Faced With The High Costs, Students Seek College Alternatives

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Faced with the rising cost of higher education, a hot jobs market and a 1volatile economy, these high school graduates are entering the job market right now.

¡°2Student debts are crazy right now. They¡¯re 3through the roof when it comes to having to pay back the interest and everything.¡±

So they say they¡¯re 4skipping college, at least for now.

¡°If I 5go into the trades, I can make money while I learn and then eventually maybe go to college after, after make enough money.¡±

Experts say it¡¯s part of a pattern showing undergraduate college enrollment down last spring since the start of the pandemic.

¡°We really thought things that things would be 6starting to pick up a little at this point, or at least the rate of 7decline would be slowing now after two full years of the pandemic.¡±

A recent study by the National Student Clearinghouse found 662,000 fewer students enrolled in undergraduate programs in spring of 2022. As of late May, the undergraduate student body had dropped by nearly 1.4 million students from the start of the pandemic.

¡°The economy really changed. Starting last summer, wages were rising, employers were eager to hire people even with 8minimal skills or training. Tuition is still very high and students have a lot of concerns and 9fears about taking on student debt.,¡±

The Biden administration announced this week it will 10cancel some student debt for millions of Americans.

¡°My dad is 45 and he is still paying for student debt and it¡¯s not, not a life I wanna live.¡±