Parents paying for their kids’ education might want to have a doctor nearby. On top of years of high inflation and the recent spikes in energy costs, the annual cost of an undergraduate degree is over $38,000 per year.
It’s a price worthy of a heart attack, especially with artificial intelligence ready to take so-called white-collar jobs by the thousands. And yet the way to avoid the cardiologist is one phone call away: affordable community colleges and certification programs that are right around the corner.
Ignored and demeaned for decades, community colleges are a smart alternative that offer high-value, low-cost education for everyday Americans at a fraction of the “big school” price. Annual attendance at a community college costs, on average, about $3,890 — 10% of the price of a four-year school. This means students earning a two-year associate’s degree — the standard degree in a community college program — could save almost $70,000 for virtually the same education others receive in two years at a “prestigious” school.
Certification programs are even more affordable, and students can start working at 19 or 20, at jobs that offer strong starting wages and benefits – and most importantly, job security in the AI era. Blue-collar jobs like being an electrician are on the rise because they fill a growing gap with current data center growth. Some of the world’s top tech leaders admit these in-demand manufacturing jobs will earn six-figure salaries. Plumbers, who handle the world’s oldest and grossest needs, are also key to a high-tech future.
What do four-year universities offer? Sky-high tuition costs resulting in mountains of debt with no guarantees that students will earn secure jobs in the fields they studied. Granted, many schools offer scholarships and financial assistance that make attendance more affordable. But when you’re explaining, you’re losing — especially given the complexity of financial aid packages.
Additionally, few parents and students want tuition to pay for political protests, like the anti-Semitic ones in 2024, or for programs that are disappearing at universities like Duke and Clemson, thanks to threatened financial cuts from the federal government.
I mentioned at the top of this piece that community colleges and certification programs are right around the corner. I meant it literally, and it plays a key role in how parents can affordably help their students pick the best school for their future. Most “prestigious” schools require long, expensive travel with overnight lodging, whereas community colleges and certification programs are in the same town or county. This means everyone can visit in an afternoon — and once enrolled, the student can commute to save money while getting an education that will pay for itself in months instead of decades.
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And it’s those savings that may offer the biggest win of all for parents who are wondering how they can afford to invest in their kids’ futures. That $70,000 (plus interest) that they’re saving on tuition? Investing it in low-risk mutual funds means that today’s seniors won’t have to wonder about their retirement — Mom and Dad took care of that. They’ll have over a million dollars waiting for them.
Now, that’s a future worth investing in.
Dustin Siggins founded the PR and public affairs firm Proven Media Solutions. An advocate for financial literacy, he has been published on personal finance at Business Insider, Fox News Digital, USA TODAY, and elsewhere.