Can God-fearing homeschool families survive the crisis in Western education?
Better yet, can your homeschooled student not only survive but thrive in the transition from high school to college?
(Before reading on, make sure you’ve signed up to get your free college admissions checklist.)
College in America Is in Crisis
I’ve spoken previously about the three areas of crisis in American higher education: economic, academic, and spiritual. (I also discuss these crisis areas in my newest on-demand mini course from Olive Tree Tutorials, Restoring the Foundations of Education.)
Between economic factors like degree inflation (which makes a college degree less competitive in the workforce) and massive student loan debt (a $1.75 trillion burden that cripples more than half of college graduates) and academic factors like the skew toward progressive liberalism in over 80% of humanities departments and the rise of violent antisemitism on campuses since 2023, many families are turning away from the conventional college experience.
Instead, they’re looking at creative or “nontraditional” alternatives for their children: options like trade school, running a family business, internships, or self-directed learning that doesn’t lead to a degree.
What if college is the right next step for your student, though?
(I faced the college vs. SAHD dilemma as a homeschooled 18-year-old. You can read some of my story, and why I’m glad I chose college, here.)
You’ll need to prepare your student thoroughly for the spiritual challenges he or she will face.
Risks of College Attendance
In the 2020s and beyond, attending college in America carries a real danger that students will lose their faith. Anywhere from 52% to 70% of students who enter college as self-identified Christians will leave with no faith.
A study from the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA found that the number of students who frequently attend religious services drops by 23% after three years in college. Another study found that after three years in college, 36% of students rated their spirituality lower.
After four years in college, up to 59% of students on some campuses no longer describe themselves as “born again.”
Why is it such a struggle for students who come from faith-filled homes to maintain their faith while attending college in America?
John Stonestreet observes that Christian students don’t know how to defend their faith when questioned by professors, so they give up on defending it.
But why do they give up?
I believe it’s because we neglect to teach the whole person.
If we expect our students not just to confidently believe, but to successfully defend, their faith, then having the knowledge base of apologetics (rational truth claims to back up what they believe) isn’t enough.
Three Pillars of Biblical Education
Biblical faith isn’t just built on head knowledge, but on three equally important pillars: the head, the heart, and the character.
Head: what you believe
Heart: what you love
Character: what you do
Most of the families I serve at Olive Tree Tutorials are committed to walking out their faith in a “whole Bible” way. That is, they believe (as I do) that all of God’s Word continues to be valid for today, not just the New Testament. (Whole Bible believers are sometimes called Torah Observant or Messianic.)
In my time in the Whole Bible walk, I’ve noticed that Torah-keeping families tend to be very strong in their head knowledge of God’s Word–just like the majority of Christian homeschoolers, who excel at teaching their children what the Bible says and how to obey it.
Head knowledge by itself, though, leads to feeling inadequate in real-life situations. How do we react when faced with temptation? How do we respond when confronted with human suffering?
Teaching the whole person involves all three pillars equally. A balanced biblical education trains the heart (affections) and character (actions) as well as the mind.
Teaching with the Daniel Plan
I believe teaching the whole person creates leaders like Daniel in Babylon. Like a modern college student, Daniel was taken into captivity for three years to be stripped of his beliefs and remade in the image of Babylonian culture.
Because his parents had given him a foundation based on (1) what he believed, (2) what he loved, and (3) what he should do, he and his three friends courageously refused to eat the king’s meat (meat that had been defiled by offering it to idols representing pagan gods).
Instead of worrying about how to defend his faith, he lived it, and God defended him. God gave him and his friends “knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom” (Daniel 1:17) that enabled them to overcome the Babylonian programming that was being instilled through their education.
I discuss how to prepare your student for college with the Daniel Plan in two podcast episodes. Listen to them here and here.
Welcome to the Homeschooling Teens Giveaway!
We’ve teamed up with bloggers who share your passion for creating an enriching homeschool experience for teens. As a token of appreciation for the amazing homeschooling teen community, two families will each receive a $75 gift card to support their teen’s homeschooling journey.
We understand the dedication it takes to homeschool, especially when your teen is your focus. This giveaway is our way of saying thank you for being part of this incredible community.
How to Enter:
Entering is a breeze! Click on the Rafflecopter link at the bottom of this post, follow the instructions, and you’ll be in the running to win a gift card!
There are lots of entry options in the Rafflecopter form below – the more entries you complete, the better your chances of winning!
Plus, these awesome bloggers generously chipped in their own money to make this giveaway happen. I hope you’ll take a moment to check each of them out—you might even discover some great new blogs to follow!
Important Details:
- Entries accepted through January 22, 2025.
- Winner announcement Jan 25, 2025.
- By entering the giveaway you are giving the participating bloggers permission to email you. (you may unsubscribe at any time)
- For all terms and conditions, refer to Rafflecopter.
If you have more questions, read the Terms and Conditions on Rafflecopter.
We understand the dedication it takes to homeschool, especially when your teen is your focus. This giveaway is our way of saying thank you for being part of this incredible community.
Feel free to share this news with your fellow homeschooling friends. The more, the merrier!
Leave a Reply