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Why spend the money and effort for a college education? The answer is; education is a highly valued prize – and despite the fact that it costs more than many think it’s worth… 98% of our respondents said that getting a college education was important. Beyond that, 88% said that a post graduate degree is important in today’s world.

So, let’s go back to the beginning – the college selection process. We asked what was the major factor in choosing which school to apply to and attend. 48% indicated that first on the list was course of study, 26 % looked at the cost before going any farther, 12 % felt that the first priority was the overall personality of the campus while 7% checked the map for best location. Finally 4% would be glad to go to “anyplace that would accept them.”

Once the search was narrowed to the top three schools with the right course of study in the right part of the nation, cost became a much more important factor in the selection process. Then, 68% said that the cost was a huge factor, while 29% said that cost played only some roll in their decision.

So, with skyrocketing cost of higher education, a natural question becomes how acceptable is a 2-year community college is –especially as an entrée to a four–year school. Americans answered in the affirmative with a resounding 84% saying that “a community college is an acceptable place to start.” Besides the reduced cost, 22% would consider a community college because of the adjustment period if offers students after high school. Another 15% said spending time at a community college made it easier for them or their children to decide on a major course of study.

There are other questions we explored in our survey such as, who benefits more from a college education; the individual or the community as a whole? Should the government provide more financial assistance then it presently does?

Overall, those that believe that the government should provide more help have the larger numbers – 50% said yes, 42% said no and 8% were not sure. Looking at the internals, we find that the difference is in political philosophy, and one can see the division largely along party lines. Democrats at 90%, believe more strongly than Republicans at 28%, with Independents at 42%.

The On–Campus/Off–Campus Question

Most students begin pressing for an apartment as they move from their freshman and sophomore years into upper classman status, but what do parents think about this? Nearly six in ten (59%) said they thought it was better for their children to live in an on–campus dormitory, rather than an off– campus apartment. One in five said they thought it would be fine for their kid to live off–campus, and another 20% said they just weren’t sure.

Many colleges charge a premium for those kids who want to live in newer dormitories. It’s a way for schools to recoup some of the cost of those new buildings, many of which include all the luxuries one could want under one roof – including shopping, swimming and health club facilities, and restaurants. Oh, and some of them also include computer labs and other amenities that help students with their studies.

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The Cost of Living Beyond the Learning

When asked whether it was appropriate for schools to charge extra for kids to live in these newer dorms, respondents were evenly divided. Forty–two percent said such a pricing policy made sense, while 40% disagreed, and 17% were not sure. We found an interesting geographic difference on this question – Americans from the south are much more willing to pay extra for newer dorms (61%), which makes one wonder if those old dorms in Dixie lack air conditioning. Older American’s – those age 70 and over – said they are less willing to pay more for newer and better dorms.

Students should be glad to discover that the overwhelming majority of parents said they think it is worth the cost of a college meal plan to guarantee their kid has healthy food every day. These meal plans can be expensive, but the alternative – living on junk food – is unacceptable, parents believe. Given the cost of tuition, it’s helpful if students are healthy enough to make it to class.

Perhaps in part because of this, 25% of those in our survey said they thought their children should get the newest and latest copy, while 8% were not sure.

As anyone with a student in college knows, there are many more expenses associated with modern life at a university beyond the tuition, books, room and board – not the least of which is transportation. Some students attend school in big cities and require no independent means of getting here and there. Still, they require cash for subway or bus tickets. Across the country, most, according to our survey, need a car. Whether they need one or not, 77% said their students have a car at school.

Another sign of modern student life is the credit card, though most parents wish this was not the case – 64% of parents said it was a bad idea for kids to have their own credit card at school, which is in direct conflict with those ever–present offers that rain down upon kids beginning with their first visit to campus.

Nearly a quarter of respondents – 23% – said they thought it was a good idea for their student to have a credit card at school, and 13% said they were not sure.

So what about the ubiquitous cell phone? Well, it’s ubiquitous for a reason – 88% said they think it’s a good idea for their student to have one at school, while just 7% said it was a bad idea.