With increases in tuition, an uncertain job market and ample debt risks, more high school seniors are contemplating whether to delay college. An increasing number of students are looking at alternative learning paths such as vocational education that will equip them with on-the-job training. They’re also considering traveling and exploring internships.

At the moment, the high costs of tuition and uncertainty about whether those financial investments will yield a return in the form of a high-paying job, is the main factor for the ambivalence about college.

The cost of education is a top priority not just for individuals, but for governments and learning institutions as well. According to a recent report from the Washington Post, which analyzed a survey conducted by the Council for Aid to Education, public colleges are increasingly seeking out private funds to make up for monies lost to dwindling state support.

The CAE survey found a four-fold increase in private funding for George Mason University. Across the country, state funding to public colleges has diminished from $8,035 in 2000 to just $6,451 in 2010.

Increasingly, the cost of college is being shifted on to students. According to the Washington Post report, tuition costs at public universities across the country has nearly doubled in the previous ten years.

As public colleges turn to private funding, there may be a discrepancy since private and charitable giving seems to be on the decline.

According to research from the CAE, charitable contributions to universities and colleges increased by .5 percent in 2010 and reached $28 billion total. Adjusting for inflation, this meant that giving decreased by 8 percent from levels set in 2006.