As high school graduates enjoy the first relaxing days of summer, they may also worry about the uncertainty of the economy into which they venture.
Some, hoping to take a year or two off and work, confront a job market that is sluggish at best. College might have been an option if they had applied earlier, but with news that many Washington colleges are raising tuition and are turning away new applicants, some are mistakenly counting out higher education for the fall.
Fortunately, however, Snohomish County offers opportunities to enjoy a quality college experience, and both Columbia College and Trinity Lutheran College are still accepting applications for the fall. Both colleges serve students whose needs might not be met by larger state colleges and universities. Trinity Lutheran College offers an undergraduate, biblically centered, liberal arts education with a variety of majors, welcoming people from all faith traditions. Columbia College’s Marysville/Everett campus adapts its delivery of undergraduate and graduate programs to military personnel and working adults.
More importantly, both colleges offer affordable programs with individualized attention. Because not all students thrive in the context of large lecture halls, Trinity and Columbia offer small class sizes and personal care from qualified faculty with degrees from such places as the universities of William and Mary, Puget Sound, Oxford, Vanderbilt and Yale. Moreover, both have faculty who are proven practitioners in their respective fields. In other words, convenience and affordability do not come at the expense of quality instruction.
In these uncertain times, students can still expand their career horizons for the economy of the future by completing a college degree. Both colleges offer online applications on their Web sites: www.ccis.edu and www.tlc.edu.
With all the volatility in life, students do well to be as dynamic as the times; empowering education might just be around corner for those willing to make a bold move late in the game.
Dr. Jeff Mallinson is academic dean at Trinity Lutheran College in Everett.
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