Financial Aid

Earning a college degree is worth it. On average, students who receive a college degree earn $24,900 more annually than their counterparts who do not pursue higher education after high school. Furthermore, careers that require employees have college degrees tend to be more reliable and recession-proof. For example, in 2018, the unemployment rate for individuals ages 25 to 34 with a college degree was 2.2%, compared to 5.7% for individuals of the same age who had received only a high school education.

Beyond a higher salary, employees with a degree tend to benefit in additional ways. For instance, those employees are more likely to receive access to employer-provided health insurance coverage and employer-provided retirement plans. These perks make the benefits of a college education valuable throughout one’s life and well into retirement years.

Unfortunately, some individuals worry they don’t have the financial means to pursue a postsecondary education, but that need not be the case. Students who aspire to higher-earning careers have several types of financial aid opportunities available — including grants, loans, work-study programs and scholarships. Some of these options are available through the federal government and many are earmarked especially for junior college financial aid.

For many college students, the idea of spending two years or more living in a cramped dorm room with a stranger is simply not appealing. Dormitory living, when available, comes with many advantages, but it isn’t for everyone.

Some colleges offer apartment-style residence halls, which can be an attractive alternative for those who want the convenience of living on campus but relish the idea of having more space. Other college students know from the start that they want to live in an off-campus apartment or another type of rental property alone or with other students.