BERFIELD/2005/ BUSINESS WEEK/ 11/14/ 77-84

One of the fastest rising costs is a college degree. You spend most of your 20’s in college. First, it is the BA degree followed by a Masters degree perhaps even a doctorate. What happens? No one wants to hire you and you are overqualified for most jobs. So you start temping and doing anything to get work. You don’t have health coverage so you go further into debt.

In the meantime, you find that your college costs mean that you will be paying for undergrad and a grad studies from the age 30 to 50. However, the really good jobs generally demand a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. So, you go to college.

You want to get married? Can you afford it? Want kids? It is out of the question. So you struggle on. However, there may be some help that is available right now.

Start at a community college and live at home. You cut your costs in half. After the BA degree, try to find a job. If you don’t reverse transfer back to a community college a get a diploma in paralegal, nursing, business, accounting, computer programming, website hosting, and numerous other skilled programs. Do you want to learn how to be a carpenter or plumber? Many community colleges have about 100 choices and they cost the least amount of any post secondary education.

If you can pay off your college costs, don’t forget your credit card debt. If you forget, the credit card companies will not forget.