It is not news that the more educated a person is, the greater their earnings potential and job security, but that is not the only reason why you should find a way to pay for grad school.

There have been many reports in the news about the recession and how it is leaving so many Americans in the terrifying position of unemployment. Among such reports are disturbing references to educated people, with high paying jobs, who are out of work.

I have read many articles recently that talk about the high numbers of MBA graduates, and other graduate degree holders, that are unemployed. Relatively speaking, the rate of unemployment for people with MBAs, or other graduate degrees is high, but not compared to other sectors of the economy.

So, yes, it is shocking to hear that people in high places have been knocked down, but it is not the number of them that is the most upsetting part, it is the fact that for every one of the educated people who are out of work, there are that many more people who are less skilled, less educated, and with less means who are also out of work. Here’s the point: if things are bad for the wealthy, think how bad they are for those who are not.

Even though educated folks are losing their jobs, it seems that they are still in better shape than the rest of the population, and that is at least one good reason to find a way to pay for grad school.

Let the following numbers help you decide your future education goals:

Unemployment Rates According to Level of Education

High school dropouts: 15.5%

High school graduates: 10%

More educated: 4.3%

Unemployment Rates according to Occupation

Production: 14.9%

Professionals: 3.9%

Unemployment Rates According to Industry

Construction: 21.1%

Agriculture: 19%

Durable Goods Manufacturing: 13.1%

Finance: 6.8%

Education: 4.5%

Health Services: 4.5%

Public: 2.8%

Yes, finding the means to pay for grad school can be daunting, however, by taking advantage of federal financial aid and shopping around for an affordable school, either online (remember: accredited schools only!) or on-campus, you may very well be able to realize that dream. Who knows, if you pay for grad school you just may reduce your chances of becoming a statistic.