#43: Christian Higher Education and the Real Cost of College

My guest in this episode is Dr. Roger Parrott, the President of Belhaven University for more than three decades. Over the years, he has thought much about the value of a college education, how higher education has changed, in some cases drastically, and the real cost of a college degree. I’ve invited him to share some of his wisdom with us. 

In this podcast we discuss:

• How higher education has changed over the three decades he has been a university president
• The four “S” features most public universities use to recruit students
• The four “C” features that define most Christian universities
• The causes of recent trends in public higher education
• The spectrum of colleges and universities identifying as “Christian”
• The difference between Bible departments and religion departments and what it says about a college or university
• How to cut through the PR and fancy brochures when considering schools
• The two essential questions to ask to choose the school that is right for you
• Answering a common objection to Christian higher education
• The downside of requiring students to sign a statement of faith to be admitted
• The real costs of college and how to navigate the financial challenges
• The problem with “tuition resets”
• The importance of calculating living expenses, textbooks, and fees into the total cost of college
• Understanding good debt and bad debt
• How important graduate-level education is today
• The number one quality employers are looking for, and how the college years can help prepare you for this

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

• Roger Parrott, “The Real Cost of College: Insights of an Insider”
• Belhaven University