Five Reasons to Attend College During the Economic Crisis
1. From Obama’s speech on February 24, 2009:
“And so tonight, I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. This can be community college or a four-year school, vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma. And dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It’s not just quitting on yourself, it’s quitting on your country—and this country needs and values the talents of every American. That is why we will provide the support necessary for you to complete college and meet a new goal: by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.”
2. If the inspirational speech on why education makes a better America was not enough, the benefits of the recent stimulus package on student grants and loans certainly boosts the motivation of prospective college students.
3. Federal support is not the only financial aid available; there is support from your state as well, which varies by location.
4. There have been claims that the past two recessions affected college students equally as much as high school graduates, if not making more college graduates unemployed than those without postsecondary education. In 2004, this was true. However, the New York Times reported this March: “this [recession] is causing much more job loss among the less educated than among college graduates. Those earlier recessions introduced the country to the concept of mass white-collar layoffs. The brunt of the layoffs in this recession is falling on construction workers, hotel workers, retail workers, and others without a four-year degree.”
5. Psychologists have posted studies this March, 2009 that attending college during a recession or depression is better for the health of both young and middle-aged students.
