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Is the Tassel Worth the Hassle?
This can sometimes be a loaded question for a young person seeking career direction. Oh how parents must wish for that early enthusiasm expressed by young children in response to the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Doctors, nurses, teachers, attorneys, engineers, ministers, and even something outlandish were welcomed responses. Too often, however, upon growing older and graduating from high school, much of the excitement related to future life planning seems to diminish, causing some parents to pose the dreaded question “What are you going to do with your life?” The answer that best corresponds with success will most often need to include a pursuit of postsecondary education and application of key principles related to the true source of knowledge.
The acknowledgment that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10) represents the foundation of all true knowledge, intelligence, and attainment of education at any level. Knowledge of God is where real growth and development have their source. Every educa-tional pursuit that is designed to arrive at truth must be accompanied by the unseen, mighty intelligence of God, whose knowledge is revealed in every realm, except where sin exists.1 His divine influence is what inspires human subjects to embrace every opportunity to learn, grow, achieve, and perform good works that will bring glory to His name. Higher education is a fine complement of these outcomes.
Research continually reveals that investments in higher education produce a wide range of financial and other lifelong benefits at both individual and societal levels. Yet there are uneven rates of participation across some segments of society within the United States. High school graduates from low-income backgrounds, persons whose parents did not go to college, and Blacks and Hispanics reportedly have lower college enrollment rates and considerably lower educational attainment rates than other groups.2
Education is a choice that is influenced by many factors, i.e., family circumstances, tuition costs, role models, income levels, and certain social and economic assumptions. Young persons, in particular, may not be fully aware of the long-term consequences of choosing not to participate in higher education, because of inflated views regarding personal income-generating abilities. Further, investments in oneself that offer no immediate gratification can appear to be far-fetched when compared to the instant satisfaction that comes with consumer spending. For example, purchasing a new vehicle for $25,000 while earning minimum wages does not seem as practical as applying those same funds toward a college degree that will produce longer term advantages. Whether the journey requires school loans, grants, out-of-pocket cash, or scholarships, an investment in higher education is worthwhile and can produce lifelong and even life-changing benefits.
The College Board Advocacy and Policy Center, in its “Education Pays 2010” report, suggests these among other benefits of participating in higher education:3
1. Individuals with higher education earn more and are more likely than others to be employed. The median earnings of persons with bachelor’s degrees working full-time year-round in 2008 were $21,900 more than the median earnings of high school graduates. For young adults between the ages of 20 and 24, the unemployment rate in the fourth quarter of 2009 for high school graduates was 2.6 times as high as that for college graduates.
2. College-educated adults are more likely than others to receive health insurance and pension benefits from their employers, and be satisfied with their jobs.
3. Adults with higher levels of education are more active citizens than others.
4. College education leads to healthier lifestyles, reducing health-care costs for individuals and society.
5. College-educated parents engage in more educational activities with their children, and have children who are better prepared for school than others.
The benefits of higher education have been notable for many centuries, especially within the spiritual realm. Some of the greatest men that ever lived—Moses, Daniel, and Paul—were also scholars who participated in higher education. Their acknowledgment of the true source of wisdom and knowledge, combined with educational accomplishments, allowed them to change the world as it was known in their day. Anyone in the twenty-first century can do the same. The same God who endowed the ancient Bible scholars has given inquiring minds to the youth and children of this age, along with reasoning abilities that are entrusted to them as talents. Access to education has never been easier. In spite of the rising costs of tuition, financial aid resources are abundant for those who need them. In addition to the traditional brick-and-mortar institutions, online virtual learning platforms offer the comfort and convenience of participating in higher education flexibly with both time and location. So, yes, the tassel is worth the hassle. Indisputably, education pays. Only eternity will reveal its far-reaching effects.
REFERENCES
1E. G. White, Fundamentals of Christian Education (Nashville: Southern Pub. Assn., 1923).
2http://trends.collegeboard.org/files/Education_Pays_2010.pdf.
3E. G. White, “Authors and Subjects in Our Schools,” Spalding and Magan Collection. Retrieved from http://egwdatabase.whiteestate.org/nxt/gateway.dll?f=templates$fn=default.htm$vid=default.
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