Dear J.T. & Dale: My son is a senior in high school. He announced that he doesn’t want to go to college. Instead, he asked us to give him the money we set aside for college so he can start a business. He has zero business experience. We told him he’d have to get a job and start the business as a side hustle but that if he can make it profitable and build a business plan, then we’d consider it. We thought that would convince him to go to college — but he agreed. Ugh. We really want him to get a college degree. Can you give us some advice? — Marie
J.T.: Many people now question whether a college degree is even required. Many large companies are finally starting to waive their degree requirements. According to the National Ad Council, there are 70 million STARs working in the U.S. — that’s Skilled Through Alternative Routes. Why not let your son pursue this for a year and let him see whether it might make sense to go to college for business? Or, perhaps find a certificate or apprenticeship that will help him achieve his goals. Times are changing. He could end up saving you a lot of money on college.
DALE: J.T. is right about a degree not being required. I don’t see any way to convince an entrepreneurial teenager that a degree is critical, not when they have Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Oprah, Steven Spielberg, and a long list of other non-degreed high-achievers to toss into any debate. All that said, I’m with you on being a believer in a college education. Perhaps you can get friends or relatives to chat with your son and reminisce about how the college years were the best times of their lives — the friendships, the adventures, the social life, the love of learning. He’d pass that up for what? An appearance on “Shark Tank”? Perhaps you can find a way to amend your agreement and include his enrolling in college and taking a few courses while working on his business. And not those dreary online courses; no, get him on campus where he can experience the magic of convergent intellectual and social awakening.
