The year was 1991. I was about to enter my freshman year at Syracuse University, and I remember the sticker shock of my annual tuition, including room, board, and meals: close to $18,000.
For me, it was worth every single penny. I had my heart set on being an investigative reporter and broadcast journalist, so I would gladly pay every single penny to attend the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
It was a wise investment at the time on my part, because of the prestige of Newhouse, the highly specialized field I was going to study, and the numerous connections I would have from the long list of esteemed graduates.
The cost of going to my beloved Syracuse University has skyrocketed since the last time I walked on the Quad as a student in 1995.
Right now, tuition, room, board, meals, and if you toss in health insurance, will set families back approximately $91,034.
I had to check that number again and again and again after temporarily suffering sticker shock. Multiply that by four, and assuming increases over the next three academic years, and a four-year degree could cost you almost $400,000.
I cannot imagine how a college student and their families can afford to pay that back. Those on the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum get tons of financial aid, while extremely wealthy families can afford to pay out of pocket.
That leaves a massive middle-class vacuum of students and families that go deep into debt to earn a four-year-degree from a private university.
It doesn’t have to be this way. There is another path. One where you’re guaranteed a full-time job, zero debt, and the chance to earn six figures right out of the gate.
It’s called the Building Trades.
A press release from the Plumbing Contractors of Long Island caught my eye when it hit my South Shore Press email inbox.
They’re promoting a September class, a “Plumbing Institute," where young men and women are given a full-time job and training where you’re a certified plumber in about two years. No debt, with the chance of earning six figures in the Building Trades.
I don’t know how parents push their kids with a clear conscience to attend an Ivy League School, receive a useless gender studies degree, or take their Sanskrit diploma and get a job pouring specialty drinks at your local coffee shop, all the while going into a massive debt that you can never, ever pay back.
Parents, educators, and guidance counselors should now encourage students to pursue a path in the Building Trades.
It also doesn’t have to be a “this or that” exclusive choice between the Building Trades and earning a four-year-degree. The two are not mutually exclusive. I would encourage my sons and daughter to earn an undergraduate degree in finance or accounting, and learn a trade, then they can open their own electrical, plumbing, or construction company.
The Associated Builders and Contractors advocacy group states that 70-percent of all construction companies struggle to find work.
My wife and I most certainly are not going to force our children into a “one or the other” type choice.
But we will most definitely do our part by presenting multiple career options to our kids that include careers in the Building Trades.
I would encourage other parents to do the same.