Comments about ‘New campaign encourages youths to attend college’

State higher ed better push push push if they want enrollment rates to stay high. People are getting wise to the fact that higher education no longer guarantees a good job, but it does guarantee a boatload of debt. Enrollment rates are dropping, the higher ed bubble is about to burst.

This is not a "problem" that can be solved by pulling from the college end of the picture.

Rather, it must be solved by pushing at the other end, to ensure that high school students are prepared for college work, and that there is verified value in attending college for their chosen career.

Many rural kids dream of a career in rural job, such as farming or ranching where a college education (although sometimes beneficial) is not necessary.

Not everyone wants to be a government worker, or feminist studies major, or a cubicle dweller.

And, we need to remember that the higher education establishment has a vital stake in keeping the number of students high, to justify their own jobs and pay, so this effort is not totallly altruistic.

The money would be far better spent raising teh standards in high schools, so that graduates were back at the achievment levels of 50 years ago, which are comparable to today's junior college grads.

Another government grant, to steer children towards college. Where they will learn at graduation (if they graduate) that they have a student loan to pay back, with no job. Want to cut back on government spending? Start by cutting these grants.

As a college graduate I confess that I think we reached a tipping point with the cost of education and the cost of education bringing value to those that seek it. College education is too expensive, most people can't afford it without student loans with no guarantees of jobs afterwards. College isn't for everyone. Trade schools, apprenticeships and just plain getting a job after/during high school works for a lot of people. I think ending student grants and loans would actually reduce the price of a college education by making schools more competitive with each other to bring the best possible product at the lowest price possible.