A New Path to “The American Dream”

For years, there was a belief that attending a 4-year institution to complete a degree was a sure path to success. To have success, one must attend a 4-year institution and at all costs, finish that degree. The narrative being, earning a 4-year degree would get the student a high paying job after graduation, and magically, "the American Dream" was their feet.

The American Dream, by this narrative from the education purist, was you can only obtain success by taking the 4-year education pathway. To most students, this pathway can be long and expensive. Parents took out second mortgages on their homes, cashed in retirements, or students borrowed money at unprecedented rates with little or no knowledge about what debt was and its long term effect on their future. All of this under the guidance of an internal system built and designed under the belief of helping students attain a 4-year degree, borrowing their way to this view of "the American Dream."

I did the same thing graduating with my Ph.D. I was over $90,000 of debt for the education I received. Even now, 15 years after graduation, I still owe more on student debt than the debt on my home. Many graduates, like myself, face the reality of paying back these large amounts of student loans for the majority of their lives. One of my personal life goals is to pay off my student debt before I have the pleasure of meeting many of my heroes from the histories past.

Credit score, indebtedness, socioeconomic status, and affordability become factors when deciding whether to pursue a college education by the narrative obtaining "the American Dream." Student debt holds graduates back from getting married, purchasing a home, starting a family, and in reality, living the American Dream. One wonders why employee job satisfaction or "their job having meaning in their life" is at an all-time low.

Until recently, this narrative of "the American Dream" has been presented in a way that caused technical and vocational schools to lose their appeal. With uncertainties rising in the job market and more people finding themselves overworked and underpaid, the appeal for a short term, job-related skills have started to resurface. People are turning to technical education to receive quality training based on work-ready skills while avoiding amassing huge amounts of debt.

Northeastern Technical College is one of many education providers, designed to prepare students to enter the workforce or upgrade their skills for great paying careers with no debt. Technical Colleges around the state price point their program to focus less on the ability to pay but on the true success of students' desire, and God-given talents for success. Programs such as welding, machine tool, business/management, nursing, accounting, electrical /mechanical technicians, plant maintenance, etc. help individuals develop skills to obtain high paying professional jobs immediately after completion.

Northeastern Technical College offers programs with low tuition, flexible scheduling, and the option to attend classes close to home or online, to further help offset the costs associated with pursuing higher education. Most programs are approved for State Lottery funds, workforce funds, Federal Pell Funds, and many foundation scholarships.

Technical colleges throughout South Carolina are designed to help local communities provide citizens access to training and education to fill high paying jobs in the local community. This investment by the state in technical education is necessary to strengthen local economies in both rural and urban communities. For this reason, it is essential for South Carolina to reinvest in technical and vocational education, allowing the expansion of the technical college footprint with new programs and new equipment for existing programs.
When the State provides much-needed support dollars, the colleges can raise the level of workforce education access and quality to meet the industry needs of a 21st Century employer, in the 21st Century global work environment. When citizens earn stable paychecks in fields where there is demand, they can achieve the American Dream. We will see our communities grow, become revitalized, and create livable conditions whereby every citizen is debt-free from education borrowing.

Northeastern Technical College awarded over $4.3 million in financial aid to students in Chesterfield, Marlboro, and Dillon counties for the 2018-2019 Academic Year. Federal Pell Grants combined with State Programs such as Lottery Tuition Assistance, Life Scholarship, SC Promise, SC Wins, and other local scholarships lighten and in most cases, eliminate the financial burden of college, making it the most cost-effective community investment in the state of South Carolina.

A 4-year college degree is still a great path to success, but it is no longer the only way for citizens of South Carolina to "Live the American Dream." Technical and Vocational schools are helping students find success while giving them an option that does not leave them with huge amounts of debt after they graduate. At Northeastern Technical College, "Start Your Adventure," and through technical education you can do it debt-free. See you in our halls!

Message from the President's Office

Dr. Kyle Wagner, President
Northeastern Technical College

Tags: College College Educated College Prepared Community Pathway Pathway to a Future Start Your Pathway Continuing Education

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