In 2015 I wrote about how some students could end up wealthier and happier by not going to four-year college after high school. It was a life-changing post for many. If you missed it, be sure to read it here.
But what about this great idea? Your kid could go to community or technical school in a fantastic, in-demand career field for two years and gain excellent, immediately-employable job skills . . . and then start work on a bachelor’s degree in a related field at age 20.
“Wait, a minute . . .” I can hear you objecting. “Who wants to go to college for six straight years, and not get finished until age 24? The credits my kid would earn in technical school probably wouldn’t transfer to a four-year college, right?”
You’re right, college credits don’t generally transfer from technical schools to 4-year bachelor’s degree programs. But imagine this. What if your 18-year-old teen had already completed two full years of bachelor’s degree college credit in high school at state expense—as I explain here? That teen could complete two years of technical school between age 18 and age 20, and then finish up a bachelor’s degree between the ages of 20 and 22.
Hot fields with high levels of future employability
Jobs in technical fields “are very, very hot right now,” says Minnesota State Senator LeRoy Stumpf, DFL-Plummer. “Nobody can get enough employees.”
Stumpf continues. “We push so hard as parents to get our children to have a four-year college degree. But now, in today’s economy . . . it (might) be better for them (the students) to have skills training.”
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Read just one chapter of LAUNCH every 1–3 months while your child’s in middle school and high school, and you’ll know every viable strategy for debt-free college at exactly the right time to implement it.
And if your child’s already well past middle school? That’s OK; you can run to catch up. But the process of getting your kids through college debt-free goes more smoothly the earlier you start it—especially if you’re not planning to save up any money to pay for college.
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Who is Jeannie Burlowski?
Jeannie is a full-time academic strategist, podcast host, and sought-after speaker for students ages 12–26, their parents, and the professionals who serve them. Her writing, speaking, and podcasting help parents set their kids up to graduate college debt-free, ready to jump directly into careers they excel at and love. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Huffington Post, USA Today, Parents Magazine, and US News & World Report, and on CBS News.
Jeannie also helps students apply to law, medical, business, and grad school at her website GetIntoMedSchool.com. You can follow her on Bluesky @jburlowski.bsky.social.
No part of this article was written using AI.
This article was updated on January 10th, 2018.