06/08/2026
🎓 More students are choosing to skip college and they may be making a good financial decision.
For decades, the message was simple:
Go to college.
Get a degree.
Get a good job.
Today, the path isn't quite so straightforward.
College costs of tuition and housing have skyrocketed. Funding is limited.
Student loan debt has become a burden for many families.
And there are more alternatives than ever before:
✔ Trade schools
✔ Apprenticeships
✔ Certifications
✔ Entrepreneurship
✔ Direct entry into the workforce
The real question isn't: "Should my child go to college?"
The better question is: "What is the best return on investment for my child?"
For some students, a four-year degree is absolutely worth it. For others, spending $100,000+ on a degree they may never use could set them back financially for years.
As a parent, I think our job is to help our kids understand the costs, opportunities, and tradeoffs, not force them into a path simply because it's what previous generations did.
Success doesn't come from having a degree, it comes from developing skills that other people are willing to pay for.
College is one way to do that but it's no longer the only way.
That's why financial planning isn't just about retirement and investments. It's about helping families make smart decisions about the next generation, too.
