North Dakotans Saving for Education

The Value of Post Secondary Education and Training

As we think of our children's future and what education will mean to them we realize as important as a High School diploma is, it may not be enough in today's job market.  As our economy becomes more complex and technical, our work force must also become more highly skilled.  We as parents have an opportunity to assist our children in achieving further education.  Education after high school can come in many forms; it could be an apprenticeship, a degree from a business, trade or technical school or even a doctorate degree from a university.  Most forms of training and education after high school will prepare the student for a very competitive job market.

 

Some of the benefits of further education:

• Increased Knowledge - Additional education increases a student's understanding of the world around them. They learn problem solving skills, how to express themselves both verbally and in writing, and how to make wise decisions.  These skills will be useful in their personal and professional life.
• Higher Income - Generally the more education a person receives the higher their income will be. For example, in 2009 a person with a bachelor's degree earned an average of $15,000 per year more than someone with only a high school diploma.
• More Potential - Further education exposes a student to new opportunities, helps them explore interests and discover new areas of knowledge.
• Increased job opportunities - As the world changes many jobs require new technical skills and more brain power than muscle power.  As a student becomes more educated a wider variety of careers are available to them.

It is hard to overstate the benefits of providing our children with more education after High School. In most cases, a student will gain great returns on our and their investments of time, money and effort in an education.