College Cost Benefit Analysis

Universities used to be a privilege for most academic students to attend and it was very affordable, but currently the price per year to attend college has drastically increased. For instance, in the “1970’s the average cost was 10,000 dollars a year and today the average cost is 30,000 dollars a year” (CQ Researcher). This is a triple increase in the price per year to attend college. Allowing this increase on college tuition has impacted the student’s attendance rate. This is a significant financial burden for college students and their family. Some believe that college shouldn’t be free because we are risking the value of college education, while others think it should be free because we are trying to avoid having our upcoming generation

As a recent analysis, America’s colleges and universities are quietly shifting the burden of their big tuition increases onto low-income students, while many higher-income families are seeing their college costs rise more slowly, or even fall” (Eskow). Though education is the basic human right, most of the people in the U.S. are not being able to gain it as because of its rising cost. Since the 1970s, tuition and fees at public institutions have increased by more than 350 percent, while pay for working- and middle-class households has stagnated. As a result, the cost of a public-college education now accounts for almost 15 percent of the average family's annual income; 40 years ago it was about 4 percent (Kenneth W. Warren and Samir Sonti). The tuition and fees are increasing in such a way that the young Americans aren’t as educated as the young citizens of many other developed countries. The U.S. ranks 14th in the world in the percentage of 25-34 year-olds with higher education (42%).” When all adults of working age are considered, the US is still one of the highest-educated countries in the world. But when this age group is considered, we are falling behind (Richard Eskow). That’s the personal loss for the young people of the U.S. Education is not a privilege of the rich and well-to-do; it is the inalienable right of every people. It is a powerful tool by which people can lift

College graduates can pull in higher paying employers, therefore the states can benefit by earning money off of these employers. Some children’s families cannot manage to help pay for the fees, housing, meals, books, supplies, and personal/transportation expenses, even with the pell grants and other scholarships being offered to them. Sixty percent of college students stress about not having enough money to pay for school, the other percentage are worried about not having enough to pay their monthly expenses on top of school (“College”). This in return may put a burden on society from becoming booming with well advanced and bold civilians due to the lack of interaction with college level wisdom. Student’s should all have a chance at further promoting their lives to flourish at what they believe they want to become, without having to deal with the later emotional struggles of money. Although graduates may pull in higher paying employers, the

It should be common sense that those who work hard in school and achieve academically should be rewarded with the opportunity to attend better universities in our field of study. When Caldwell seeks advice from her friends on Facebook, the issue of attending the University of Wisconsin or Rutgers University is controversial. Although some argue that her son should attend Wisconsin “debt be damned”, others contend that the debt is not worth it and he should settle for Rutgers and transfer later if he desires. My view is that debts should be avoided when possible, but people should not be punished for their achievements in the education system. The harsh costs of further education limit the abilities of many middle class people, such as home ownership, job opportunities, and financial independence. Achievement and success should not be limited by being born into a family that provides a decent standard of living. The middle class is being left behind in the wake of budget cuts and higher tuition because many people earn too much to be considered for need based aid and are also incapable of affording skyrocketing tuition, room and board, and many of the other required expenses of higher education without sacrifice and looming loans. The insights of Deborah Caldwell into the costs of college are disappointing because it is just the story of one family that is facing the expense of a necessary part in a child’s education. The decision to accept financial burden to attend a prestigious program or for financial stability and a mediocre experience is a difficult one that society has forced man to make. The values of a community are reflected in their policies, and many across the country have realized the harm of slashing college aid programs. It is important

It is difficult to comprehend how third world countries have tuition-free colleges and America does not. How can economically underdeveloped countries offer free colleges with little problem, but America struggles? While politicians such as Bernie Sanders, President Obama, and Kate Brown talk about making colleges and community colleges tuition-free and eventually free altogether, they fail to see the bigger problem of economic disparity. Implementing a tuition-free program where everyone is eligible is not sustainable nor fair. If a student comes from a household that makes less than the average annual salary of $56,516, tuition should be completely free. College must be tuition-free because most first world countries already have free college, it is an investment that will benefit current and future generations, and people’s inability to repay back their student loans is negatively affecting the United State’s economy.

The towering prices of college tuition is an avid cause for the overwhelming ignorance in America. U.S. leaders once hoped that 60 percent of the U.S. population would have college degrees by 2025. Today in 2017, it is closer to 30 percent. Not only do tuition costs dig deep financial holes in a student’s life, the pressure of making the investment causes unnecessary, avoidable stress. Students around the world flourish without the financial commitment. Students in America- the land of the “free”- need the same financial freedoms and opportunities to thrive and contribute to mankind in the changing world of today.

In " Free College Doesn't Fix Everything,” Richard Reeves, a senior fellow in economic studies at the Brookings Institution. Said that Community colleges in the United States can, in theory, provide an important service. not everyone has the same opportunity to earn a bachelor's degree. Most high school students from rich families will end the university, some of humble origin will join them. At this time, the system of institutions in the United States serves to reinforce inequality from generation to generation, rather than reduce it. However, some students do not get into college, or do not finish their studies, and this is not only economically-financial situation is also due to the weakness that has America in education. However,

After all, education in the great equalizer in our nation, it can bridge social, economic, racial, and geographic divides like no other force. It can mean the difference between an open door and a dead end. And nowhere is this truer than in a higher education” (Mckeon). No one could have said it better than Representative Mckeon. According to him, if we had free college, millions of students around the country would focus less on working to pay tuition, and instead entirely on their studies. It would distract the students less, and allow them to concentrate on what they’re being taught. Because of these short budgets and stressful environments, most students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds often tend to try and complete their studies quicker than students from high income families. The low income students will generally choose fields of studies that are more directly linked to the professions, like marketing or human resources, while the wealthy students study long term professions, like law and medicine. This creates a gap between wealthy and poor families, losing valuable opportunities for hundreds bright students

Our economy has been on a roller coaster going down, but many people seem to believe education can solve our problems. In “A Matter of Degrees”, written by Clive Crook, there are many key points as to why college is not a cure-all. Crook mentions, “To rest the case for improving schools and colleges largely on economic grounds is a mistake” (25). There are many reasons as to why education needs to improve, but one of the most important is that tuition is too expensive for many families who are in poverty. According to Families USA, in an article about income, the poverty line sits at 20,160 dollars (USA 1).

In our country, several young students in pursuit of a higher education, must work overtime at the local McDonalds, flipping burgers, to pay for their college tuition; while trying to juggle school work and study time during their limited free time. Meanwhile these students live in a country who has buried itself trillions in debt with no end in sight. Sadly, this is the environment that sets up the impassioned debate on whether college tuition should be free in our country. In terms of the free college tuition argument, those in favor of free college tuition focus on the benefits of a more accessible higher education; whereas those in opposition point out the issues a free college will cause a financially strained nation.

The words “free college tuition” spark interest in any college student with accumulating debt. In fact, this topic is so incredibly supported that Bernie Sanders implemented it as a core interest in his 2016 campaign. Once Hillary Clinton became the Democratic nominee, she decided to take it on herself with an extensive plan that guaranteed students free tuition. Unsurprisingly, free tuition resonates extremely well within the student demographic. To forty million Americans, free tuition eliminates the largest problem for students: debt (Hess, 2017). However, free college tuition generates the inverse of what these low-income and middle-income students believe. In fact, free college cripples them from multiple perspectives; students will end up spending more financially, will be less likely to graduate with a degree, and will be subjected to more inequality and less exposure.

Today colleges are growing more and more necessary for attaining a solid path towards a successful career, yet the rapidly increasing cost of tuition is driving students away from their dream of attending college, due to the preposterous amount of money that is now being demanded by colleges across the nation and world as a whole. It is sad to see students being turned away from a successful future due to the money-hungry nature of the universities that dot the globe. More and more impossible it is becoming to have a “rags-to-riches” scenario that used to highlight the American Dream, as if a student doesn’t have the riches to afford a higher education and the tuition that is drug upon its coattails, then our society is doomed to be clothed in rags forever, unless major changes are brought about to restructure and end the indefatigable growth of tuition rates across the board.

Reason to Listen: Since college tuitions have skyrocketed throughout the recent decades, which caused many difficulties for people to attend college or continue college. We all know the importance of education in modern society; in order to get a “decent” job, it requires at least a college diploma. Furthermore, expensive college tuitions can lead to extreme economic problems such as wealth gap and inequality. However, people desire to pursue a better future, yet due to the expensive college tuitions, many people are unable to do so. It is extremely devastating to realize many people’s dreams, hopes, freedoms, and futures were crushed. With the increasing tuition, these can happen to anyone of us.

One of the things that many students dream about is getting the opportunity to be able to attend a university and receive a higher education. However, for many students, especially the ones with low incomes, these dreams are crushed by the skyrocketing costs of universities. Every student should be entitled to receive the level of education that is needed or that is desired and should not be deprived of it because the education is too expensive. The problem that undermines equity in education is that getting a higher education in America is too expensive which is why many students, especially low income students are not able to get the education they deserve. For this reason, the cost of universities should decrease in order for every student to get an equal chance at a higher education.

With the economic globalization gaining momentum, it goes without saying that the competition in the job market will only become more and more fierce. And in today’s world, without a proper education, it is very hard for us to land a job in the future. No wonder that education has long been a hot issue in all countries across the globe. No one would deny the fact that there still exist large room for improvement in the education system, and the most talked about is how to promote education equity. It is of great significance because education equity safeguards the basic human rights of the vast number of students and more importantly, it is an effective means for mankind to promote social equity. However, if the universities and colleges increase their tuition fees, then they are setting back what we have already achieved for education equity. When we speak of education equity, we need to pay close attention to the affordability of education to students who are from a medium- and low-income families. Many people would take for granted that international students must all come from very well-off backgrounds. It is absolutely not true. Many of them are from very ordinary families, but their parents would rather spend all their money on their kids’ education because they believe a prestigious university’s diploma would help their kids land a dream job after graduation and thus change