by Robyn Keyster

Created on: October 12, 2009

Once upon a time in America (the 1980s, to be exact), a bachelor's degree opened the door to unlimited opportunity. With a voracious economy and more young people pursuing college educations, employment prospects were real and they were spectacular. As the eighties turned into the nineties, which in turn morphed into the twenty-first century, two things happened: the economy tanked, while even more people were going to college. Understandably, this has left many questioning the true value of current college educations.

With many now comparing bachelor's degrees to high school diplomas in terms of worth, many others are wondering if our whole college system needs a makeover. Should higher education be available to all, as it is purported to be now, or should it be reserved for the few, preferably the best and the brightest?

While certainly agreeing that every effort needs to be made to increase the worth of a bachelor's degree, I believe reserving college for a select few is unfair, counterproductive, and even un-American.

Despite the fact that many who currently hold bachelor's degrees cannot find jobs (or get hired at the ones they do find), an undergraduate degree is still essential. Without a bachelor's, these folks wouldn't even be able to apply for most jobs. Of course, a bachelor's in engineering is vastly different from a bachelor's in elementary education, but both will eventually lead to a secure job in a growing field. Even the much-criticized liberal arts degrees can allow one to pursue graduate study, which then allows for greater earnings and advancement.

Lifetime earnings have a basic and obvious connection to advanced degrees, and therefore a bachelor's is truly invaluable. A bachelor's degree is the only way up for most people, even if it's just the first step. Reserving bachelor's degrees for only the best and the brightest denies most people a chance to avoid poverty, and/or the opportunity to climb out of poverty. Preventing average people from obtaining a degree effectively crushes their dreams for a better life. Everyone deserves a dream, average or not.

Another problem with reserving college for the few is the inherent unfairness involved in selecting those few and weeding-out the rest. It has been demonstrated time and again that students who excel come from families who exhibit the following traits: supportiveness, involvement, and wealth. Since students have little control over how supportive, involved, or wealthy their family

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