NJ College Students Hit the Brakes on Higher-Education [AUDIO]

While more students are getting into college in recent years, a majority are dropping out due to high tuition costs.

Landscapers, massage therapists, nannys.  Many New Jersey students are deciding to forego college because they fear heavy debt and want to start making money now.

“Its a disturbing trend because you have cost and other opportunities affecting decisions on training for our youth and that’s a major concern for New Jersey” said Joseph Seneca, an economist at Rutgers, New Brunswick.

He said more serious consequences could come in the future.

“Without a better educated workforce, the country won’t be able to keep high paying jobs here and remain competitive in a global economy.  This impacts New Jersey because we rely a lot on high-tech jobs in engineering, the sciences, pharmaceuticals.”

Seneca said there’s also some growing skepticism about whether a college-degree really translates into a well-paying job.

“That’s been the debate for quite some time, but recently students are thinking that they can save the money they would’ve spent on college and go right into the workforce.”

But, there’s a downside to skipping school.

“In today’s job market, most employers require at least an associates degree for entry-level work.”