Documentary highlights college challenges

A four-year college degree has long been considered a benchmark of success.

Those who earned one could walk with pride across the stage to the applause of family — and look forward to landing a job in their choice of careers.

But these days, that sounds far easier than it actually is.

In the United States, it’s estimated some 20 million people attend community college and universities. They start with high hopes, but less than 50 percent of students who start college finish.

“Unlikely: Breaking Down Barriers to Higher Education,” a documentary that will be shown Thursday at North Idaho College, takes a look at why.

“Now there are more than 35 million Americans who started college but never finished, leaving them saddled with debt, and behind their peers in earning power,” says a film flyer.

The challenges many students face are daunting. The film found that:

• 40 percent of students are working 30 hours or more per week.

• 50 percent of students experience food and/or housing insecurity.

• Nearly 75 percent of students experience unmet financial need.

• 26 percent of students are parents

Dr. Bridget Burns is executive director of the University Innovation Alliance, a national coalition of public research universities committed to increasing the number and diversity of college graduates in the U.S.

She is still paying her college loan debt, but said she has never doubted whether college was a good investment.

“I wouldn’t be where I am without it,” she said in a phone interview with The Press.

She attended NIC for two years, 1998-2000, funding it through financial aid, student loans and working “as much as I could.”

She landed a job at The Coeur d’Alene Resort that balanced well with her school commitments.

“I was the world’s greatest towel folder in the rec center,” she said, laughing.

She had a roommate to help keep living costs down and says she “ate a lot of canned soup.” That’s a common story for most students, she said, and pretty much, most folks attending college need to work — even have to work.

“The idea you can just work during the summer is no longer a reality in America,” she said.

It took her seven years to earn her bachelor’s degree from Oregon State University and today, she still has more than $50,000 in student loan debt.

Following the film screening of “Unlikely” at 11 a.m., Burns, who was named one of the “16 Most Innovative People in Higher Education” by Washington Monthly magazine, will talk about her own student experiences and work in support of developing innovative ways to help students surmount the barriers to degree completion.

A discussion session at 1 p.m. will take place in the Lake Coeur d’Alene Room, on the second floor of the Edminster Student Union Building.

The afternoon session will offer attendees the chance to ask questions and offer their own ideas about addressing the local barriers to higher education that are encountered by students of all ages in North Idaho.

RISING COST

Over the past 10 years, the average price for tuition and fees at four-year private colleges and universities has jumped to $34,740 a year, up more than $7,000, according to statistics from the College Board.

Housing, too, has shot up. The average Coeur d’Alene house price rose to about $350,000, according to Zillow.com, and rent has climbed to where a house in Coeur d’Alene, on average, goes for anywhere from $1,200 to $2,000.

Meantime, Idaho’s minimum wage remains $7.25.

So, putting that together ... trying to pay for college while paying for a place to live, toss in food and utilities, and you’re looking at serious red ink.

About 45 million Americans have student loan debt. The average student debt per graduate who took out loans is higher than ever, at $29,800, according to Business Insider.

A 2018 report from the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University found that low-income working students tend to work longer hours than high-income college students. The Georgetown report found that 70 percent of full-time college students are working.

Burns, who was student body president at OSU, said a little debt coming out of college is “healthy” and added that working 20 hours a week while attending college “is completely reasonable.”

“What are you doing with the rest of your time?” she asked.

FUTURE PROMISE

Burns grew up in poverty in rural Montana. She said earning a degree changed her life.

“I’m happy I bet on myself,” she said.

“I was navigating without guidance, yet, I somehow followed the right path,” she said.

College is much more than sitting in classes, studying and going to football games, Burns said. It’s about building a career foundation and a learning experience.

For instance, being part of student government became a pivotal part of her future.

It was in college she learned that “one person can absolutely change a community.”

While some will argue college is no longer worth the price, that attending a trade school or joining the military is a better investment, Burns disagrees.

“The majority of students come to college because they want to get a job,” she said.

Yes, college is expensive and requires balancing work, studies and personal life. But, it is a sacrifice that builds discipline and will pay off, Burns said.

“When you’re ready for it, it has the potential to change your life,” she said.

Colleges need to do a better job of guiding students through their education, setting them on the right course and keeping them there. That’s more important than ever, she said, because the needs of students — men, women, married, singles, fathers, mothers — are shifting.

“Most people work and learn at the same time,” she said.

“Unlikely” shows how “higher education has evolved and stepping up to meet the needs of different types of families we serve.”

“College is a complex learning environment that enables people to evolve into capable, dynamic leaders,” she said.

Burns, by the way, makes her college loan payment on the 14th of each month.

“My favorite day of the month is the day I pay my student loans,” she said.

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Coming Wednesday: Students speak out