Understanding the importance of a college education can be difficult, but the potential rewards huge.

A solid education is the foundation of your financial security and when combined with a vision that includes continued learning over a lifetime, a your future financial prospects can be significantly enhanced.

Here are some hard facts about the current and future costs of college, as well as the salary gap that exists between college graduates and non-graduates. The U.S. Census Bureau conducts annual surveys of individuals with college degrees and those without. The findings that can be derived from the 2006 survey data shows that a bachelor’s degree recipient has lifetime earnings that exceed someone with a high school diploma by $1.2 million, and a doctoral degree recipient has earnings that exceed someone with only a bachelor’s degree by another $1.7 million.

With numbers like these, it’s safe to say that education has never been a more important component in your future financial independence.