In today's troubled economy, getting an education is more important than ever. The main reason boils down to dollars and sense. If you want to earn more money, then you should go to college. The U.S. Labor Department has the statistics to prove it.
Women with less than a high school diploma earned $323 weekly in 2002 compared with $809 for those with a college degree. Male high school dropouts had earnings of $421 weekly that year compared with $1,089 for male college graduates.
But of course, you have to be employed to worry about having a paycheck. At nearly 10%, the U.S. unemployment rate is the highest it's been in over a decade.
Americans who have a college degree are also less likely to be unemployed, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Unemployment and the fear of it are making many people enroll in college or return to complete their degrees. But that's not to say that obtaining a degree will be easy.
The economic downturn has made some students and their families more pessimistic about their ability to pay for college. But those fears aren't necessarily warranted. The government's stimulus package, which was enacted in February 2009, includes an increase in funds geared toward helping low-income students.
The bottom line: costs shouldn't stop anyone from obtaining a college degree. Even if you can't attend your dream school, community colleges are still an option. More than 90% of community college presidents said enrollment was up in January from the previous year, and 86% reported an increase in full-time students, according to a survey by the Campus Computing Project, which studies the role of information technology in higher education.
It isn't always necessary to attend college full-time or to stop working in order to do it. Attending college through an online program is a flexible and convenient way to supplement your education from the comforts of home, and without sacrificing work or family commitments.
Attending classes online is a great option for those who might have uncertainties about going to college as an older student or returning after many years.
Distance education can be an easy way to ease into the routine of class work and projects, and can reduce the stress of feeling the need to fit in with younger students. In addition, course availability is often convenient for those who work full time or care for a family. Often, online colleges offer evening and weekend classes.
The current recession is having a major impact on college-bound students and their families. But that shouldn't be the case. Even in today's tough times, a college education payoff is at least as high as it was before the recession.
Few experts would argue that college is a bad investment, and the economic downturn should not diminish the value of that investment.