Is college for snobs?
March 2, 2012
Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum is ruffling some feathers in higher education.
At a recent event in Michigan, Santorum talked about President Obama's goal for America to have the highest percentage of college graduates by 2020.
"President Obama once said he wants everybody in America to go to college. What a snob," the Washington Post reported Santorum as saying.
While the quote may sound worse than it was intended to, supporters say that Santorum was in no way trying to lessen the importance of a college education. In fact, before he made the somewhat scandalous statement, he explained that college simply isn't for everyone.
"Some people have incredible gifts with their hands. Some people have incredible gifts and ... want to work out there making things," the Washington Post quotes Santorum saying.
After all, Santorum himself is a college graduate and holds two graduate degrees as well.
There's no denying the fact that politicians say things that outrage some and energize others, especially in an election year. But wouldn't any candidate want to promote making getting a college degree possible and affordable to everyone who wants to go?
A recent Gallup poll revealed that the majority (69 percent) of Americans believe having a college degree is necessary for getting a good job. The poll also found that half of Americans believe college allows people the ability to earn more money and 33 percent view getting a degree as a way to ensure getting a good job.
Government data seems to support this thinking, too.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that individuals with a bachelor's degree make more money on average than those without one. The government agency reports that, in 2010, workers with a degree made $1,038 per week. That's $271 more than those with an associate degree and $412 more than those with only a high school diploma.
Increasing earning potential, being more competitive in a difficult job market and having the ability to move into more senior roles in their jobs are just some of the reasons mothers who decide to go to college to earn a bachelor's degree list when asked why they're doing it.
Moms who are pursuing a degree also serve as positive role models for their children by showing them the importance of education.
According to Distance-Education.org, children who have watched their parents work hard to achieve their educational goals often have high respect for their parents' sacrifices and are likely to make education a priority for themselves as well.
No matter what their reasons for going back to school are, moms who decide to further their education should know that they can alleviate some of the financial stress of college with grants for parents, scholarships for mothers and other financial aid.
