I don't want to go to college.

For a parent, hearing their child make that statement is a heart stopper. You first ask, "what did you say" to make sure you heard what you thought you heard before you go off the deep end. In a flash you feel let down, frustrated and unappreciated. You then turn defiant and emphatic, "Oh you going to college. You don't have a choice". You have a right to feel all those feelings and a few more to go with them but for a moment let's set aside the emotion and pride and think about this from a practical and logical point of view. I believe a college education is important but I don't believe it's required to be successful the way mainstream society would have you believe. The enormous presence of technology in our lives, along with the ability of the internet to place an idea or product in front of millions in an instant, has forever done away with the tradition of "going to college so you can get a good job". Nowadays, it's more likely that you'll create your own job before you find a job.

Because of the ever rising cost of college, the massive debt incurred to pay for college along with it's seriously diminished value as illustrated by so many graduates that can't find work, I think an alternative to college should be seriously considered. Here's a few alternatives.

Technical School - Technical school is typically cheaper than college because the focus of the education is on teaching a specific skill and not making you "well rounded". Technical school gives "hands on" training or actual experience which is more appealing to an employer than classroom theory. Think about how many times you've heard someone say "I didn't get the position because I didn't have any experience?"

Start a Business - You can start most home based businesses for less than $3,000. The average public college education cost $40,000. Using the college fund as seed money you can start 10-15 businesses that can generate funds immediately. If your child devotes 35-45 hours a week towards the business(es) (time that would have been used as classroom/study time) along with the college fund as seed money a successful outcome is almost unavoidable. 

Programmer - Most kids play video games or spend significant time on the internet. They use or consume the technology to have fun but never know how these things work or produce anything with the technology. Producers thrive, consumers survive. Java, HTML, C++, Python, ASP and many more of these unusual names are languages. No, these aren't languages as in spoken languages but programming languages. These languages are just a few that are used to make all your communication devices, computers and the internet function and do the things that you want them to do. The instructions that make your communication devices, computers and the internet work are written in these languages. Becoming a programmer doesn't require a college education (many exceptional programmers are self taught), no special equipment or textbooks and nearly 100% of what your child would need to get started is on the internet free of charge thanks to the programming community. Sites like tutorialize.com or Youtube provide "how to" instruction. A programmer with minimal experience can earn $50,000 a year and the price goes up with experience. If your child doesn't want a job they can be their own boss and become a consultant or contractor. Small and intermediate businesses are always in need of some type of programmer. And if being a contractor isn't to their liking, your child can write applications for Android devices or iPads and iPhones. Creating one popular application can make them a millionaire overnight.

These are very viable and successful alternatives to college. Instead of forcing a square peg (your child) into a round hole (college), step back and realize that times have changed and a college education is slowly becoming a non-viable path for many. Put aside your ego, the emotion and what society is telling you to do and ask yourself "is college the best path to get my child where he/she wants to go?" You may be surprised at the answer.