Is a college education really necessary? In college you are exposed to different experiences. Depending on where you attend college, you could get exposed to a new culture in a different state or country. In college, you meet new people, have fun adventures and discover more effective ways to learn. You also have a chance to discover interesting careers you may not have considered before. College is important because it can help you get a higher-paying job. 

Everybody wants to have a successful, high-paying career. As you may have heard before, getting a college degree typically leads to a higher salary. According to Northeastern University, people who got their associate degree get paid $46,124, while people who only have their high school diploma get paid $38,792. Northeastern University also showed that the higher the degree you have the more you get paid. Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities said that on average people who get their bachelor’s degree are paid $32,000 more that people who only have a high school diploma. One of the important things about college is that it will help you attain a higher salary.

Some people could argue that college is too expensive. However, there are different types of financial aid you can receive to lessen the cost, depending on your family’s financial situation. The options include grants, scholarships, work-study jobs and loans. There are also specific aids like aids for military families, aids for international study or aids from your college or career school. How does financial aid work? According to Federal Student Aid, after you plan how you’re going to pay for college, you need to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Then review your aid offers from different schools and choose the best one for you. Then your aid office applies the aid as long as you go to school there, and then when you graduate, you have a six-month period where you can choose what method of repayment you want to use for your student loans. While college may be expensive, there are aids that can help you get a good college education.

Going to college also expands your job choice. College graduates get 57% more job opportunities than non-graduates according to Northeastern University. When you go to college, you gain academic knowledge that you didn’t have before to help you succeed in the career you choose. As you expand your skill set, you also become more qualified for jobs that wouldn’t be available to you without a college degree. One good example of this is education. If you want to get a job in teaching, counseling or even speech pathology, you will need to go to college. A couple more examples of jobs that may require college are those in government, communications, business and arts and entertainment. College can give you more career options and opportunities.

College can help you get a higher paying job, so it is necessary. When you go to college, you get paid a higher salary and have a wider variety of career choices. While college may be expensive, there are various financial aids that can help make it a little more affordable. College gives you more freedom to be who you want to be and do what you want to do in your career. College is an important step to achieving your dreams.