PayinG F or College
Honest Talk about the Big Elephant
Some call it the elephant in the room. Sometimes it’s the 800-pound gorilla. It’s the topic no one is talking about, but what everyone is thinking about. We’re outing the elephant/gorilla of college admissions ... the cost and value debates. Obviously, affording a private Christian college education is a concern for many families, particularly when the cost of everything is going up from gasoline to groceries. The popularity of money-management programs such as The Dave Ramsey Show also has kicked the debate up a notch. “I think education is extremely important. However, going into major debt in order to get a degree that you will never use is ridiculous,” Ramsey wrote on his website, daveramsey. com. “When I hire people for my company, I don’t look only at the degrees they have. I look at desire, attitude, diligence, people skills, and other qualities. These are the things that will determine if they are successful, not necessarily a degree.” You might think that statements like that would make OC’s admissions folks squirm a little bit. No, in fact, he has helped us. OC’s foundation was built on transforming students’ lives to not only be successful in a career, but to be people who have the qualities that Ramsey admires. And, no, you can’t necessarily get that at any college or university. Jon Junker is an OC alumnus who facilitates Ramsey’s “Financial Peace University” at his congregation. He paid his own way through college in the 1980s – spurred on by his dad, who taught him to spend his money on things
that will appreciate over time, like education. “I believe that a Christian education has a lot of value that may be intangible to those that have not experienced it, such as a better studentteacher ratio, a better environment, lots of opportunities to grow spiritually, and making many good friends for life,” he said. Jon owns his own company, Redbud Technical Consulting, based in Edmond, Oklahoma. He says that his former professors still remember his name and are genuinely interested in his career and life when he sees them. He and his wife, Gayle, have three children who are rapidly heading toward college age. And they are planning for it. “I personally want my kids to have a stake in paying for their higher education, whether it is by earning scholarships or cold, hard cash,” he said. “I believe that if the kid puts a little bit of his or her treasure into it, their heart will follow.” That’s advice that OC admissions counselor Matt Johns has heard himself giving as he visits with potential students.
I was in high school, which means we didn’t have a lot of money growing up,” she said. “My parents had not been able to save much for my education, but I knew that I wanted to be at a Christian university. So I worked hard in school to get good grades and good test scores. Through hard work, good family support, and the grace of God, not only was I able to come to OC, but both of my younger brothers came here as well.” Granted, Crislyn, Matt and the other counselors are part of the OC Admissions Team. But you can train a counselor; you can’t force authenticity. “I do have student loans that I am paying off, but I tell students and parents that those loans are completely worth it. The lifelong friendships I made at OC, the things I learned from my professors, and the experiences I had as a student will always be worth that monthly student loan payment I make each month,” Crislyn said. Nancy and Steve Thomas are Ramsey followers who had two children at OC at the same time.
“My parents sent three kids to OC, all within eight years. My parents took out a Parent Plus loan after my scholarships and we knew we were not throwing away our money,” Matt said. “We paid for my education knowing that my life would forever be changed for the better.”
“I agree with Dave Ramsey in that I don’t believe we owe our children a college education, but we always wanted our children to be able to be independent and support themselves,” Nancy said. “If that education and the skills that come with it can help others, then they will always be able to serve in the Lord’s kingdom.”
Admissions counselor Crislyn Ward says she hears the value-versus-cost question a lot. She gives a response that offers both a “how to” and a passion that is hard not to catch.
Talking about elephants, gorillas, student loans, choices and value may not be so controversial after all. Talking it out might just turn dreams into reality.
“I tell students that my dad was a teacher and my mom was a stay-at-home mom until
By Dawn Shelton
W W W. O C . E D U r e a d m o r e a b o u t DY N A M I C A L LY E Q U I P P E D a l u m n i at w w w.o c. edu/ fai t h f ully
17