In this series on college guidance, we have worked within the framework that most if not all students are destined to attend a four-year college. I began by questioning the current state of affairs in higher education. There is a massive educational-industrial complex that serves as the gateway to the industrial economy. However, many recent developments have seriously impacted the role higher education plays across the economy. Despite the rising costs of higher education, the value of such an education remains high. Thus, college likely remains the normal outcome for high school graduates. Yet, a growing number of alternatives have emerged that challenge the fixed position colleges and universities have held for numerous decades.
In this article, my aim is to explore an array of alternatives to four-year colleges that ought to be on the radar of guidance counselors. In the past some of these alternatives would have been geared towards students who lacked the grades or finances for college. But more and more students are seeking these alternatives not because they lack the academic credentials or cannot afford college, but because their vision for their future questions the value of the four-year college experience.
Some of these alternatives are not mutually exclusive to each other or to a college education. As we guide students, knowing that there are alternatives can go a long way towards equipping young people with the tools they need to find pathways towards their goals, ambitions and callings.
Gap Year
Taking a gap year is not really an alternative to college per se. Instead, it delays the matriculation to college by a year. A well-planned year can be a great way for teenagers to gain life experiences outside of school where they can discover new interests, deepen their faith and learn more about the world.
There are a number of great programs out there. One such program is the Worldview Academy at the Abbey. Located in beautiful Cañon City, Colorado, students participate in courses that integrate discipleship and apologetics. At programs such as this, students gain rich life experiences that can inspire them towards a deeper walk with God and a clearer sense of his calling. Often gap year programs have an application process and cost associated with them, but are far less expensive than college tuition, room and board.
It is pretty normal for students to attend a four-year college after their gap year experience. They often enter college with a passion for learning and more maturity than their peers. Some data shows that students participating in gap year programs earn higher GPAs during their college years.
Military Service
A rewarding experience for some high school graduates is military experience. Whether the goal is to attend a service academy or to enlist, military service can be a pathway to opportunities not available at typical four-year colleges. (Keep in mind, that numerous four-year colleges have ROTC programs that combine the typical four-year college with military training). Many of the students I’ve known who pursue military service talk about the leadership training and personal development that come through the rigors of military training.
The application process for the military academies is both rigorous and competitive. Not only do the academies require solid academic performance as represented on a typical transcript and standardized test scores. They are looking at athletics, extracurricular activities, community service, and leadership experience. A congressional letter of recommendation is also required for most military academies. Families who are seeking placement at one of the academies ought to begin the process early, with plans in place beginning Freshman year.
Another pathway some students choose is to enlist in the military. These students attend basic training and serve for at least a term of four years. Enlisted soldiers find they can have a military career, receive G.I. Bill funding for college and have a post-military career that sets them on excellent footing to achieve their life goals and calling.
Trade Schools and Apprenticeships
For students who are discerning a calling to a trade, there are some excellent trade schools that are usually two-year programs that can be cost effective when compared to the four-year undergraduate degree. Many trade schools have local presence in cities around the country, so finding a place to get training in cosmetology, HVAC, carpentry, or automotive can usually find a place close to home. There are some residential programs, such as Crown School of Trades or Williamson College of Trades, both of which are Christian schools requiring students to attend chapel and have some campus life requirements. What this means is that students can still experience the spiritual and social aspects of college even though they are choosing an alternative to the four-year degree program.
Along the same lines, apprenticeships are full-time jobs that combine on-the-job training with classroom work that leads to certification in a number of industries. Formal apprenticeships can be found through the Registered Apprenticeship Program, a government organization that recognizes apprenticeships that have been validated by the Department of Labor. The obvious advantage of an apprenticeship is that high school graduates can start earning money right away and can see incremental increases in wages as they achieve qualifications.
International Colleges
The next alternative is not exactly an alternative to the four-year college, it is an alternative to U.S.-based higher education. There are a number of high-quality universities outside the border that can both provide rich multi-cultural experiences and be cost-effective alternatives to American schools.
For students with good command of Spanish, the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina is one of the most prestigious universities in Latin America. US students can attend without paying tuition costs.
Germany is strong in science and technology and many universities in locations such as Berlin, Bonn and Munich offer inexpensive tuition. Several German universities have three-year bachelor’s degree programs, many of which roll directly into an additional master’s degree.
The UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand are countries where students can find inexpensive universities of good repute providing instruction in the English language. With any of these magnificent countries, one can find cultural exchange even without having to learn a new language.
For any of these international options, keep in mind that travel costs alongside room and board can remain a substantial investment. But for students who are interested in international studies in business, ministry, law or politics, getting outside the US border can be a major contributor to the sense of calling and accumulated skill in navigating the wider world.
Start a Franchise
An interesting strategy that was shared with me by a parent really stirred my thinking about the cost and value of a college education. Her son was interested in going into business. Instead of having her son major in business and economics at a four-year college, she invested those tuition dollars into a franchise. By managing a local business, this young man learned important business skills and economic principles in an environment where the stakes were real.
There are nearly 200 nation-wide franchises with an initial start-up cost of around $40,000. Comparing that to tuition, you can see why this parent weighed the value of practical experience running a business against the value of a college education. As with many of these alternatives, starting a franchise does not mean that this child couldn’t eventually go on to earn a college degree at some point.
Set Up a Side-hustle
Back in the day it was endearing to see children set up a lemonade stand. It might involve a weekend of making lemonade, marketing it to local passersby with a flimsy posterboard sign, and generally selling to a few neighborhood families. Today, there are opportunities for those same children to set up a side-hustle business online through Shopify, Etsy, Ebay or Amazon. Entrepreneurial high schoolers are learning that their handcrafted items can earn them substantial money through this amazing access to a global market.
The side-hustle, whether it is selling fan art, drop shipping t-shirts or designing coloring books through Amazon KDP, students can learn to produce businesses that earn passive income while pursuing a career or education. Other students have found that access to YouTube or Tik Tok have enabled them to become influencers promoting brands or products. While there are obvious examples of young individuals who present themselves as inauthentic and attention seeking, there is actually a great opportunity for classically trained students to promote great ideas, simple living, and Christian discipleship.
Guiding High School Graduates into the New Economy
As I conclude this series on college guidance, I think it’s important to understand that we are graduating students into a new economy. The current system of higher education was in large part a creation of the industrial economy. The New Economy, built with industrial technologies, is actually a post-industrial environment. Every individual has a plethora of choices to choose new and exciting career paths that were unheard of in previous generations. Access to information over the internet, the ability to reach an audience through podcasting or video content, and the global reach of sales portals makes it so that every student can be an entrepreneur. In many ways, every student must become an entrepreneur, even if they pursue traditional careers, simply because the marketplace is requiring creative twists on traditional careers. We are seeing more and more doctors, lawyers and bankers appearing on YouTube or writing long-from articles on personal blogs. These avenues help them standout amongst their competitors because they are adding value by providing the rare value of what Cal Newport calls “deep work.”
As guidance counselors, we need to be aware of the New Economy that we are graduating our students into and then equipping students and parents with the options available to them. For most, the four-year college experience remains the most likely outcome. However, for a growing number new pathways are being explored as alternatives to the four-year college experience. This requires a shift in our thinking from how do we get these students into college to how do we enable these students to understand their options as well as empowering them to pursue these options.
