The economy is in big trouble. Student aid has been cut dramatically over the past couple of years. The cost of a college education keeps going up — for four years, you can wind up paying enough money to buy a decent house. All of that adds up to a point where it’s reasonable to question whether going to college is necessary.

For some careers, college remains a must. Nursing, engineering, and plenty of professional careers make a bachelor’s degree the price of admission. Most of my friends who majored in a technical field are making good use of their degrees these days. At the same time, though, a liberal arts degree doesn’t get you as far as it used to. I have one friend with an English degree who’s pumping gas. Another friend, who majored in art history, is decorating cakes at a bakery. The list of underemployed college graduates in my address book is pretty long.

Can You Still Pay For A College Degree?

College degrees have become a requirement for many careers (business, especially), making it almost mandatory to get that sheepskin. But paying for a degree is getting harder. You do have multiple options, beyond the standard student loans that guarantee that you’ll be in debt for years to come: you can work and attend school part time, focus on landing every scholarship you can think of, or try to get a potential employer to cover your college expenses, or even do two years at an inexpensive community college and then transfer into a more prestigious four-year school.

The fact is that college isn’t out of reach in most cases. It may require an awful lot of work to pay for, but it’s doable. If you truly want to follow a career path where getting a degree is necessary, it’s worth going for. It’s probably worth mentioning that many careers that once required only a bachelor’s degree for advancement now consider a master’s necessary to keep climbing the corporate ranks.

Are There Options Besides College?

I think it’s worth noting that college isn’t the only option. I have a friend who went to work for an electrician, worked his way up through journeyman, and he makes far more than I do with my college degree. Attending a trade school or taking a job that offers training can be a faster route to a well paying job than a college degree. My friend has plenty of room for advancement, as well. He’s considering specializing to increase his hourly rate — but he also has the option of going into business for himself.

While a college degree can be useful, it’s important to remember that there are ways to make just as good of a living without taking on that level of debt. You’ll need to weigh the type of career you want to pursue, along with what kinds of jobs you want to take on, before deciding whether you want a college degree — or even if you can wait to get it.

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