It seems these days that there is a war on education, especially on college education.
One national commentator wrote that college is an “overpriced scam.” Another stated that “many college degrees are useless.” I could cite dozens more, but I think most of my readers have heard some pundit say or write something similar.
These commentators believe that college isn’t worthwhile and that it’s too expensive. That may be true in some cases, but the college campuses in Los Banos and Firebaugh prove these statements wrong.
With the fall semester of Firebaugh Campus of Coalinga College and the Los Banos Campus of Merced College about to start soon, now is a good time for me to rebut those who malign a college education.
The fall semester at the Firebaugh Campus starts August 11. The fall semester at the Los Banos Campus starts August 25. A one-day opportunity for new students to complete their registration will take place at the Los Banos Campus on Aug. 16.
I have seen both of these campuses. They are friendly and welcoming to all students. Unlike universities, California community colleges accept 100% of all students who apply. And these Westside campuses are led by outstanding deans, Los Banos’ Jessica Moran and Firebaugh’s Bethany Matos.
I have a long history with the campus in Los Banos. Over the decades I have heard hundreds and hundreds of students who attended that campus assert that the education they received there improved their lives significantly and without hurting them financially.
I personally know many of these people. They have improved the quality of life in Los Banos as successful businesspersons, farmers, teachers, nurses, nursing assistants, X-ray technicians, sonographers, childcare professionals and on and on.
Commentators who claim that young people should not bother going to college have a very narrow definition of what a college is. College is not limited to expensive private four-year universities and abstract majors.
“College” also includes community colleges, with programs that include specialized training in what has been called over the years “the trades,” “vocational education” and “career tech education.”
The diverse opportunities at our Westside campuses include many career tech programs, including welding, agriculture, computer technology and emergency medical technician (EMT). Both the Firebaugh and Los Banos Campuses also offer nursing assistant classes that lead to becoming a CNA and child development certifications to work in one of the local child development centers.
The main campuses of Merced and Coalinga Colleges offer even more, including licensed vocational and registered nursing, mechanized agriculture and automotive technology.
All of these programs provide the education and specialized training that enables a person to earn a decent salary on a path to earn enough money for individuals to support themselves and their families.
Any employer who has hired these students will tell you that their community college education was an important factor in hiring them.
But wait! There’s more! Both the Los Banos and Firebaugh Campuses also offer a wide variety of transfer programs that enable students to complete their first two years toward a four-year degree and then transfer to a university at very little or no cost.
These transfer students enter the universities as juniors and are well on their way to bachelor’s degrees in the sciences, business, advanced computer technology, and other fields that will enable them to earn a very significant income.
What I find ironic about people who say a college education isn’t worthwhile is that they themselves have a college education and they want their children to have a college education. These people feel, however, that OTHER parents’ children don’t need it.
They want their own children to have a college education because they know the facts. Studies show that a college education, two-year or four-year – significantly increases the earning capacity of graduates.
Over their entire working life, according to the Hamilton Project, the typical high school graduate will earn $580,000, the typical associate’s degree graduate will earn $855,000, and the typical bachelor’s degree graduate will earn $1.19 million in today’s dollars.
The key word in these statistics is “typical.” There are many cases of high school graduates who have earned much more, but they are not typical. Another way of putting it is “What the odds of earning a good income?” Smart parents, including those who declaim against a college education, know that the odds are with students with degrees.
When I talk with young people wondering if college is worth it, I suggest they go to something called “Program Pathways Mapper.” It’s an online site that’s free to all and doesn’t require a password. One way to get to the Mapper is to Google “Merced College Program Pathways Mapper.”
Once on the Mapper site, they can select one of the many career fields, like “Agriculture and Industrial Technology,” and scroll down to “Career Explorer.” There they can see the jobs available in that field, the average salary of that job and the education required, whether bachelor’s degree, associate’s degree, or high school diploma.
For many it’s an eye-opening experience. I encourage any reader of this column to do the same.
I also tell young people I know that a college education is no guarantee of a high-paying job. They need to have initiative and a work ethic and a willingness to adjust to the working world and its demands, as well.
My parents didn’t have a college education. In fact, they didn’t have a high school diploma. But they encouraged their children to get a college education, and for that I will be ever grateful.
I, in turn, encouraged my three children to get a college education, and they all did. That, and a strong work ethic, enabled them to go into careers that pay a good salary and enabled them eventually to own their own homes.
Let me add one more important point. College is not just about preparing a person for a job. It is much more. It’s about becoming a well-rounded, thinking person who can better deal with life, as well as work. It’s also about learning to learn, important in a world that is changing faster than we can keep up with.
So, dear reader, before you believe anyone who tells you that a college education isn’t worth it, explore the issue on your own. And if you end up agreeing with me, encourage young people you know to attend their local Westside college campuses.
There’s no better time to start than now and the upcoming fall semester.
John Spevak’s email is john.spevak@gmail.com.
