Is College a Lousy Investment?: Negotiating the Hidden Cost of Higher Education discusses many of the economic misconceptions about earning a college degree. While it is widely believed that attending college guarantees wealth and success, students, concerned parents, and higher education professionals have neglected calculating the full-range of short-term and long-terms costs. Our work illustrates how the promotion of education merely as a commodity come at a high price for the individual and society. We argue how the idea of 'investment' can be expanded from a short-sighted view to engage a broader, more holistic rationale for higher education from which students can expect a full return on investment.

Tara Jabbaar-Gyambrah, PhD, is a part-time assistant professor in the interdisciplinary studies department at Kennesaw State University and senior education consultant at TMJ Consulting in Buffalo, New York. Dr. Jabbaar-Gyambrah is an advocate for student success and a recipient of the John B. Muir Award from the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC).