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High school seniors across the nation face a pivotal decision: whether to pursue higher education or enter directly into the workforce. Jobina Wiemer, lead school counselor at South Aiken High School, has been working with students for over two decades, and said that it was once common practice to encourage all students to go to university. “When I think back about my career, when I first started 23 years ago, my role was a guidance counselor, and the expectation was for us to push students into a four-year college,” she said.
Today, we see that mindset largely adapted as the demand for workers rises and the costs of higher education increase. In 2019, only 9% of Aiken County Public School graduates indicated a desire to go directly to work, according to Sharon Worley, coordinator for counseling with the Aiken County Public School District. This number increased to 14% in 2020, and out of the class of 2024, 27% of students expressed that they wanted to enter the workforce out of high school.
“We are definitely seeing a shift over the past several years. We are seeing more and more students wanting to enter the workforce directly after high school instead of going directly to college,” said Worley. Worley noted that the jump from 14% to 27% could be due in part to a significant FAFSA delay last year .
FAFSA is a form that students in the U.S. can fill out to apply for financial assistance for college or university expenses, and it typically opens on Oct.
1 each year. Last year, the FAFSA form opened up several months late, in December. “Our students depend on that information to make decisions about college and what they can afford,” said Worley.
“In some cases, I think some students got frustrated with the delays and decided to work and save money.” Even without the FAFSA hurdle, times simply seem to be changing. Students are increasingly able to graduate high school with certificates and industry-level credentials in fields like welding, computer science and CPR — something that makes them attractive to employers.
“The list just goes on and on with what we’re able to offer our students now and what they’re graduating with as opposed to seven or eight years ago,” said Worley. A myriad of factors determine where a student will choose to go after their secondary education, and one of the most pressing is affordability and finances. “We know that college isn’t getting any cheaper , and so, they are hesitant to take on student loans,” said Worley.
“Many of our students also contribute to household expenses, and work is essential for survival for many of our teenagers and their parents,” she added. Some students, like South Aiken High Senior Alex Trippi, know early on that they want to attend a four-year college. Trippi said he plans to study mechanical engineering and then receive a master’s degree in nuclear engineering.
“To get to a high position in nuclear engineering where you can research and have those opportunities, you need a four-year school.” Others, like Ridge Spring-Monetta Senior Heather Shirey, are enthusiastic about entering the workforce: "I knew that I did not want to go to college. I just didn’t think I would be very successful in a college environment,” she said.
Shirey plan’s to take a test called The ParaPro Assessment which will help her become certified as a teacher’s aide. Students are also gaining more interest in attending two-year technical schools and community colleges. Aiken Technical College President, Forest Mahan, said one of the drivers for this is affordability.
“The cost of higher education has gotten to be very expensive and people are looking for that return on investment,” said Mahan. Mahan also noted that the student body in both two-year and four-year colleges are made up of about 2⁄3 females and 1⁄3 males. But why are males pursuing higher education less? The answer isn’t completely clear.
“It could just simply be that they may be the ones that we’ve seen more likely to pursue the shorter term credentials, the truck driver training, the tower wireless programs,” said Mahan. Through it all, the role of the school counselor has become critical in encouraging students to think more intentionally about where they’ll go after graduation. South Aiken’s Wiemer said that the counselor’s wheelhouse has expanded over time, and many now strive to provide social-emotional guidance alongside academic and post-secondary planning.
A new approach to guidance in public schools includes examining what a student enjoys doing along with their skill set and learning style to see what career path might be a good fit. “We are much more involved in the bigger picture of a student,” she said. Wiemer hopes for parents of students to “have meaningful conversations with their children about their passions and their interests, and genuinely listen to that.
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