Life After High School: Are Teens And Parents On The Same Page?

Forbes

2 days ago

When it comes to big life decisions, like what to do after high school, how much influence do parents have on their kids' choices? Who else do teens turn to for advice? And do these individuals have enough information to provide students with solid guidance?
As an organization committed to changing the way kids learn about careers and prepare for their futures, the answers to questions like these guide our work. That's why American Student Assistance (ASA) conducted a nationwide survey of 3,000 7th-12th graders. We asked them to share their post-high school plans, who is influencing their decisions, and what their influencers are saying.
In this second of three articles on the survey, we'll explore what the data says about the role of parents, their thoughts, and the implications.
Students rely on their parents for advice
Students are influenced by a network of people. On average they turn to 2.6 individuals for advice on their postsecondary plans. This group includes parents, other family members, teachers, counselors, friends, and the media. But parents are by far the biggest influence. More than nine in 10 teens discussed their plans with their parents.
As students approach graduation, parental influence increases. Only 35% of middle school students said their parents influenced their post-graduation plans. That percentage grew to 38% for lower high school students and 47% for upper high school students.
Parental approval is higher for conventional pathways
While college has long been considered the only pathway to success, the survey found that only 45% of teens plan to enroll in a two- or four-year college (down 28 points from 2018) while 14% intend to follow a nondegree pathway—vocational/trade school, apprenticeship program, or bootcamp certification program (up 9 points from 2018). This trend indicates young people are becoming increasingly aware of their postsecondary options, and that some are deciding that college may not be the best choice for them.
Of the teens intending to enroll in a four-year college, 82% said their parents approved of their plans. This percentage drops to 74% for students planning on a two-year college program. But when it comes to nondegree pathways, nearly a third (30%) of teens said their parents disagreed with their choice.
Parents need more information
One reason for this difference in approval could be a lack of awareness of nondegree pathways as well as lack of confidence that they will lead to good paying jobs among parents. In Beyond Degrees, a study by Jobs for the Future (JFF) and ASA, 43% of parents said they had heard not much or nothing at all about nondegree pathways, but they were eager to learn more. Eighty-eight percent expressed interest in finding out more about these opportunities. In the words of one parent, 'I would like to know all the options available for my child after high school.'
Since 90% of students discuss their post-graduation plans with their parents, it's important that they, along with other teen influencers, understand all of the options so they can provide sound guidance. Policy makers, educators, and workforce development organizations would be wise to include this network of influencers in their future career readiness initiatives.
Stay tuned for the last article in my three-part series on this survey, which will look at students' perceptions about the resources they need to plan their next steps after high school. And to delve deeper into teen attitudes, perceptions, and intentions after graduation, read the first article in this series.