Experts say impact on economy could be dire
Collin Binkley – ASSOCIATED PRESS in the D&C on 3/12/23
JACKSON, Tenn. – When he looked to the future, Grayson Hart always saw a college degree. He was a good student at a good high school. He wanted to be an actor, or maybe a teacher. Growing up, he believed college was the only route to a good job, stability and a happy life.
The pandemic changed his mind. A year after high school, Hart is directing a youth theater program in Jackson, Tennessee. He got into every college he applied to but turned them all down. Cost was a big factor, but a year of remote learning also gave him the time and confidence to forge his own path.
“There were a lot of us with the pandemic, we kind of had a do-it-yourself kind of attitude of like, ‘Oh – I can figure this out,’ ” he said. “Why do I want to put in all the money to get a piece of paper that really isn’t going to help with what I’m doing right now?”