The Financial Benefits of a College Education
The benefits of a college education, both for the individual and society, are well documented. College graduates with a bachelor's degree or higher earn substantially more than those with only a high school education.
The college experience enriches the life of the student for a lifetime, which has a positive impact on the next generation. Our country benefits from an educated population, and many occupations are requiring advanced education as a prerequisite for employment. The demand for qualified workers, combined with the emerging global economy, makes educating our young people beyond high school a top national priority.
The Need
There is a growing crisis in the United States today: young people, who represent our future labor market, are not having success in achieving their educational goals. The shortage of qualified and trained human resources is expected to worsen in the coming years. There is a critical need for a college-educated workforce. This can be achieved if more students actually graduate from college. These students need a sound education about career planning combined with developing a financial-aid plan to help offset the rising cost of college.
The need for more people to gain advanced education and training is clear, but the age-old problem of financing a college education remains a significant barrier for many qualified students.
The Rising Cost of College
College costs have risen at both public and private institutions. If we take a look at the cost of college in 1986, a student paid between $5,000 and $13,000 a year to go to college.
Today, according to the Chronicle of Education, a student pays on average between $11,000 and $26,000 a year. And a few top colleges are over $30,000 a year (private and state colleges were used in calculating these averages). On average, students today are investing approximately $47,000 to $104,000 towards their four-year degree.
College Partnership Financial Aid Services
There are many ways to gain access to the funds necessary to attend college. There are many state and federal programs (merit aid, scholarships, grants, loans, work-study programs, etc.) that can help provide financially needy students with the money they need to invest in a college education. Many institutions provide their own financial-aid and scholarship programs, if you know where to look and how to pursue them.
There are many laws and regulations that determine who is eligible for financial aid and the amount of funding provided for financial-aid programs. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, over $74 billion in financial aid is available annually in the United States. The problem is to know what is available and how to work through this complex system.
College Partnership Online has the financial-aid expertise to help qualified students and their family work through this complex maze to find the money necessary to attend college. College Partnership helps families understand how financial-aid accessibility is related to income. We can help the family develop strategies for financing the student's education and how to work through the paperwork and forms required.
College Partnership Related Services
College Partnership, as your full service education and career-preparation provider, can assist your student with career planning, personal evaluation, and much more.
We also provide standardized test preparation services, such as PSAT, SAT I, and ACT, to assist with helping the student raise their test scores. Increases in test scores can increase the probability of getting more financial aid, regardless of income bracket.
On this site you will find a wealth of useful information on the planning, preparation and presentation process. Whether or not you utilize College Partnership services this free information is invaluable in outlining the steps that you will need to take to achieve the best outcome for a college-based career.
