By age sixteen, you probably know whether or not you plan to get additional education or training after you finish high school. You may plan to attend a public or private four-year university or you may think you will attend a community college for two years and then transfer to a four-year university. You may have decided to complete a certificate program at a community college, or to get a job upon graduation from high school. The decision about additional education or training is directly connected to how much money you will make in your lifetime, since those who have more education usually make higher wages.

If you want to get more than a 12^th grade education you must make some decisions about how to pay for additional education or training. Your family may be able to pay for post-high-school education, or you may qualify for scholarship assistance. If you attend an institution of higher learning in your state, you may be able to get some state aid. You may choose to go to a school that has a co-op program, and that will let you work your way through college while gaining valuable experience in jobs that interest you. The majority of students usually get some type of loan (financial aid) that has to be paid back when they graduate, or when they quit going to school. That means that you will be in debt before you even start a full-time job or career, so that decision definitely has something to do with money.

If you are out of your teens, but only have a 12^th grade education or GED, it is NOT TOO LATE for you to get additional training. No matter what your circumstances are, you can always find a way to get the education you want or need. At any age, getting more education is a viable option. For example, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has over 1800 FREE courses on line. Check them out!