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Why You Can't Afford College

Get the real deal on college costs, both financial and spiritual.

by Jordan Starling

Twelve thousand, one hundred eight. That is how many dollars will be spent on average for one student for tuition, room, board, and books for the first year at a traditional four-year college, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Of course, for private institutions, the price more than doubles. Students can expect a whopping $27,317 on average for the first year at one of America’s private universities. Multiply that by four, and it is $109,268. That same amount could also be used to buy a house.

But most of the time, students aren’t the ones mulling over how they are possibly going to afford this expenditure. Parents are almost always the ones co-signing on student loans. And with families that have more than one child approaching college age, those numbers can look even scarier.

A Wise Investment?

In most parents’ opinion, the investment they are making in their child’s future will pay off in the future, according to Dr. Gary North in an article entitled "The Dorm Key Ritual." But with the fact that only half of students who enter college actually finish with a four-year degree, co-signing on a loan can be a risky investment, writes North.

Counting on landing a well-paying job with benefits after graduation is no longer a wise plan. Heather Schopp, a 29-year old chiropractor in California and graduate of the University of Northern Colorado, relates in an interview with USA Today that in college she didn’t plan for the rocky financial start that she experienced upon graduating from chiropractor school.

“When I made the decision to go to chiropractor school, money was the last thing on my mind. What I was going to make and how I was going to pay for it—I hadn’t thought about it at all,” Schopp stated.

During the week, she does full-time chiropractic care, and on the weekends she is a personal trainer at a fitness lab. “I’m working a lot trying to stay even,” she said.

With her advanced degree and between two jobs, Schopp makes about $3700-3800 a month. Her rent is $830, car payment is $150, credit card is approximately $400, and she spends about $200 a month on gas. On top of this, she has no health insurance, which she says stresses her out. “It’s not silly, it’s downright crazy to not have health insurance anymore,” she said.

Spiritual Bankruptcy

Not only are there finances at stake by sending your child off to college, but there is their spiritual well-being to consider. It has been reported that nearly 70% of students who were raised in the church walk away from the faith after they leave for college, and some figures are as high as 88%.

Not only are secular institutions infamous for their post-modern agenda of Bible-bashing, but surprisingly enough, many Christian colleges have followed this tradition as well. Many Christian colleges receive funding from the John Templeton foundation, which describes itself as a “non-profit grant making organization,” but is best known for their initiatives to unite faith and Darwinism.

Perhaps the greatest attack on students’ faith is the undermining of Genesis and the promulgation of humanistic, evolutionary thought. Answers in Genesis reports:

“Generations of people have grown up in the church and attended Christian and secular colleges where the Bible’s account of origins in Genesis has been relegated to myth, allegory, metaphor, or some literary framework—many different positions except that of literal history (Genesis is written in a narrative historical style)… The scriptures are now basically looked on as religious writings—but not a history book.”

Dr. Gary North, a Christian apologist and author, agrees. He reports in an article entitled “The Dorm Key Ritual” that in essence parents really get swindled each time they send their kids off to college. Additionally, all that kids have to look forward to are years of indentured service to the bank because of the loans they need to take out to finance their college education. He uncovers the myths that surround universities, including their not-so-honest marketing strategies and their inefficient teaching methods. His perspective differs from those within the sphere of academia:

“I’m outside the academic system, and I have been for most of my post-doctorate career. I know enough about how the system works not to be overly impressed with it. I also know how to beat the system. The system is rigged against upper-middle-class parents.”

As a parent, you don't have do higher education the way the world does. More and more students are finding a better way to get a college degree through CollegePlus!. Maybe this is the right direction for your child. Regardless, Christian families can now think twice before giving another penny to the college system of today.

Jordan Starling lives in Jefferson City, TN, with her parents, younger sister and two younger brothers. Aside from majoring in communications with CollegePlus!, Jordan is also studying drafting at a local trade school.



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