The value of a college education is well documented. In addition to the increased knowledge and personal satisfaction obtained through education, surveys show that a U.S. college graduate (when compared with a high school graduate):

• Earns nearly twice as much in their lifetime
• Has better health, as do their children
• Has more leisure time, hobbies, and life satisfaction.¹

Here are some quick tips for the college search process:

• Begin college searches via the Internet as early as the freshman or sophomore year in high school.
• Look at a variety of schools. There are nearly 4,000 colleges and universities in the U.S. alone. Of these, about 1,600 are privately owned and 2,400 are publicly owned (by states or counties). Of the private colleges, 900 are faith-related (Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and so on), and a little over 100 are part of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (requiring an evangelical faith commitment from all faculty and staff).
• Good college search resources include: U.S. Department of Education College Navigator webiste: www.nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator
• A campus visit while school is in session is important. It allows students and their parents to experience campus features such as classroom size, residence hall life, available programs and services, and so on. Try to schedule these visits during a student's junior year or fall of the senior year of high school.
• Each college has a slightly different application form, with varying requirements (SAT or ACT exams, essay, interview, recommendations, and so on) and deadlines. Read carefully and follow the directions!
• When applying for financial aid in the U.S., most colleges require the completion of a U.S. Government FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) by March 1. Information is available at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Financial aid procedures vary by region, so check the appropriate web site for your home state or country. And, colleges and universities can also give financial aid-be sure to apply for it!
• Learn who your admissions counselor is on each campus where you apply. They are an important source of information about the application process for institutional financial aid and deadlines (for applications, housing, course registration).

Additional information sources include your high school guidance counselor, a favorite teacher, or your youth pastor. It is not necessary to pay for college search services. Plenty of good, and free, resources exist. While the process of selecting, applying, and enrolling in college can be challenging, the rewards are great. ¹

¹From ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education, Washington DC.

Anita Fitzgerald Henck is an associate professor in the doctoral program in higher education leadership at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California. She is a member of Pasadena First Church of the Nazarene.

Holiness Today, July/August 2008

Please note: This article was originally published in 2008. All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at that time but may have since changed.