College Is A Waste Of Time And Money

College tuition has been an increasingly intense topic of discussion over the years. The costs of higher education have been debated by many people, and it has been discussed as to whether costs are becoming too high for students to afford. College has become more and more popular, and now as many as 20 million students attend universities reported by The National Center for Education Statistics (1). The value of a college degree is immense, but college tuition is becoming too expensive for students to afford, and furthering the problem are students’ lack of knowledge on how to pay and earn money towards their college degree.

Over the past decade, it has become evident to the students of the United States that in order to attain a well paying job they must seek a higher education. The higher education, usually a college or university, is practically required in order to succeed. To be able to attend these schools and receive a degree in a specific field it means money, and often a lot of it. For students, the need for a degree is strong, but the cost of going to college may stand in the way of a successful future. Each year the expense of college rises, resulting in the need for students to take out loans. Many students expect to immediately get a job after graduation, however, in more recent years the chances for college graduates to get a well paying job

College has become a significant chapter in the lives of many Americans today. In most cases, to reach the well-paying and dreamed-of careers, students must have a bachelor's degree or higher in a certain field of expertise — typically from a university. While this is true, many students have realized that university-level education, even in-state, is not cheap. With tuition rates on the rise, college is beginning to be seen as more of a burden than an opportunity. Although scholarships and financial aid decrease the net cost of attending college, the majority middle class students are not equipped with enough aid to graduate debt free, or even close to it.

The rise of college tuition along with room and board have lead many to believe that college isn’t worth the money. This among with the other factors of how getting a job into society is more difficult and that a college degree no longer competitive due to the high abundance of them. On the other side, many others urge the importance of a degree. They bring up how more jobs today require degrees, the return investment, and many other things.

The increasing cost of higher education in the United States has been a continuing topic for debate in recent decades. American society emphasizes the importance of education after high school, yet the cost of higher education and advanced degrees continually rises at a greater rate than inflation in the 1970’s. According to the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, cost factors prevent 48% of college-qualified high school graduates from pursuing further education (McKeon, 2004, p. 45). The current system requires the majority of students to accumulate extensive debt with the expectation that they gain rewarding post-graduate employment to repay their loans.

There is no escaping the fact that the cost of college tuition continues to rise in the United States each year. To make it worse, having a college degree is no longer an option, but a requirement in today’s society. According to data gathered by the College Board, total costs at public four-year institutions rose more rapidly between 2003-04 and 2013-14 than they did during either of the two preceding decades (Collegeboard.com). Students are pressured to continue into higher education but yet, the increasing costs of books and tuition make us think about twice. Sometimes, some of these students have to leave with their education partially finished, leaving them with crushing debts. It is important to find the means to prevent these

In the U.S. students are encouraged to earn a college degree, but the cost of an education turns many away. “Driven by the allure of a decent salary with a college degree, Americans borrowed to go to school. Outstanding student debt doubled from 2005 to 2010, and by 2012 total student debt in the U.S. economy surpassed $1 trillion” (Mian, Sufi 167). There are plenty of opportunities to obtain funds for college, including one of the most common, student loans. A student loan is defined as “a common way to fund education, specifically college and graduate school, and they provide educational opportunities that you otherwise may not be able to afford” (Barr). Student debt is at an all-time high in America. Over half of all lower income

Families are now aiming low when it comes to college- or are simply not going at all. Money could play a huge part in this decision- after all, the cost of college has skyrocketed over the years, and so has the amount of student loan debt. This is something even Leonhardt admits, stating that, because of this, only about 33 percent of young adults get a four-year college degree today, while another 10 percent receive a two-year degree (Leonhardt). And even though many colleges offer financial aid packages, that money may soon be cut and the cost of college will continue to grow. It is true that, in my personal experience, just because a student is awarded financial aid does not mean they have a golden ticket to University. This leaves many desperate students the only option of taking out as many loans as they think they can handle- often more than they should. Debt is not a new issue for America, but it is still a problem. Although David Autor, an M.I.T. economist, laments: “not sending [young adults] to college would be a disaster”, no one can ignore the rising rates of loan defaults, and some think it

In the debate about whether college is worth attending, many argue that college is worth it but others argue that college is not worth it. Those who argue that college is worth it contend to say that college graduates make more money, college allows students to explore career options, and not going to college will cost people more money in the future but on the other hand, those who argue that college is not worth it contend to say that college graduates are employed in jobs that do not require degrees, students who do not graduate waste their own money and the governments money, and student debt can cause another financial crisis for students who are already struggling with financial aid. While it is true that college does cause many problems already, college is worth attending and worth all the problems at the end of the road.

The decision to obtain a higher education beyond high school is no longer a question of if, but when. This is the question that author Caroline Bird discusses in her article, “College is a Waste of Time and Money,” written in 1975. This text strives to convince students, parents, and advisors that obtaining a degree might not be in the best interest for those involved. Circling around the idea that college is a requirement and no longer an act of free will. Bird starts the article off strongly by building her credibility through her own personal research and other credible sources as well as appealing to readers through logical reasoning using numerous statistics, but fails to convince readers and discredits her ultimate goal through a disconnect in her use of analogies.

The United States has developed a set of economic circumstance in which it has not seen in quite some time; with regard to some factors it has never seen such circumstances. For example, student and credit card debt has reached unprecedented heights. This is also coupled with a slow jobs market as well as a lack or inability to save or invest for retirement. In this environment, the younger generations face an incredible hardship if their finances are not planned accordingly. Therefore, the prudent student will likely be far ahead of his peers financially. Whereas the value of a higher education was once clear, in today's environment

With the increase of college tuition, many students and their families are struggling to afford college and repay its debt. Over “44.2 million Americans have and are struggling to pay off student loan debt” (Student Loan Hero). There are ways to afford college, such as scholarships, loans, and grants. Unfortunately, not all students qualify for these types of financial aid. There are still “up to 40 percent of low-income students who are accepted to college in the spring [that] never make it to the first day of class in the fall.” (The Hechinger Report).

When taking a look into the whirlwind of higher education costs, the personal effects are often overlooked. The effects on both the students, as well as their families, can be detrimental. Rausch is not surprised by the fact that 45% of loaners have stalled life events, such as purchasing a home, getting married, and having kids, due to the number hanging over their head and their desperate attempts to pay it back (Mulhere par. 2). Rausch was lucky enough to have most of his schooling covered by scholarships and tuition remission, but he knows that he could not be where he

Many people believe going to college is a waste of time and money. I believe that it is not a waste of time and of money, and that everyone should attend some type of higher education after high school. I personally have many reasons to attend schools such as in hopes to obtain a will, paying job after all my hard work at college is accomplished. For example, in the story Should Everyone Go to College Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill say on page 211, “research shows that 23 to 25 year olds with bachelor’s degrees make 12,000 more that high school graduates but by age 50 the gap has grown to 46,500. This just goes to show how important education can become.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to have a sugar daddy to pay for everything?” (Mateo) Many college students are finding it increasingly difficult to pay for the annual tuition. Attending college is something that can be very beneficial for students in the future, but the cost of college is simply too high. This can weaken the health of students causing them to dropout, but it will still leave them and their parents in crippling debt. High tuition can be the cause of teenagers deciding not to pursue a higher education, but it can also lead students to do shocking things.