Why do so many Americans have kids yet no college degree?

Question

82% of Americans over 30 have kids.....yet only 27% of those over 25 have a college degree!!! If you can afford a child (180K) how can you not afford a college degree (30-50K)? Lord knows the latter is more useful in highly competitive American society!!!!

Answer 1

One of my Great-Aunts had 14 children before the age of 30! She nor her husband, my Grandfather's brother even finished grade school. Kids and one's love for them has nothing to do with education, but if it sets your mind at ease, I am the mother of 3 AND I have a college degree. It was The Lord who said "Go Forth And Multiply." He never said a thing about college. I have a better question, what happened to getting married FIRST and THEN having kids? That is an issue considered moot by society today, not that I judge, I'm just curious.

Answer 2

*shrug*

I have a degree, a husband, and a kid.
I got them all in that order.

It's priorities, discipline, having a sense of purpose, etc. I didn't bother having sex until senior year of college because I didn't want to end up with an "oops" and derail my educational goals. I worked my butt off in college.

Why else? It's a lot easier to get a kid than a degree. One night can do it for the kid (in fact, my daughter was conceived our first try). A degree takes four years of hard work, more if you go for a Master's/Doctoral.

HOWEVER...my husband does not have a degree. He's very smart, reads all the time, loves history, but can't stand school. He went into the military at age 17, and is still in eight years later. He makes twice as much as I did as a public school teacher. He gets free health care for the family, a housing allowance, half a million in life insurance, etc. You don't necessarily need a degree to do well, although I do think you need a good work ethic and sense of responsibility.

Answer 3

Certainly a person can be responsible and raise a child without a college degree. There are many good jobs out there that do not require a college degree but pay enough to support a child. The key is to recognize the responsiblity and sacrifice it takes for any one to raise a child and be willing to accept that responsibility and make those sacrifices. My dad was a fire fighter and worked extra jobs on his days off to take care of our family. My mom was a mom--she sewed most of our clothes, grew vegetables in the back yard and took care of our family. We ate at home most nights and vacations were visiting family members at holidays and during the summer. We lived within our means without credit cards. In my experience, it is rare to find families that want to live this way now or are willing to make the sacrifices needed.

Answer 4

Holy Crap!! This is a terrible question. I have two children and we are doing just fine. We don't have a college degree, but that doesn't mean we aren't smart and successful. We don't get any compensation from the government or anything. Degrees are way over-rated. There are a lot of people with them that don't have a clue about anything else. My kids are the most important thing in my life and I wouldn't change that for anything!! You obviously don't have children. :(

Answer 5

I have went to college and graduated. However, I am overqualified for the majority of jobs and unqualified in the field I went to college for, so go figure.

None of my 7 other sibling have went to college and one is an electrician, one is a real estate agent, and they all gross very very good incomes. The electrician was corporate in fiber optics until they laid off an immense amount of people. My hubby makes more money not going to college than most people make who have gone. I'm not saying college isn't a great thing, but not everyone who does not go to college is in the poor category. We were raised to work and work hard and we have the income to provide for our child. What's wrong with being middle class and I'd rather owe my child than owe college. I will be paying for a very long time.

Answer 6

Interesting, I had a baby, then started college, had a 2nd baby and continued then graduated with a 3.8. Let me tell ya, having my degree hasn't helped me to get a job at all. I have been looking and applying for almost a yr and nothing. I'm thankful that my husband who doesn't have a degree makes enough to support us. The more truthful statemwnt would be that Americans are over populating their country.

Answer 7

unsure the place you're starting to be the 180k, until eventually you're speaking of an entire life, of which then you definately might could desire to multiply an earning by utilising that quantity too. a level would not safeguard a extreme revenue, ask any liberal arts considerable that one. I even have my masters and have by no skill used it for my occupation, until eventually of direction you factor in that my training is in charge for my status interior of my artwork. i'm an editor of a paper and nevertheless own my family individuals's farm. In a small city, an editor in hassle-free terms makes 65k. The farm, one hundred sixty acres, skill we don't could desire to purchase a lot interior the way of nutrients, we advance livestock and strengthen corn, peas and hay, yet nevertheless that would not equate to a distinctive 115K. (until eventually you artwork that I even have one hundred sixty acre retirement plan) Your remark is going to a valid question, yet no longer for the justifications you recommend. How can a individual do without an training in a existence the place information is so significant interior the grand scheme of issues. Lord is ordinary with of, had I opted to stay a farmer, what variety of educator might I even have been for my 5 sons? a lot of human beings experience a could desire to have little ones for a sort of motives, some egocentric, some inate, some might want help on a farm. I agree many have little ones that could desire to no longer (for the sake of the little ones they could desire to no longer) besides the incontrovertible fact that that's a maximum appropriate given to our bodies and in a loose society, we gained't dictate or mandate who can or can't have little ones. keep in mind, each little thing is relative. those with masters might say, how can everybody with a 4 twelve months degree think of roughly having little ones, at an analogous time as those with PHDs could be asserting likewise approximately those with masters.

Answer 8

A good college or university is very expensive. Also, most public schools and TV dumb down the kids so much that they could not attend college even if they wanted to.

Answer 9

Not sure, I am guessing it is because of the same reasons as when it happens in 3rd world countries.

Answer 10

great question, i have a degree and a kid and i got them in that order.