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The Wall Street Journal reports that students who graduated from college with debt have average debt of $37,712. This much debt can take more than a decade to pay off! Dan, a police officer in a suburb of Boston, is an example of someone who wanted to get right to work after high school and not be stuck paying off student loans for years. During high school, he served as a police aide, helping to direct traffic at public events and otherwise assisting officers. As graduation neared, Dan considered attending a four-year college to pursue a criminal justice degree. “But then I saw how much college would cost,” he recalls. “About $25,000 a year, including room and board! I realized that I didn’t want to graduate with a large amount of debt. I also was ready to get to work right away.” Dan looked for departments that did not require a college degree as part of the application process and applied to a few of them. “Within six months—and lots of tests later—I was in the police academy, on the way to a career that paid me $72,000 a year within three years on the force.” Whatever you decide, you should think carefully about your decision. Going to college, skipping college and going right into the academy, or even choosing to obtain law enforcement experience in the military is a big life step. Gather as much information as you can so you know what you’re getting into. Regardless of your decision, if you’ve based your choice on the facts and your own personal preferences, you can’t go wrong.

POLICE OFFICERS IN ACTION

Police officers often help stop mass shootings, rescue people from burning buildings, and resuscitate those who have stopped breathing, but Niles (Illinois) Police Department Officer Brian Zagorski recently found another way to help someone: He gave him his shoes. Zagorski was on patrol and saw a homeless man struggling to walk, so he pulled over to do a well-being check.

14 CAREERS WITH EARNING POTENTIAL: POLICE OFFICER AND DETECTIVE