Value of an Education

There are those that will argue that college football players are exploited by the schools and that the big football programs rake in the dollars on their backs. These players it is argued are not paid for the services they render. But any parent paying college tuition, room and board would differ with you given the the $25,000 or more those can run. Again the charge could be made that this is chump change in comparison the millions that the university makes. The player that uses the God given talent to play football wisely finishing their college degree, with the realization that professional football careers are rare and often short, can profit mighty from the deal.

How? Because, "Median earnings for male college graduates are 60% higher than median earnings for high school graduates." and in dollar terms, "...over an adult's working life, high school graduates can expect, on average, to earn $1.2 million; those with a bachelor's degree, $2.1 million..." Doing the easy math that is $900,000 of extra income. Yes, it is spread out over the next 40 plus years but again a college education is often said to be a investment in yourself. The other income that they recieve is in the form of both the college experience in general and more specifically the chance to play a sport they love.

One issue tied into this free ride in college is the scholarship student that lacks parents that can send money to pay for the extras--"Dear Mom, Send money". Whether it is someone on an academic scholarship spending numerous extra hours in the library to keep their grades up or the player in the weight room preparing for next season reasonable people can see that there will be occasions that a student needs extra support in the form of money. Would it be so difficult to make a fund available on campus for such situation without going afoul of the NCAA?

The goal of every program should be to see that the players graduate so they might all enjoy a lifetime reward which might just even up the ledger.