The Importance of a College Education By Catherine Olivia Tuesday, October 3, 2006

It cannot be stressed enough to young people that a college education is the only way to obtain a good job and the type of job that will allow for a comfortable lifetime income and a secure future. My nephew said just last night that he wanted to be a fork lift operator at a local marina, "they make $19.00 an hour" he said. Well, $19.00 an hour seems like a fortune to a young teenager, but what happens when this teenager grows up and gets married and has several children? We stressed to him that college is the only way to go.

Needless to say, college is one of the biggest expenses a parent will be faced with. The cost of colleges vary widely. A four year private college can cost $25,000.00 or more a year. A four year public college is in the $10,000.00 a year range. However, there are ways parents can prepare for college expenses. Saving money is the primary way parents pay for college. Setting up a savings plan specifically for a child's education. Assuming you start when your child is born, and you have a saving account with an interest rate of 4%, a monthly deposit of only $29.00 will in 18 years amount to $10,000.00. Quite a nice chunk of change to help offset college expenses. There are federal Parents Loans available that offer low interest rates and give parents the advantage of spreading costs over time.

There are ways the student himself or herself can help with the cost of college. Financial aid is available through numerous grants, scholarships and student loans. Grants and scholarships are monies that do not have to be repaid, but they are based on students maintaining certain grade averages and courses. Student loan rates are generally lower than rates for other types of loans and are repaid after the student finishes college. Some colleges offer work-study programs where students can work during the summer to help pay their college expenses.

A US Census Bureau Report in 2002 showed that on average, workers who graduated high school earned a yearly salary of $26,800.00. Those with a Bachelor's Degree earned an average yearly income of $50,650.00, and those with degrees in business, law, or medicine, earned on average $101,400.00. Today, those with Bachelor's Degrees earn 70% more than those with just a high school education.

The short term hardship of paying for a college education is obviously outweighed by long term rewards.

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