Sherpa daily guidance...Do we defer to a 17-yr-old, who we love dearly but likely wouldn't completely trust with a long grocery list, a decision that may cost the family a quarter million dollars?
Or, do we apply a process to make the best decisions when we help them choose a career and select a college?
Some college debt may be unavoidable. Some college debt is even reasonable and justified by the probability of higher future earning power. Of course, a degree alone does not guarantee you higher income potential (nor does a degree from certain schools over others). As with all things in life, your future success will come down to you: some combination of the effort, drive, and passion you put into your work and an element of luck. There are also plenty of examples of people who demonstrated competence in a field, combined with intense passion, and they succeeded without a college degree. If you do pursue a college degree, I want you to apply my framework to avoid joining the ranks of those taking on crippling amounts of debt.