Is higher education really the answer?
In this time of financial crisis, I keep hearing the suggestion that the people who have lost their jobs should go back to school and get their college degrees, with the thought that this higher education will lead them to new jobs that pay well. I really have to question whether that is the answer! I heard on the news today that the local universities are increasing their tuition rates by at least 6% this fall. How in the world can the unemployed worker who has already maxxed out their student loans on their first round of college (and is still paying them off) going to be able to afford to return to college at all? And if the unemployed worker is already being turned away from jobs because he or she is “over qualified” then how is getting MORE education going to help them at all? And if this same worker is the only financial support for their family, who is going to support the family while this worker is not making money, but is going to school?