My Husband Thinks College Is A Waste of Money!

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[gaselekrauss]

My son who is a teacher encourages his students to think about being an electrician or plumber.

[deanmccormick]

Not a clear yes or no. Worth it for some, just crippling college debt is to be avoided.

[davidgaskin]

Not going to lie… As someone with a 4 year degree. I’m more on board with the husband’s perspective here.

[Sizukun]

He's not completely wrong, you must take worthless electives, you must take classes not relevant to your desired profession, and it costs so much to say you learned something for a test and basic skills for entry level jobs.

[steelcity]

As a welder college is not a waste of time. Surgeons, doctors, lawyers, accountants just a few examples of the many good degrees out there

[lawv]

Short of STEM and professional degrees, yes college is a massive waste of time and money. Most BAs are worth about as much as used toilet paper. But the used toilet paper doesn't come with debt.

[Levi-]

Let the children make their own career decisions, it’s their life. All you can do as a parent is your best to teach them work ethic and financial discipline. BUT the husband is correct that college degrees DO NOT equal financial success.

[dimediamond]

College is a investment. Select a degree that proves a return on the investment.
Doctors, lawyers, engineers. Architecture and nursing require advanced knowledge and foundational skills. Especially specialization in these fields require additional studies. ♥

[jpii]

Depends on the degree.

It also depends on the kid.

[jenniferannfox]

My husband has the same view as this father and I have the view of Dave here. Even though our kids were grown before we met, we have a hard time on this topic because of his belief that college is a waste of time. I think it is something created by people who really don't want to feel guilty about not contributing to their kid's education. For myself a college degree led to 30 years of a nursing career which I was so thankful for. My father or mother didn't pay for it but when my kids were little I made it a point to teach them that college was expected and reasons why. I contributed a third of the money, they had a third from scholarships and they paid for the other third working. It gave them buy in, but still helping them at the same time. I never regretted doing that and my children now have beautiful, successful careers and are happy.

[nowaytoisop]

My parents had some dirt poor patches while I grew up. What my dad did was is he took half of my check each payday for four years while I was still in school and he put it into an ETF Fund. I worked for my college savings and I'd do it for my kids one day as well

[Piccolo_Re]

College or no college is such a tricky situation. There are only a few degrees that actually give you a good ROI such as engineers, doctors/healthcare, IT and accounting/finance.

However, trades aren’t easy either. Everyone makes them sound easy to do, but they’re not. One mistake and you lose a customer and/or costs in materials. Also in trades, it’s tough to afford insurance if it’s your own business. Making a living is so complex anymore. And businesses have made obtaining decent paying positions a pain due to their required credentials and experience.

[yhckelly]

My wife earned an MSN degree, and I'm HS only and own a small construction company. We have four kids. The two oldest footed their own college bill and worked through school. Neither needed educational loans. I was shocked at how little time was needed to invest in classes to maintain a full-time student status. The amount of hours that were left over for work easily paid for the education. Parents, make your own decision, but don't feel guilty for expecting young adults to pay for post HS education, and don't let anyone tell you you're "wrong" to think that way.

[leapheap]

The husband is right on this one. Most degrees are worthless. A degree doesn’t guarantee success in the real world.

[Cakebattered]

I would be hesitant to lock my money away for the exclusive use of paying for an institution that will absolutely have less value in 18 years.

[donaldfrench]

First time i disagree with Dave. I have five Kids all except one are college grads. The one doing the best is the one with no college and is self taught in computer programming and management.

I had rules the most I would pay is instate tuition whether they went in state or not. If they got a scholarship and turns it down, they became responsible for their total tuition wherever they went. On did hand had to pay all of their in-state tuition.

[DividendFiend]

With the insane job requirements these days and lack of training programs, yes it is a waste of money.

[victors]

I believe in education, however, college is dying, and more expensive and in 15, 20 years I believe is going to be different.. That's the reason I'm founding a UGMA account that way my daughter can use it for college or a business, traveling, or whatever, sounds like a risk but my goal is to raise her responsible enough with money.

[hrsToChooseThis]

“He’s wrong. I have anecdotal evidence to prove it. And I know a lot of celebrities and wrote some books.”

[juliuscaesart]

He doesn’t “think” … college IS a HUGE waste of money.