Interview with President Riggs on student debt appears in InvestorPlace

An October 24 InvestorPlace article featured an interview with Gettysburg College President Janet Morgan Riggs on student debt.

From InvestorPlace:

Is college worth it?

InvestorPlace had a chance to ask Gettysburg College President Janet Morgan Riggs just that — and a few other things about the state of higher education. Here’s what she had to say:

Q: More than half of college graduates are jobless or underemployed, and two of the most common jobs for members of today’s 20-to-30-year-olds are floor clerk and clothing sales associate. Couple the job troubles with record levels of student debt, and you can understand why many question whether college is worthwhile. So, quite simply, why is college worth it?

A: First, I’d say it’s important to take the longer view. Although it’s true we are in a challenging economic climate currently, a college education is going to have impact on earnings far beyond the next few years. College graduates make about a million dollars more than high school graduates across their working lives.

Second, college graduates are far more likely to be employed than those who don’t have a college degree. According to the Economic Policy Institute, last year 31% of young high school graduates were unemployed as compared to about 9% of young college graduates.

Third, a college education can open up avenues of professional and civic interest that a student might otherwise never discover.

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