While volunteering with a boys’ high school basketball team in Indianapolis, Earl Martin Phalen discovered a surprising trend in between scrimmages and drills: A large portion of players had applied to college at the request of their teachers and principals — but most had no intention of enrolling in higher education.
Phalen had spent decades working in education law, and set out to understand this trend more. His research showed that the decision came down to, largely, money: Tuition costs are high, and the appeal of launching a career and earning money right after high school was undeniable.
