Debt vs Credentials
The four-year default costs money many families don't have — and produces options that a single practical credential could deliver for free.
"A credential doesn't close college doors. It means you can walk through them by choice rather than desperation."
The Default Is Expensive
The standard guidance most El Paso County students receive is some version of: finish high school, go to college, get a degree, get a job. It's not bad advice in isolation. It's bad advice when it's the only advice — handed to every student regardless of their interests, skills, or financial situation.
The average student loan burden for a graduate nationally is around $30,000. For students who start but don't finish — a significant percentage — that number becomes debt without a credential. And in a local economy where the average weekly wage is already $220 below the national average, that debt lands hard.
The Four-Year Default — Real Costs
What a Credential Actually Does
A practical credential — a welding certification, a CNA license, a digital fabrication badge, a screen printing portfolio with documented output — isn't a consolation prize. It's leverage. It means a student can