Is A Bachelor's Degree Really Worth The Cost?

IS A BACHELOR'S DEGREE REALLY WORTH THE COST? As college enrollment reaches an all-time high of 39.4% in young adults, it raises the question: is it economically feasible to invest in a Bachelor's degree? Will you see a positive return on investment (ROI)? Here. we explore the economic feasibility of returning to college to earn your Bachelor's degree or enrolling for the first time. DOES HIGHER LEARNING EQUATE TO HIGHER EARNING? There's a lot of talk about going to college to boost your salary, but exactly how do these numbers equate? MALE MEDIAN FEMALE MEDIAN INCOME INCOME High School Diploma Bachelor's Degree $36,300 $26,209 2005 $60,020 $42,170 $37,030 $26,740 2006 $60,910 $45,410 $37,860 $27,240 2007 $62,090 $45,770 $39,010 $28,380 2008 $65,800 $47,030 $39,480 $29,150 2009 $62,440 $46,830 NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN The National Center for Education Statistics shows an increasing enrollment for every age group, and they predict this trend will continue. Total Fall enrollment in degree-granting institutions, by age (in thousands): AGE 4,000 3,960 18-19 3,993 3,958 20-21 3,500 3,778 3,940 3,723 3,753 35+ 3,531 3,610 3,584 3,000 3,289 3,350 22-24 (3,045 3,090 3,066 25-29 3,080 3,035 2,500 2,749 3,072 2,658 2,531 (2,617 2,384 2,000 1,960 1,813 1,500 30-34 1,616 1,434 1,265 1,354 1,000 500 145 211 191 14-17 2000 2005 2008 2012 * 2017* * 2012 and 2017 are projected HOW CAN I PAY MONEY TO MAKE MONEY? Students can pay for college with grants or scholarships, which do not have to be paid back- -unlike loans. There are thousands of scholarships available, and listed below are just a few scholarships that you may have never known to exist. TCI Student Scholarship A scholarship for tall people, both male and female. You must write an essay. How much can you win? $1,000 National Marbles Tournament Scholarship A scholarship for people who are skilled in the game of marbles. It is a marble competition. How much can you win? Between $1,000 and $2,000 Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship Scholarship for a high school student who promotes vegetarianism in their community and/or school. How much can you win? $5,000 United States Bowling Congress Scholarship A scholarship for bowling fans. How much can you win? Between $1,000 and $2,500 A DEGREE MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE On a long-term projection, studies show people who have a Bachelor's degree earn almost double that of the income earned by those with only a high school diploma. $1.2 MILLION High School Graduates $2.1 MILLION Bachelor's Degree Holders $2.5 MILLION Master's Degree Holders $3.4 MILLION Doctoral Degree Holders $4.4 MILLION Professional Degree Holders SOURCES: NCES, PEW, MBA EXCHANGE, ED.GOV, VRG, TALL.ORG, NATIONALMARBLESTOURNAMENT.ORG, SURFRIDER FOUNDATION, BOWL.COM, COLLEGEBOARD.ORG, ABOUT.COM RASMUSSEN COLLEGESTUDENTENROLLMENT.COM COLLEG E