often require at least a bachelor’s degree, and that degree is even more important in tough times like these.” Not only did he say that it was necessary to earn a degree to be a competitor in the job market but also to take part in the global economy. Also Obama states in his article, “Yes, an education can fortify us to meet the tests of our economy, the test of our citizenship, and the tests of our times.” So he believes that education is the key to success. But aren’t technical training, certificate programs, and community colleges forms of furthering education? Those who do use those forms of alternate education do earn more knowledge from the programs. Also from “Pathways to Prosperity” Catherine Gewetz’s quotes a study done by Harvard University that shows that “two-thirds of the jobs created in the United States by 2018 will require some postsecondary education, but of those, nearly half will go to people with occupational certificates or associate degrees… [and] one-fourth of those who hold such credentials earn more than the average bachelor’s degree holder.” This information shows that, in time, the job market will be filled with more recipients of associate degrees or occupational certificates than recipients of four year college degrees. According to the studies, people don’t necessarily need a big fancy degree from a four year degree school to take part in the global economy or even be a part of the job market.
In conclusion, although four-year college degrees are seen as more beneficial by some, others can see them as a waste of time and money. The way people see a degree usually depends on their personal preferences, like if they allow a degree to determine how they perceive some ones status in society or if they were raised believing college is the key to money and success. As well as how well they are self-disciplined to take initiative in the more challenging courses. Also it depends on some one’s personal value of education, like the importance of education in one’s life. In today’s society, we are raised to believe that college education is what we need, but, in fact, The Harvard University studies information from Catherine Gewetz’s article has proven otherwise. Just like everything else in the world, we need a variety of people with diverse educational levels.