--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For the first time in American history…" description: "\"For the first time in American history, it's not clear whether or not it's smart for a 17-year-old to enroll in college. It absolutely depends on the d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31d/brian-schatz-10274_american-history_for-the-first-time-in-american-history-i_598813.jpg" --- # For the first time in American history, it's not clear… ![“For the first time in American history, it's not clear whether or not it's smart for a 17-year-old to enroll in college. It absolutely depends on the debt load and the quality of the institution. That is a change from the way things always were and, frankly, the way things always should be. It…” quote by Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31d/brian-schatz-10274_american-history_for-the-first-time-in-american-history-i_598813.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31d/brian-schatz-10274_american-history_for-the-first-time-in-american-history-i_598813.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31d/brian-schatz-10274_american-history_for-the-first-time-in-american-history-i_598813.jpg) > “For the first time in American history, it's not clear whether or not it's smart for a 17-year-old to enroll in college. It absolutely depends on the debt load and the quality of the institution. That is a change from the way things always were and, frankly, the way things always should be. It should always be a good idea to go to college.” [Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. College value depends on cost and quality; universal benefit is no longer guaranteed. **In simple terms:** College isn’t always the best path for everyone. Key Takeaway We the and weigh debt against educational quality. Themes education economics career planning Mood pragmatic concerned Type advisory analytical When to use this quote - high school counseling - family budgeting - career advising - policy making Key Concepts cost‑benefit analysis social mobility future planning Questions to Reflect On - What factors should guide your college decision? - How can alternative pathways compare to a degree? A Different Perspective High tuition can outweigh potential earnings. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-history/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [The things I wore in college were absolutely insane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quinta-brunson/the-things-i-wore-in-college-were-absolutely-insane/) [Quinta Brunson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quinta-brunson/) > [What better job is there for a 17-year-old girl than being in a pop group?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-ann-sulley/what-better-job-is-there-for-a-17-year-old-girl-than-being-in-a-pop/) [Susan Ann Sulley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-ann-sulley/) > [I just don't feel like I've seen very many movies about 17-year-old girls where the question is not, 'Will she find the right guy'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/i-just-don-t-feel-like-i-ve-seen-very-many-movies-about-17-year-old/) [Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/) > [I think back to when I was in high school, to 17-year old Daria, who was dating guys and thought that that was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-deville/i-think-back-to-when-i-was-in-high-school-to-17-year-old-daria-who/) [Sonya Deville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-deville/) > [If you are the president of the United States of America, you are 70 years of age, and you are tweeting - literally competing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-a-smith/if-you-are-the-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-you-are-70/) [Stephen A. 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It was already here, within my being, it had always been there, and no struggle would permit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/death-was-not-the-opposite-of-life-it-was-already-here-within-my-2/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [It took me a long time to make that leap to being a grown-up and responsible adult because I carried on being a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dexter-fletcher/it-took-me-a-long-time-to-make-that-leap-to-being-a-grown-up-and/) [Dexter Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dexter-fletcher/) > [As an older woman now, I feel the pressure more, I feel all those different aspects, I'm more aware of that. Whereas as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellie-simmonds/as-an-older-woman-now-i-feel-the-pressure-more-i-feel-all-those/) [Ellie Simmonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellie-simmonds/) > [I never envisioned when I was reading that comic as a 17-year-old that I would have the opportunity to actually play the character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-urban/i-never-envisioned-when-i-was-reading-that-comic-as-a-17-year-old/) [Karl Urban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-urban/) ## More by Brian Schatz > [Anybody who thinks that they should lead the country should go ahead and put their hat in the ring. I am not among them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-schatz/anybody-who-thinks-that-they-should-lead-the-country-should-go-ahead/) [Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/) > [The scientific consensus is that climate change is real, urgent, and caused by humans. This science should be both supported and understood by anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-schatz/the-scientific-consensus-is-that-climate-change-is-real-urgent-and/) [Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/) > [That's how the Pell Grant system works, in that you get a flat dollar amount, and you can use it for tuition or room…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-schatz/that-s-how-the-pell-grant-system-works-in-that-you-get-a-flat-dollar/) [Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/) > [I have a pretty friendly professional working relationship with Mr. Pai, and I told him not to walk down too much of a partisan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-schatz/i-have-a-pretty-friendly-professional-working-relationship-with-mr/) [Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/) > [Hawaii feels so passionately about climate. You know, our oceans are warming. As a result, we have more ocean acidification and coral bleaching. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-schatz/hawaii-feels-so-passionately-about-climate-you-know-our-oceans-are/) [Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/) > [Because these credit agencies operate in the dark, they are allowed to be terribly unfair and unaccountable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-schatz/because-these-credit-agencies-operate-in-the-dark-they-are-allowed-to/) [Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/) > [It's important and good to email the Federal Communications Commission, and it's important and good to educate your friends via social media about what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-schatz/it-s-important-and-good-to-email-the-federal-communications/) [Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/) > [The Internet is working because it's free and open, and there's no discrimination. Without these rules, ISPs could treat content differently based on commercial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-schatz/the-internet-is-working-because-it-s-free-and-open-and-there-s-no/) [Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/) > [The FCC is a quasi-judicial body. It is supposed to undertake this period of public comment with a degree of seriousness and respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-schatz/the-fcc-is-a-quasi-judicial-body-it-is-supposed-to-undertake-this/) [Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/) > [I just believe strongly that anybody who wants to pursue additional education after high school ought to be given that chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-schatz/i-just-believe-strongly-that-anybody-who-wants-to-pursue-additional/) [Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/) > [Telecom companies are doing very, very well. And the internet economy is doing very, very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-schatz/telecom-companies-are-doing-very-very-well-and-the-internet-economy/) [Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/) > [There is a growing consensus in the private sector that companies can and should take action to address the problem of gun violence in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-schatz/there-is-a-growing-consensus-in-the-private-sector-that-companies-can/) [Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/) > [If the private insurance market can survive in a context of a public option, good for them. But if they can't, then that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-schatz/if-the-private-insurance-market-can-survive-in-a-context-of-a-public/) [Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/) > [The filibuster is used more aggressively, so I think doing each individual appropriations bill through regular order would be a home run. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-schatz/the-filibuster-is-used-more-aggressively-so-i-think-doing-each/) [Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/) > [People in the tech community may not like politics because it seems less interesting or less pure than what they're doing. But you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-schatz/people-in-the-tech-community-may-not-like-politics-because-it-seems/) [Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/) [Explore all 66 Brian Schatz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/) ## More American history quotes > [Adam Clayton Powell's entire political career has to be looked at in the entire context of the American history and the history of, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/adam-clayton-powell-s-entire-political-career-has-to-be-looked-at-in/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-prescott/don-t-fire-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes/) [William H. 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This debut establishes him as one of our finest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-rash/john-lane-has-long-been-recognized-as-one-of-the-south-s-finest-poets/) [Ron Rash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-rash/) > [No man-made structure in all of American history has been hated so much, by so many, for so long, with such good reason, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/no-man-made-structure-in-all-of-american-history-has-been-hated-so/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [The problem that we have is that most Americans don't even study American history, let alone Pinochet, Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin and all these guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/the-problem-that-we-have-is-that-most-americans-don-t-even-study/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [We must not falsely teach American history in our schools. We have a law requiring state textbook oversight to guard against frauds like Zinn,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-daniels/we-must-not-falsely-teach-american-history-in-our-schools-we-have-a/) [Mitch Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-daniels/) > [The only thing we have to fear is fear itself-and possibly teh bogey man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-paulsen/the-only-thing-we-have-to-fear-is-fear-itself-and-possibly-teh-bogey/) [Pat Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-paulsen/) > [“Thanks in part to the rapid mechanization of cotton production in the early 1940s, which ultimately threw millions of farm laborers out of work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-patterson/thanks-in-part-to-the-rapid-mechanization-of-cotton-production-in-the/) [James T. 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