I met a lot of students that morning, but two young men stick out in my mind.  I approached them the same way I had been approaching other students that morning: “Do you have any questions about NNU?” I asked with an especially smiley face.  They hesitated, obviously trying to walk past me without having to talk. But I was persistent: “Do you have any interest in NNU?” I asked again.  “Well,” one of the young men replied, “I guess if I have to go to college, NNU might be alright.”

I froze, astounded at his simple statement. “If you have to go to college?” I thought to myself incredibly.  “If you HAVE to go?” By now the two young men had slipped inconspicuously away, and I was left pondering this nonchalant statement.  Did these young men not understand what a privilege it was to go to college?  Not just NNU, but any college?  Did they not realize that there are men and women around the world who will never learn to read, and yet most of the high school students swirling their way around this college fair would have the opportunity to study at a university and maybe even go on to earn advanced degrees?

Even in the United States, there is often a misperception that everyone has the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree. But that is not the case.  The U.S. Census Bureau reported in 2005 that 46% of Americans had never taken a college class.** This means that even if you only attend college for a year, you will have attained more education than 46% of the population.  Of the remaining 54%, almost half never graduate, attaining only “some college.”

Jeremy Sullivan, a Ph.D. student at the University of Maryland, recently wrote an article on this very topic.  He notes that research shows there is a correlation between attaining a degree and average earnings for individuals.  As he puts it: “Mean [average] earnings for an individual with a bachelor’s or advanced degree is more than $54,000 a year, while individuals in the “some college” category average around $35,000. Folks without any college at all – remember, that’s about half of the population – have mean earnings of less than $30,000. It seems clear that the incomes that correlate with middle-class prosperity are much more likely to be earned by those who have bachelor’s degrees.”**

So to all the future students reading our Business Department Blog I have this to say: If you have the chance to attend college and earn a degree, jump at that chance! It is a privilege that not all are afforded.  A bachelor’s degree alone can visibly raise your lifetime earnings and provide you with valuable opportunities for advancement in the workforce.  Plus, seeking a degree can be a wonderful time of self-exploration and intellectual growth.  It is an experience not to be passed up or taken lightly.

Whether you go to NNU or find someplace else that suits you better, the key word is, “Go!” Go learn, Go grow, and Go graduate!

To check out Jeremy’s entire article, clink on the link below.  And don’t forget to leave me your thoughts in the comment section.  I’d like to hear what you think on the subject of the privilege of higher education.

Blessings,

Teri Whilden

Article by Jeremy Sullivan:  See the source article.

** Statistics taken from Higher Education: A Rare Privilege, by Jeremy Sullivan. Published October 13, 2008, in the Diamondback Online, Maryland University’s Independent Daily Student Newspaper