How to Get Your Child Through College
Without Going to College

My mother was a hippie at the University of Wisconsin Law School, flunking out because she was going crazy. I believe she was losing her mind to drugs. She was also involved in cult practices, Buddhism, and Mormonism.

Mother taught me that women should go to college and have careers. There was no choice in the matter; it was drilled into me. I was an only child with no chores and an irregular bedtime, but academics were of paramount importance. I played with educational toys and watched educational TV.

The “self-sufficient-career-life” promised women they would be deliriously happy and fulfilled. My mother’s life was the opposite. Time and again, she would marry a wonderful man, decide she didn’t like him anymore, and divorce him. Then she would cry all day, every day, for months--unable to function or raise me. When I was 11 years old, the Child Welfare Department of Rhode Island made the decision that I should live with my wonderful, godly, Christian father!

Daddy wasted no time in sharing the Gospel with me. I had been so confused with all the teachings I’d undergone. But Daddy told me with his heart of love that if I confessed and repented of my sin and turned to Jesus that I would have a place in Heaven and a totally new life of forgiveness and victory. How exciting! I had a new relationship with Jesus and I was now a part of a Christian family of seven—three step siblings, a half-brother, and two parents. Getting used to chores and tithing was difficult and the world quit revolving around me! However, I began my love-relationship with Jesus and began learning more of the Bible.

Eventually, I chose a small Christian college (the only one we found which believed the Bible has no errors). I majored in education, in case I ever worked. In theory, this was so I could be with my children after school and during summers. I’m not sure I learned anything in my education classes that helped me as a homeschooling mom! However, I met my husband. We graduated, married, and he began his pastoral ministry.

Why did they Change their Beliefs?

My best friends from high school were the ones I met at church. But what happened to them? After college, they changed their beliefs. Another friend went to college near our little Texas town where my husband pastored. He shared with me how disturbing it was that the science professors at his Christian college taught him Evolution. He was incensed and made impassioned appeals. The head of the department told him, “If you don’t like it, take your science credits to a community college, because Evolution is all that we teach you here.” That was that. Today he believes in Evolution.
My best friend homeschooled her sweet daughter. Yet, when Hallie went to college, she met a boyfriend, completely changed, and even turned her godly parents into Child Protective Services! Since, I’ve discovered that Christians all over the country are losing their 18-year-old children at an alarming rate. Lifeway Research and others say it’s up to 70 percent of Christian children who are turning from their faith in college atmospheres.

What do statistics say about children who stay with the faith? These are young adults who live in the same town as their parents and continue attending their parents’ church. They have been on a mission trip with their parents, or were homeschooled. Homeschooled children have a much greater chance of walking with the Lord all their lives.

Is there an Alternative?

Today, you have the option of homeschooling through college as well! That’s something to think about today. A friend of ours teaches college Sociology. His colleague, who claims to be a Christian, said that his main goal is “to make the students in his classrooms question their beliefs.” This means making Christian teens question everything their families stand for.

In many colleges, sons are surrounded by immodestly dressed girls, told in the classroom that premarital sex is okay, and live in co-ed dorms or apartment buildings. One liberal-leaning person said, “Let the conservatives breed. We’ll get their kids in college.” Of course, not all colleges are created equal. Patrick Henry College, Bob Jones University, and Pensacola Christian College are a few that are great!

Another important issue to consider is that of accountability. Even when our children are still living at home, we need to keep our relationship open with them. We must be tying strings to their hearts, asking them questions about how their Christian-lives are going.

A big problem with young men today is pornography. Roadtograce.net says that 76 percent of Christian young-adults actively seek out porn. Our sons (and daughters) need us in their lives to walk with them through moral victory. At our house, we use many tools to protect our children when they’re on the computer. We use passwords on computers, iPads, and phones and we use filters like Safe Eyes, Open DNS, and Covenant Eyes.

You can Homeschool through College

It was very hard for me to give up on the idea of college, especially for my sons. Thankfully, God provided a way for our family to think outside the box. Let me tell you how it happened. Flashback to the 1990’s--our sweet little country church was very gracious to love on us and forgive our many mistakes as Ronny served as a young pastor.

Our next adventure was overseas missions. During one furlough, I met a lady who casually mentioned that young people could get a college degree through taking CLEP tests at home. “What? Tell me more!” We researched, took tests, passed, failed, and failed some more.

What Happened to Our Children?

My son, Micah (age 23) got his accredited college degree from home at age 16. This segued into a great job from home plus a seminary degree from home.

My daughter, Hannah (age 20), got a paralegal degree from home at Oakbrook College of Law. She is now one of only about 150 certified paralegals in Oregon! The degree only cost about $2000. Through this program, she (and I) learned so much about how law went awry in our country. As part of the program, she had to study God’s law as well as the art of counseling people to stay married!

The paralegal program at Oakbrook is a lot of work, but paralegals can work from home and are in great demand. They make a pretty good salary as well. Right now, Hannah is our church secretary and is not sure if she wants to work for a stressed-out lawyer! She just started doing pro bono work for a pro-life charity.

Our girls want to stay home with their children and not have careers. Therefore, what they specifically study is only to find specific work before getting married. I’m certainly not advocating for all daughters to get a degree or certification!

Oakbrook is also a great option for sons. They even give law degrees without a prior BA/BS requirement. Josh (age 18) is on the fast track to getting his degree—he could be finished by January! As you take CLEP tests, you become more proficient at them, which makes you faster and faster, especially if you are motivated to finish. After attaining his bachelor’s, Josh wants to either do seminary from home or study at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with the accountability of a wife. Southwestern is still true to the Bible!

Matt (age 17) is a history whizz. The Social Sciences degree is perfect for him (it’s also the quickest and cheapest)! Matt has several history credits already.

Micah’s degree was Social Sciences. Since he completed his degree at only age 16, his company wanted to hire and teach him how to do marketing on the job.

Bethany (age 15) spends a lot of time memorizing Scripture for the National Bible Bee. In the off-season, she likes to learn computer programming on teamtreehouse.org. This skill will definitely be handy in the future! Treehouse is about $30/month.

It’s not all Academia

What about sons who are not academic? My super-cool, marketing, techie son says, “The future of careers is not necessarily going to be in the business world.” People aren’t becoming welders, electricians, or plumbers anymore. Have you noticed how hard it is to find someone who can work on your house nowadays? Sons who are not very academic could probably make an excellent living by learning these kinds of skills. The Lord of Hosts has unmeasured blessings in store for them!

I realize how blessed I am that I was rescued from the empty promises of the career-woman and one-child life. My handsome pastor/husband comes home for lunch and gives me a kiss and hug. My children all want to be missionaries (with one future CIA agent hold-out! Ha!) We have dinners together which are loud and crazy. We have Christmases with gift wrap flying everywhere! I get to be with my favorite people all the time.

All the careers in the world could never amount to the hugs, kisses, and cuddles that I get every day.

KATHY COOKSEY
McMinnville, Oregon, USA
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Printed in Above Rubies # 93

Do you want to learn more?
Order Kathy’s book:

His B.A. was Only $8K
Quick, Fun College for Ages 12 to 99 Years

Using humor, interesting stories, and an off-the-wall writing style, Kathy describes her own son’s journey of getting an accredited bachelor’s degree from home at the tender age of 16. She explains how this method works for adult students, transfers, homeschoolers, or anyone. Older students sometimes finish an entire degree with this method in only one year.

Learn how your children . . .
do not have to sit in ungodly classrooms
do not have to live in ungodly dorms
can live with their loving families during their young adult years
can save loads of time
can graduate at a young age
and save loads of money!

Go to: http://tinyurl.com/HisBAOnly8K

You may also like:

CHUCKING COLLEGE
(Achieving Success Without Corruption)
By Melanie Ellison

This book is a must read for all parents and young people thinking about college. This book does not focus only on the negative, but gives refreshing answers on how to be successful without the college environment. And you’ll be surprised to know how many of the most famous people in our society dropped out of college! (Just a peep--Glen Beck, Winston Churchill, Michael Dell, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Rush Limbaugh, and many others).

Go to: http://aboverubiesbookstore.mybigcommerce.com/chucking-college-achieving-success-without-corruption/