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One Student's Response to College Affordability

To whom it may concern:

Degrees and higher education are important factors in today’s society and competitive job market so I was shocked reading about the recently released report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education regarding the rising costs of university tuition. The percentage of income needed to pay for college is skyrocketing, funding is decreasing, enrollment is being capped, and tuition is soaring.

With this situation looming on the horizon, prospective college students would do well to search for alternatives to the conventional, brick-and-mortar system of higher education.

It may be surprising that there is an alternative to tradition education—but I’m proof that there is!

I can give firsthand testimony that anyone can earn a college degree for far less than the traditional college process. Toward the end of September 2007, at the age of 17 and in my senior year of high school, I enrolled in a program called CollegePlus! with great expectations. This program has met and exceeded every one.

CollegePlus! is an organization dedicated to helping students earn a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in an average of 2 years for approximately $15,000 by utilizing CLEP (College Level Examination Program) tests, DANTES tests (very similar to CLEP), and online courses through Thomas Edison State College which offers regionally accredited degrees, the fullest and highest level of accreditation possible. Students are also encouraged, though not required, to pursue internships related to their area of study. They thereby gain hands-on experience as well as the opportunity to create a portfolio about their work and skills in order to receive college credit for them.

Now, 15 months, 20 tests, 84 credits, and under $13,000 later, I am well on my way to completing my B.A. in English and hope to be entirely finished by next summer, one year after graduating from high school. Through CollegePlus! neither I nor my parents are spending exorbitant amounts of money or going into any debt whatsoever on account of my college education.

With the spike in college tuition, it’s not surprising that the average student graduates $21,000 in debt, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. As Patrick Callan, president of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, said regarding tuition, "in terms of affordability, the whole country has gone south."

However, by using the CollegePlus! program and distance learning methods, I and many other students are spending only around $15,000 for our entire Bachelor’s degree.

So, let’s not just assume that higher education is slipping out of our grasp because of high and rising tuition costs at most colleges. Instead, let’s realize and spread the word that the traditional university option is not the only path to a degree and that other more efficient and cost-effective ways of receiving a quality college education are available.

Sincerely, C.D., age 17 Athens, Ohio



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