In recent years, many young adults have concluded that college isn’t the route for them, often due to the outrageously expensive price tag tied to a degree. It’s nearly impossible to get a college education without taking out a few loans and going into debt.
Bethany Vanderzanden, a mom on TikTok, admitted that her smart daughter wants to attend college and worked incredibly hard throughout high school in an attempt to get a scholarship. However, it turns out that she is not qualified for many of them.Â
Now, Vanderzanden is questioning how she can send her daughter to college without drowning in debt.
The mom is considering getting a divorce or quitting her job so that her kid can afford to go to college.
“I’m half tempted to just divorce my husband and quit my job so that my kids can get free college,” Vanderzanden began in her video. “We’re middle class. We don’t have a ton, but we’re also not considered ‘poverty.'”
She explained that her daughter, who is about to graduate high school, worked really hard during her four years so that she could secure a college scholarship. She did everything right — took AP classes, completed some college courses, played three varsity sports, worked a job, and participated in leadership programs.
“It actually got to the point where I told her she needed to slow down because I wanted her to still be a kid,” the mom admitted. “But she wanted to get into college, and she wanted to get all the scholarships.”
When it came time to apply for scholarships, the mom was shocked to discover that her daughter didn’t qualify for half of them.
“She’s not a minority. She doesn’t come from financial need, which is silly to me because we have financial need. We can’t afford a crap ton of college, but we’re not considered poverty,” Vanderzanden explained.
The mom admitted that she wants to help her daughter but can’t afford the full tuition.Â
She also has a college fund of $10,000 for each of her children, but unfortunately, that’s only a drop in the bucket compared to the overall cost.Â
Her daughter also plans to go the medical route and already has some college courses under her belt, so although community college is cheaper, it isn’t the right pathway for her.
“It just baffles me that because my husband and I actually work and we’re considered middle class, my kiddo, who has worked her butt off all four years, just doesn’t qualify,” Vanderzanden added. “Yeah, she can get loans, but if we were considered poverty, basically everything would be free or pretty close to free.”
Most college graduates today have student loan debt.
As of the first quarter of 2024, Americans owed $1.75 trillion in education debt, according to the Federal Reserve. Fifty-one percent of 2021-22 bachelor’s degree recipients graduated with an average of $29,400 in student loan debt, and among all borrowers, the average student loan debt in 2023 was $38,787.Â
Unfortunately, college is only getting more expensive. Tuition and fees plus room and board for a four-year private college averaged $56,190 in the 2023-24 school year. At four-year in-state public colleges, it was $24,030, according to the College Board.Â
As a direct result of the high tuition, many students are choosing to drop out of college or forgo it altogether.Â
According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, the number of students who started higher education but then withdrew has been on the rise, with 40 million students currently unenrolled.
Of course, college is not a necessity, and many young people have managed to find success without going into debt just to receive a degree. Among Gen Z, trade jobs, especially, are on the rise.Â
Still, there is value in higher education, and many important careers, from doctors and lawyers to engineers and teachers, require degrees. It’s a sobering thought that many young people who want to go to college and pursue such careers will be unable to afford to do so.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.
