Best Options After High School

Kristina: Today, we’re going to talk about seven ways for high schoolers to continue their education after high school, especially if you have a child that doesn’t want to go to a traditional university.

Hello, my name is Kristina Campos, founder of The Impactful Parent. I help parents of school-aged children turn their chaos into connection with their adolescence. I offer free parent education videos every week, online courses, and coaching. And if that wasn’t enough, I bring experts in other fields to The Impactful Parent stage to teach you even more. And today I have a special guest. Her name is Emma Perez. Emma is a college and career coach for teens and young adults. I’m really excited to have her here. We’re gonna be talking about all the options that your child has after high school. Thank you for being here today. Emma.

Emma: Thank you so much for having me.

Kristina: I want to dive right in. What are the seven options after high school?

Emma: So a lot of times, there’s a lot of relief to find out that there are other options. One of those options is university. Of all the seven options I’m going to discuss today, the university is the most costly option. I like to encourage families to really consider your return on investment for any educational pursuit that they take. Consider if the cost of a particular school, institution, or degree will out-weight the tuition costs.

Kristina:  I recently interviewed a financial advisor who was saying the same thing. College has become too expensive. Sometimes it may not be the right option for a child to go to university, depending on their career or degree. It just doesn’t weigh anymore. Parents need to pause and consider that times have changed since their own upbringing. University may not be the best path for learning and choosing a career anymore.

Best Options After High School

Emma: We all know that the cost of college is increasing, especially compared to wages. In addition to that, colleges and universities started creating degree programs so that more kids would attend their universities. Many of these degree programs don’t automatically lead to employment. There are still some occupations that the only choice is university. There are some occupations where you will have multiple choices, whether university or some other kind of schooling.

Kristina: I’m excited to hear the other options for students after high school. What is option #2?

Emma: A gap year. This doesn’t mean that your child is just going to take a year off of schooling. Actually, most students will attend a gap year program. Most of these programs are community service-based. Some programs are far away in another country. Some programs may be expensive, but you could find scholarships. Other programs will offer a stipend and get scholarship money when they complete the program. Universities mostly really like gap years for kids because of the experiential learning that they’re getting. Schools will allow you to defer your enrollment for a year to do a gap year program. The gap year can give your child the opportunity to mature, travel, experience new things and figure out their passion.

Kristina: How expensive is a gap?

Emma: Well, it really depends on the program. The price can be anywhere from free to as much as a university’s tuition.

Kristina: Sounds like another great option with option. What is the next option for kids?

Emma:  Community College. Community college is the more affordable path to university because you can take your general education courses there at a much nicer price tag and potentially still live at home, so the child doesn’t have living expenses.

However, community college also offers an alternative to university with professions that require an associate’s degree, not a bachelor’s degree. A great example is to be an American Sign Language interpreter. Community colleges offer this degree as a two-year program, and once you graduate, you’re ready to work. Some community colleges even offer trades. Those degree programs can be nine months to two-year programs.

Best Options After High School

I think many parents see college as a good buffer between being a teenager and being an adult. But some kids actually need a buffer between high school and university.

Kristina: What about option number four?

Emma:  The military. The military offers degrees for jobs that you can have within the military or afterward in civilian life. After your military term, you also have VA benefits, and one of these benefits is money for college.

Kristina: Another great option that offers different paths for kids. And what about option number five?

Emma: Trade school. As I mentioned before that some community colleges offer trade programs. Other schools specialize in trade programs. These are nine to two-year programs where you earn a diploma or certification and train in a very specific trade.

Today, most tradesmen are baby boomers who will be retiring soon. Many jobs are going vacant. There’s going to be a lot of job security here because there are so many vacant jobs, but these are also important jobs that we need. These are hands-on jobs. Some people don’t want to sit behind a desk every day for the rest of their life. This could be a great option for many students!

There is an assumption that people don’t make as much money with these trade professions. That is incorrect. Certain trades make plenty of money, especially if you decide to own your own business. Also, consider that the cost of education is far less and it’s fewer years. You get to earning sooner!

Kristina: What is option number six?

Emma: Working with a business coach. Okay, so some young people are very entrepreneurial and might consider a business degree. But I want you to consider a business mentor and get involved in a Business Mastermind. With this option, the student would be coupled with a professional that could hold their hand while creating their own business, rather than going to a school. It will cost less money, so you’ll have more money to invest in the business. This is not for every 17 or 18 year old out there, but there are some out there that it could be right for, so you just really want to calculate that return on investment.

Kristina: How do you find a business coach?

Best Options After High School

Emma: I know a few, and your audience can contact me for help. I can help them find a business coach that would be a good fit for the student.

Kristina: Great! Thank you. What is option number seven?

Emma: The last option will be the most cost-effective because it doesn’t cost you any money at all. This option is an apprenticeship.

There are actually a lot of apprenticeships out there. You can go to apprenticeship.gov to find them. Instead of going to school and paying to learn, you actually get paid while you learn on the job. These programs can often be up to four years, like university. You’ll start making a 50% salary, which will increase through your learning experience.

A great example here with the elevator repairman. This is a three or four-year apprenticeship. As soon as they’re done, they start making about $79,000 a year with zero educational costs.

Kristina:  With seven options to choose from, how does a child know which path is right for them?

Emma: There are a few things that you want to consider. The first one is what do you want to do? Maybe the only option is a university, or a trade school is the only option. Or maybe you have multiple options. I also work with families to help students figure out their paths. I like to tell young people that you find your unique value in thinking about yourself as a person. What do you value? What do you care about? How do you want to spend your time, and how can you serve other people? When you think about things that you’re uniquely good at and that you can bring to anything you do, you combine that with how you can serve other people. That’s where you really find your unique values.

I also like to remind families that the path doesn’t have to be set in stone. Most people will change careers as they grow. It is more important to focus on the student’s skills and apply those skills to the real world.

Kristina: I am excited to tell that audience that you have a few freebies for them today.

Emma: Yes! Freebie #1 is a free seat in a webinar called How To Go Undecided to Excited. If you’re a parent with a young person who may have an interest but don’t know how to turn that into a job, or if they’re not sure what their interests are, what they want to major, what they want to do- This is the webinar for you. We cover how to get your teen unstuck and ready to move forward.

Freebie number two is a worksheet for you to print out for each university that you visit and has lots of questions where you could put pros and cons. It is a worksheet to help you keep track of different university options and helps you ask the right questions at each college you look at.

Kristina: Thank you, Emma. I appreciate the help you are giving parents and students.

If you want to become a more impactful parent, check out all of my website has to offer. I have parenting courses, family coaching, a free downloadable app, and many free resources. But until next time, you got this, parents. I’m just here to help.