Gen Z unsure about college, a new poll finds

Colorado counselors say reality is more complicated

BY JASON GONZALES THE COLORADO SUN

Gen Z believes education after high school is necessary. ey’re just not so sure about going to a fouryear university.

It isn’t that the generation born between 1997 and 2012 doesn’t want to get a bachelor’s degree, according to a recent study by the ECMC Foundation. e cost of tuition, student debt, and not feeling prepared keep them from heading to a university. Some are more open to certi cate programs, apprenticeships, two-year degrees, and on-the-job training as viable paths to a career.

e general attitudes of Gen Z students, documented in the report by the foundation that pushes for higher education improvements, tracks similarly to what Colorado college counseling groups hear. Advisors say students they talk to are recovering from an unprecedented pandemic and they’re more cost conscious about their education. Gen Z students are putting nancial security rst.

“ ey’ve seen so many people just operate to survive during the pandemic,” said Melissa Muniz, the Latin American Educational Foundation student services and program manager.

With those attitudes in mind, counselors say there’s a balance in helping Gen Z students understand how to approach their education. About 65% of students say post-high school education is important, the report says. And almost 60% say they can be successful without a fouryear degree.

Having a four-year degree has bene ts. State data shows having a bachelor’s degree can open opportunities for more secure and higherpaying jobs that Gen Z students seek. Residents with a bachelor’s degree are also more mobile.

Nonetheless, nancial worries persist about the high cost of tuition at a four-year university or the debt students might be saddled with after they graduate. e study says six in 10 teens worry about how to pay for their education. at can hold them back.

Students do have options in Colorado, and it’s true that some students can get what they want out of their education from a shorter-term program.

But the study shows not enough students feel they get the counseling they need to make the decision. About 63% said they need guidance on nances and 48% said they need education and career guidance.

“ ey’re operating from this place where they want to nd something they love, they want to nd something they’re passionate about doing,” said Muniz, whose nonpro t pushes for greater access to higher education among Latino and Hispanic students. “But they question how they are also going to have stability so that they can provide for themselves and for their families.”

Gabriel Guindon, Denver Scholarship Foundation college access director, said counselors always make sure students know about Colorado’s talent pipeline report that says about

92% of the top jobs statewide require schooling beyond a high school diploma. e Denver foundation helps students realize their college dreams through advising and nancial aid. Students also should get advised individually to nd the best t, whether that’s academic, nancial, or social, he said. Guindon o ers advice on how to pay for a four-year degree, but he doesn’t steer students just toward universities. He tries to help students see that an education beyond college is necessary and at their ngertips.