@bester1 - I could not disagree more with the NY Post article that “parents are to blame.” Who is the biggest voice for going to college? Why have high schools, for the most part, completely abandoned vocational education? Why does a college education need to cost $70,000 per year when a school has 9 to 10 digit endowments?
My family has approached this as ‘go to the best school we (student and parents) can afford.’ My children will graduate from 4-year schools with only subsidized student loan debt. We have accomplished this through choosing programs that will cover all but the EFC cost of school. We are paying the difference between loans and fees not covered by aid out-of-pocket. The student is covering the cost of books and supplies with part time work. We are not taking any loans. Money is tight, but manageable for our situation.
The parents that upset me are the ‘you must pay for college’ types that make good money. I am not sure they realize the impact their income has on need based aid. We have friends that have adopted this approach. Their kids are pulling it off with higher loans while parents remodel the house and go on long vacations.
In my opinion, parents have been sold the same bill of goods that students have, a college education is the only way to succeed in life. BS. My oldest son recently completed a BS in Chemistry. He has a job paying $16/hr in a lab. He sees ads for vocational positions offering $20/hr for new hires. Not a strong vote for the college path. My point is that we, as a society, have done this generation a huge disservice by pushing college for everyone as the only path worth considering. The skilled trades are beginning to suffer. In my opinion, its perfectly ok to be a welder, pipe fitter or electrician. Not everyone is cut out for college and not everyone is cut out for skilled trades. We should let our kids know they are both options.