During the past 20 years, college tuition has increased 134% at private institutions and 141% at public institutions, according to Fast Company.
Getting parents on board with a path that does not include college has been a challenge for construction and other trades. However, a new report from Multiverse indicates most parents would support their children if they did not want a college degree, with younger parents being more open to an alternative path.
Multiverse surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. parents with children ages 12-19 regarding their thoughts about college and what they wanted for their children’s futures. Half of the parents surveyed were white and half were people of color.
Following are some findings from the survey:
- Sixty-four percent of parents said they would be somewhat or very supportive if their child did not want to get a college degree. This number was higher for younger parents; 71% of parents ages 25-34 said they would be supportive compared with 57% of parents ages 55-64.
- Eighty-two percent of parents said paying tuition or thinking about their child taking on student debt causes some or significant amounts of stress.
- More than half of respondents said financial stress regarding paying for higher education is an obstacle affecting their family.
- Sixty-nine percent of respondents said they would be totally supportive if their child entered the workforce instead of going to college after high school. Thirty-eight percent of those respondents said it was because they believed a job would be more effective for gaining the necessary skills, and one in five said it would relieve their family from college costs.
- For those surveyed, career potential and skill preparation were the crucial factors in making the decision. Seventy-eight percent said they had heard about apprenticeships as a post-high school option before taking the survey, and 25% had considered it as an option this year.
