How AI is Going to Change the Future of College Academics and College Planning

The rise of AI in recent years is bringing big changes to education, and students who understand those changes will be better prepared for what comes next. AI is a growing topic of concern for students and has become one of the most widely talked about topics for us as college planning experts. The future is uncertain for what AI can do to either help a student's education or hurt it significantly, and that’s what we want to talk about today.

In this blog, we will run through how AI is going to change the future of college academics and college planning for us as your local college planners in Buffalo and Western New York.

How Do College Students Feel About AI?

According to a recent research study from the Gallup-Lumina Foundation Study on Higher Education, many college students are actively rethinking their academic plans for college and what career goals they have in mind. AI has very quickly moved from being a concern in the far future to a major influence on our everyday lives. For college students, they have to now view their majors, eventual job security, and any long-term career opportunities as a prime focus in anything and everything they do.

How it Affects Your Choice of Major

Arguably, the most striking piece of data from this study shows that nearly half of college students have considered a change to their major because of AI. This is why writing this blog now, before the next college year begins, is so important. Depending on the kind of student you are and how we prepare you, you might have your major locked in as soon as sophomore year, in junior year, or as late as senior year. Regardless, there might still be some time to consider, and it’s not a bad thing to switch majors.

16% of the students surveyed in that Gallup study have already changed their major. The value of your studies will come down to your decision of whether you want to stay with your current major or change it. Students in certain programs related to technology or vocational training (preparation for the workforce) may see some of the biggest changes. AI, after all, is a form of programming that can be used in just about every piece of tech we use daily.

How AI is Being Used in the Classroom

Something else that has been highlighted by a lot of college institutions and college planners is that AI is also being used by a lot of students for their actual work, and how they write their final essays and exams. This is an even trickier topic to discuss, because there’s more uncertainty around this than when we discuss how AI will affect your actual career profession. 

Many colleges around the country are cracking down on the use of AI for your assignments and finals. The uncertainty behind this topic is leading students to reconsider the value of a higher education. You are more likely now to see a student look beyond what a traditional degree gives to you and instead ask, which careers are most adaptable for me? How do I stand out in a market where AI may handle the work that I’ve been studying for years?

For us at Send Your Kids to College, these shifts in college academics will significantly change how we handle preparing you. It’s on universities to help prepare you for a big part of your life, but it’s also on us just as much to make sure you’re well prepared for what they will teach you for the many years you spend inside of it.

AI’s Influence on What You Do With Your Financial Aid

To piggyback off that, we also have to discuss how this affects your focus on college financial aid. Depending on what your major is, this will really affect not just where you go for school, but also how much you intend to pay for the quality of education you’re offered. 

Many universities are already using resources to determine how much aid a student is likely to need to enroll. They can then strategically adjust scholarship offers to maximize enrollment and tuition revenue. This is why speaking to your college of choice, visiting their offices, and taking tours around to learn more is vital. 

If AI begins steering students away from creative or entry-level career paths and toward fields seen as more “AI-proof”, the impact on decision-making for college could be significant. Many scholarships and grants are tied directly to a student’s field of study. Send Your Kids to College has a great scholarship called the Young Achievers Scholarship that doesn’t relate to a major, but its criteria are all about your passion for college, the kind of student you want to be, and what you will use the money for to help pay for college expenses.

On top of that, we have a variety of resources that will help assist you with college financial aid. If you really are on the fence about your major because of your worry about what AI will do in the future, you really need to sign up for FAFSA and have the College Money Talk. It’s a conversation that will lead to questions about your university choice, how much you want to spend, and more. FAFSA will make sure you’re able to sign up for financial aid with no hassle in mind.

We have so much more for you to read about on our website, and we recommend you give us a call or reach out through our contact form if you have any questions. We look forward to assisting you in these matters!