Back in the day, learning wasn’t easy. Before the internet and YouTube, if you wanted to figure something out, you had to track down a book, sign up for a class, or hope someone in your circle had the know-how. Now? The game has changed.
Case in point: my truck’s AC went out. Me and my buddy aren’t mechanics by any stretch, but with YouTube, a little patience, and some elbow grease, we fixed it ourselves and saved at least a grand. That’s the power of today’s world—you don’t always need a degree or an expert to get things done.
The Changing Landscape of Education
For hundreds of years, college was the gateway to knowledge. People left their farms or small towns to journey to big cities, where universities held massive libraries and professors with rare, specialized knowledge. Sitting in a lecture hall back then was a privilege, a way to access ideas you couldn’t find anywhere else.
That model stuck around, but it’s expensive. In America, college became a rite of passage—four years of classes, dorm life, and hefty tuition bills to keep all those buildings and professors paid. Even public universities, with government support, cost a lot. But now? The world doesn’t work the same way anymore.
New Ways to Learn
You don’t need a college campus to learn today. Knowledge is everywhere—online courses, MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), and even free college lectures on YouTube. Want to dive into a subject? You can probably learn it from your couch.
And the downsides of the traditional college system are glaring. Student loan debt is crushing millions of Americans. A whopping 86% of workers with education debt say their degree wasn’t worth the toll on their well-being. On top of that, there’s the growing politicization of higher education, with some employers even viewing Ivy League degrees as a red flag due to entitlement or ego issues.
Options for education are more diverse than ever, and even ideas like a free, national online college—like the proposed National Academy—could shake things up even further.
What This Means for Parents
If you’re planning for your kids’ future, flexibility is key. The education world is evolving fast, and by the time your kids are college-age, it could look entirely different. The goal isn’t just to save for “college”—it’s to plan for opportunity.
Think about ways to grow your money over time. Long-term savings plans, tax-advantaged accounts like 529s, or even flexible options like life insurance with cash value can help. The key is keeping your options open, because the future of education is as unpredictable as ever.
Bottom line: Don’t just plan for the college experience of the past—plan for the opportunities of tomorrow.
Eric Eisenhammer
Eric is an Asset Protection Specialist. He is co-founder of Legacy Defender Insurance Solutions and holds licenses in Life and Property & Casualty insurance. Eric earned a bachelor's in Finance from California State University, Northridge and a Master's in Public Policy and Administration from Sacramento State.
