With the first semester wrapping up, now is a time of year that has much in store for high school seniors that are planning on going to college in the fall of 2017. Many are eagerly filling out the various applications for their prospective colleges as well as receiving acceptance notices from schools that are quick to respond. While this is a time of great excitement for many as they dream and plan for their futures, there is a significant cost associated with it. The latest study done by the National Center for Education Statistics, which reflects the 2013-2014 school year, reports that the average yearly cost for post-secondary education (whether the institution is private, public, two-year, or four-year) is $21,003 once total tuition, fees, room and board is accounted for. With such a large price-tag attached to what is the next stage of life for many of South High’s seniors, Lake Breeze Publications set out to see how the students themselves feel about the cost of college.

When surveying the students of South High, it quickly became apparent how much time and energy goes into being able to pay for one’s future schooling. Whether it is working a part-time job or spending hours upon hours filling out the various forms for financial aid and scholarships, students planning on attending college put much work into finding the financial ability to do so. 41% of the student’s surveyed reported that they currently have or have had a job in order to save money for college, and 39% of those said that the money they save will be the primary way they pay for their education. It is safe to say that when one sees a high school student working at the local restaurant or movie theater, the student is not just working to have some extra spending money, but is truly trying to provide greater opportunities for himself or herself through paying for their future education.

Unfortunately, many are either unable to work as much as needed due to school and extracurriculars or realize that their job will not be enough to cover the majority of their expenses. Reflecting this are the 30% of students that plan on relying on scholarships, the 17% that are relying on financial aid, and the 12% that are relying on school loans to cover the majority of costs for their college education. In addition to this, 70% of respondents admitted that they were planning to rely on student loans for anything not covered by financial aid, grants, and scholarships and 61% believed that they would have student debt upon graduation from their post-secondary institution.

While taking on student debt has been a way that many people have paid for their college education over the past half of a century, the rising cost of modern education has caused many to be more leery of taking on this liability and 61% of surveyed students said that the price of college majorly affected their decisions of whether or not they would attend college, or which school they would attend. However, 81% of respondents still firmly believed that college was worth the price and debt, by-and-large stating that they saw college as necessary to set both themselves and future family up for success.

Thankfully, there are many great opportunities for students to graduate without the burden of debt. One such opportunity, the Lakeshore Technical College (LTC) Promise, is available right in Sheboygan South’s backyard.

Located just 15 miles north of South, Lakeshore Technical College announced this program in late 2016 and it will be implemented for the first time in the fall semester of 2017. The LTC Promise states that as long as a student meets certain requirements, such as having graduated high school in 2017 with a minimum 2.0 GPA and a 90% high school attendance record, the student may enroll as a full-time student (12-15 credit hours per semester) and LTC will cover the balance of tuition and fees after state and federal grants have been applied. With 30% of students surveyed planning to stay local (attending either LTC, UW-Sheboygan, or Lakeland University) for their college education, the LTC promise could have a huge impact on the ability and affordability for local students to receive a post-secondary education. Not only can this impact the students of the area, but it will surely benefit the local economy and businesses that will have access to the potentially larger and better-educated pool of workers that choose to remain in the area upon their graduation.

While college is not for everybody, it is not something that should be limited to some because of cost. No, the path to paying for one’s future education may not be easy, but there are plenty of ways that students, with a little hard work and perseverance, can get there. The responses of the students of South High made it clear that many are willing to put in the necessary work so that they may achieve success down the road, and the LTC Promise has shown that Lakeshore Technical College believes in the ability of local students. Hopefully the community will soon see many of South High’s graduates succeed thanks to their work ethic and the opportunities offered by programs such as the LTC Promise.