College Is About To Change Forever–And Music Education Is Not Immune

What comes to mind when you think about college? The beginning of “adulthood” and freedom from your parents? Long nights studying, dreaming of your future career and perhaps partying (when you should have been studying)? The hope of lifelong friendships, memories and a sense of pride to your alma mater? What happens if all of that is taken away and your experience is reduced to virtual learning? COVID-19 will significantly impact higher education, and music education may be forever changed.

The higher education landscape has substantially shifted in the last ten years since the Great Recession (2008-2010), with tuition costs rising an average of 3-4% annually over the last decade. The average cost of a four-year degree in 2019 carried an in-state price tag of $10,116 for public schools and $36,801 for private schools. On the other end of the spectrum, the total student loan debt is a massive $1.56 trillion, and 41% of recent college graduates (and 33% of all college graduates) are “underemployed,” working in fields that do not require college degrees.

Click here to read more from Forbes.