The numbers are alarming. You’ve heard the figures and read the news reports: college costs have been skyrocketing, seemingly beyond the grasp of most Americans, and the middle class in particular. According to the College Board, tuition for one year at a four-year private university increased by 5.9%, to $21,235. Although public universities still present less-expensive alternatives, the cost of tuition at these schools has increased even faster in recent years — up 7.1%, to $5,491 for the 2005–2006 academic year.
Just as record numbers of African Americans have fought their way into America’s middle class, it seems that a major resource and incentive for that struggle — access to higher education — is being pushed out of reach. Black middle-class families are finding that their incomes often disqualify them for need-based aid, yet they don’t make enough money to cover college costs
out of pocket. Many parents must take on significant student loan debt on top of trying to maintain a home mortgage, reduce credit card debt, meet other family obligations, and save for their own retirements.Is it worth it? Absolutely. To give up on the goal of a college education for ourselves and our children is simply not an option. In fact, higher education is an absolute necessity if we are going to close the wealth gap between black and white American households. It is all a matter of earning power: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over a lifetime, the difference in earning potential between a high school graduate and a college graduate is more than $1 million — talk about return on investment. The fact is, despite rising costs, paying for higher education remains one of the best investments we can make in ourselves and our children. Moreover, as African Americans, we need every dollar of that increased earning potential.
That’s why we must make a college education a non-negotiable objective for ourselves and our children. This goal must be set and planned for as early as possible — in fact, the date of conception is not too early to begin a college fund. (Starting or contributing to an education fund is also a great wedding gift idea.) On the other hand, it is never too late to make earning a degree your goal and to pursue college financing options.
Our message to young people — and particularly to young black men, who seem to be disappearing from our college campuses — must be to gain higher education by any means necessary. The ideal method is through scholarship; our kids need to understand that scholastic excellence can
literally mean money in the bank in the way of four-year academic scholarships. However, if an academic scholarship is not a realistic option, then, by all means, we need to pursue all other avenues, including loans, part-time jobs, and scholarships for community service and athletics, to increase the number of African American college graduates.And last, but certainly not least, our young people must be prepared to work their way through college if that’s what it takes. A college education is not an entitlement but rather a privilege. Many years ago, as a student at Baltimore’s Morgan State College (now university), I carried a full course load while holding a number of jobs such as waiting tables, delivering telegrams, and working as a lifeguard. In addition to these jobs, I also launched entrepreneurial ventures, including flower-delivery and landscaping businesses, to help finance college expenses. To
put it bluntly, I was willing to hustle to pay for the education my family could not afford. Those aspiring to attend college today must be willing to do the same, whether they have access to grants, loans, their parents’ resources, scholarships — or not.The fact is, once you get past the sticker shock of college costs and truly commit to the goal of a college education, you will find ways to afford that investment. The sacrifices we make today to increase the number of black college graduates will be more than repaid in the long term. Moreover, the costs of not pursuing a college education — more than $1 million in lost earning power per person — is far more than we can afford as African Americans. The old adage still holds: If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.