A college education is not the answer for everyone; God’s direction is. It is important for students to have a good idea of what they want to do with their lives or what interests them. Finding God’s direction for their lives first is much more sensible than obtaining the training and then trying to find a place to use their education and abilities. Many students do not consider this when making decisions concerning secondary education.

For some students, college is the next step in obtaining the training they need to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives. For others, vocational/technical institutions are the answer. Whatever the choice, students need to avoid going into debt through student loans in order to attend school. If it is truly God’s will for them to attend school, He will supply the funds through grants, scholarships, or from any number of other sources. It was Charles Finney, the 19th century American revivalist who said, "God supplies where He guides. Where He does not supply, He does not guide." This truth that was so real to Finney has not changed. It still holds true for students today.

Types of schools
Choosing a school is as important as choosing the right major to pursue. Because available programs of study vary from school to school, deciding which program to choose depends mainly on the individual. Factors to take into consideration are career direction, financial restraints, educational goals and interests, curriculum-related work, and physical or mental limitations. Although there are numerous educational institution options that can be considered, the most common choices are the following.

1. Christian colleges and universities. There are numerous two- and four-year Christian colleges and universities available throughout America. A genuinely Christ-centered Christian school will not only help prepare students academically, but it will help instill God’s spiritual truths without the federally mandated limitations of maintaining, as Thomas Jefferson said in his January 1, 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, "A wall of separation between church and state."
2. Four-year colleges and universities. Four-year colleges and universities (both state and private) typically offer students a broad range of courses and majors from which to choose. They also usually have greater amounts of funds to spend on equipment, staff, and other resources.
3. Military academies. The U.S. military academies offer an exceptionally high quality of education to qualified students in exchange for a post-graduation military commitment.
4. Two-year colleges. Usually two-year colleges are community colleges. Many are strictly commuter colleges with no on-campus housing. These colleges generally offer classes at lower costs and tend to have a lower student-to-teacher ratio than larger four-year schools.
5. Vocational and technical schools. These schools usually have diploma programs that offer students technical education and the skills needed to perform a wide range of jobs in industry, health care, or business.
6. Postal correspondence, off-campus, and/or Internet courses. These courses are generally offered by accredited institutions as an alternative to attending classes on-campus. When students use one of these choices, they may or may not be able to take all the courses necessary to fulfill the institution’s academic requirements in a specific field of study, so they should consult with the institution that offers the courses for information regarding their requirements.

Parental support
The pressures and anxieties of finding the right school and then filling out all the paperwork needed for acceptance can be extremely stressful for students. Parents can help relieve the stress by adding support and assistance in the following ways.

1. Learn from friends. Students who have been through the application process recently or parents who have children who have been through it should be able to give practical first-hand advice.
2. Encourage an early deadline for finishing applications. First-term high school senior-year grades are generally the most important grades to college admissions offices. Encourage students to complete applications within the first quarter of their senior year, no later than Thanksgiving.
3. Make copies of all finished applications and correspondence to all schools to which the student applies.
4. Apply to schools where the student has a better than average chance of being accepted.
5. Budget for campus visits to potential schools.
6. Don’t be domineering. Let your student know that he or she can transfer if necessary without disappointing you or "loosing face."

Promote correctly
Perfect grades and board scores are no guarantee of admission. Much depends on how a student promotes, or sells, himself or herself. The following are specific things a student can do to increase his or her chances of acceptance.

• Give the admissions office a reason to accept you. Emphasize not only grades but also experience, abilities, talents, community involvement, humanitarian efforts, and leadership qualities.
• Go prepared for an interview.
• If you have to write an essay, make it good. Essays that are dull and filled with mistakes and misspellings will not be impressive.
• Ask only teachers and employers for recommendations.
• Take the right courses in high school. Grades are more important than college board scores, but the quality and level of courses count more than grades to most schools. It is better to get an average grade in a college prep course than a high grade in a regular or non-college prep course.
• Don’t take the college boards more than twice. More than two times gives an impression of being erratic or intemperate.
• Apply to unlikely schools. Examples: a Protestant student applying to a Catholic school, a male student applying to a predominately female attended school, or applying to an international school.
• Don’t dismiss a school. Don’t disregard a school because your parents attended the same school, because you feel it is too "classy" for you (such as Yale, Harvard, or College of William and Mary) or because the school is perhaps little known outside of its local area or state (such as Hardin-Simmons, Wittenberg, or Brockport State).

Conclusion
Although a four-year college or university is not for every student, if students want to continue their education, there are numerous options available that will probably satisfy their desires and meet their needs. However, education at the expense of going into debt should not be one of those options. Being debt free makes students available to be used as God directs. Students need to believe that God will equip them for the service He has planned for them and that He will supply the funds needed to pay for the education required.