Why Yet Another Entrepreneur Is Advising Americans to Reconsider Going to College

Glenn Beck has long advised Americans to consider whether the benefit of a traditional college education is worth the enormous cost. He and men like Mike Rowe have urged Americans to consider all the options, noting that for some people, trade school might be more beneficial in the long-term.

On The Glenn Beck Program Wednesday, author and entrepreneur James Altucher added his voice to those who are saying that a traditional four-year degree isn't for everyone.

"We've just passed, as a country, $1.1 trillion in student loan debt," he remarked. "And this is the only kind of debt you can't get rid of from bankruptcy. So the government really wants 22-year-olds to be saddled with so much debt, it's ruining a generation of potential inventors and entrepreneurs, artists."

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Altucher said the average tuition has risen faster than the rate of inflation for decades, and since many of the unemployed today have college degrees, a college education can no longer be considered a way to safeguard against unemployment.

"There's lots of alternatives, and many of those alternatives are extremely valuable," Altucher suggested. "One is, start a business. Now, everyone will say to me, 'Not everyone can be an entrepreneur.' And that's the point. Learn how to fail. Nobody in college ever teaches you how to fail, and yet, the rest of your life is basically a sentence of failures punctuated only by the briefest of successes."

Altucher also suggested traveling or volunteering where you eventually hope to work. While you won't be making money temporarily, he said, you'll be spending significantly less than you would on tuition and you will gain direct knowledge and experience in the field you wish to pursue.

The Internet also represents a world of new opportunities, Altucher said, noting that many have found success after raising awareness for their product or brand on YouTube.

"There's such a disconnect between the real world and what's taught in college. There's really no connection at all," he remarked.

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