Is College a Scam?

The crisis in higher education is getting worse. It doesn’t take much to see college debt climbing over $1.7 trillion and woke teachers pushing students to support Hamas. Joe Biden is scrambling to cancel debt by any means possible outside of the Supreme Court’s decision. This bleak situation can tempt high school students and parents to give up entirely on college, claiming it is just a scam. 

While social media may be filled with video testimonials about how many colleges are indeed failing students, the answer is not to reject college outright. There are still institutions of higher education that provide students with education in wisdom and truth while maintaining high standards of academic excellence. The key is to sift through the waste and find these bastions of real education. Here are three essential qualities to help you locate a strong college offering a valuable degree.

First, look for real scholars teaching in the classroom. Some might think that top academic scholars are teaching in the classroom, but that is not always the case. In reality, undergraduate students are not learning from scholars but from part-time faculty or graduate students. An equivalent situation would be going to work for a company and finding out your boss is an intern. Look for a college where the school's top scholars are teaching undergraduates. 

Second, look for a college that does not accept federal student loans. These loans can seem like a help for students seeking a college degree, but they bring along a whole host of issues. The federal government offering these loans is the key factor to the massive student debt in our country. This government money also adds pressure on colleges to adhere to the cultural winds of the day, such as Title IV money, which requires college administration to set up policies that conform to transgender ideology. A college busy trying to jump through all the hoops of government requirements won’t have time to offer a robust education.

Third, look for a college that upholds excellence in its admissions. Many colleges mindlessly follow the policies of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), lowering the standard for admissions and watering down their program. Rejecting DEI means the college is not trying to fulfill a government-set quota of students, but is committed to holding students and faculty to a high standard for academic work. Pursuing excellence rather than numbers means a college degree is valuable for students, parents, alumni, and future companies. 

The mission at New Saint Andrews College is to graduate leaders who shape culture. The curriculum is designed around the time-tested liberal arts program which gives students the tools of knowledge. This means students gain the ability to assess problems and come up with new solutions. It prepares students to read accurately and write well. It teaches students how to speak persuasively and harness the energy of a team. When students graduate from NSA, they have a real education and they are ready for the world.

In the current crisis of higher education, the solution is not to reject all colleges. To reject all colleges is to throw out the good with the bad. Are there problems in higher education? Yes. But there are institutions where you can still learn how to think and how to be a leader. The key is to know the signs of a good college. While there are a lot of poor college programs out there, finding a strong program will launch you into the world so that you are ready to be a leader in the culture.