[jcommin]

I just finished doing a college search for my youngest. The story that comes out the most is "what is your major" Freshman usually respond " I don't know or I have changed my mind".

I agree with most of the comments here - There isn't a one set answer.

Most of the home building trades in Chicago are populated with Eastern Europeans and Hispanics. Many contractors are out of business as most cannot compete with the lower labor rates of those groups. Commercial building is down also. What I have seen is lower labor rates of the commercial builders and most will discount to get the work. It isn't that easy.

There are many machine shops here in Chicago that have Eastern European workers and again there is a hourly rate differential between these workers.

That's the trend - two tier labor rates.

I personally do not want son to take on huge debt but I do want him to have "skin in the game". It is not a free ride.