“What do you want to be when you grow up?”-a lingering question posed to countless children time and time again. Some people find the answer immediately; others take a little longer, but eventually everyone figures out who they want to become. After deciding between traditional professions like doctor or lawyer, and unconventional paths like acting or farming, “grown-ups” are faced with an even more vexing query: “now that you know what you want to be. How will you afford to achieve that?. Since Gen X (the generation after the baby boomers) attended college, the price of tuition has increased significantly. In fact, “over the past 35 years, college tuition at public universities has nearly quadrupled” (Campos, 2015). This issue creates noticeable anxiety for college students who must struggle to find a method to pay for a higher education without falling into massive debt. The solution to rising tuition costs is far from simple and entirely political; however, there are ways for students to afford an …show more content…
It always has been and it consistently will be. The classes are difficult, and no one is really sure what to do. Students have so many things to worry about, and money should not be one of those things. The rising cost of a higher education is a serious issue in America and something must be done; however, in the meantime, students should to prepare themselves and take initiative to put college back within their reach. Students need to take that extra shift at the diner even though their feet are blistered, and they’re falling asleep where they stand. They need to spend a few more years in their parent’s house, and they need to erase the negative stigma around asking for help. At the end of the day, students will know that every last penny they struggled to dig out of their pocket for tuition was spent on much more than their education. They will know that it was an investment for their
Advocates of this form of higher education contend “a college degree is certainly no guarantee of financial success, but it is nearly a prerequisite for moving up the income ladder if you're poor” (Rampell 1). While college has the ability to aid in the advancement of a person’s financial standing, it proves to be a fruitless investment for some students. Even with the accreditation a diploma offers, millions of graduates struggle to earn a salary that ensures the benefits of their major investment. Academic philosopher Gary Jason insists “the rising price of college tends to erase the potential returns of a college education for students of only average ability” (Jason 1). The essence of Jason’s argument is that with a multitude of programs available as an appropriate substitute, college proves to be a waste of time and money for students pursuing careers that do not demand a diploma. The financial burden of college is growing, and in some cases, it cancels out the benefits. Believers in the college dream’s claim rests on the questionable assumption that all students will successfully obtain a diploma and follow a career path that will result in profits from the
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.
Many students are leaving college with uncertainties about their career and wondering if their chances of becoming successful are being taking away from them by politicians and rising debt. Concerns for the future is what’s making democrat candidate Bernie Sanders so popular amongst many millennials voters, because he cares about how helping students gain the life they want and need after college. By raising awareness on lowering students’ debt, and doing things the untraditional way, by holding big business accountable for their actions, millennials see Bernie Sanders as a way to stand up for their future. Future students and students that are entering the work force are worried about their mobility and wondering if higher education is the way to gaining a good job or career. The issues that are
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
Starting in high school, students are not given equal opportunities to excel because of family background. Furthermore, the admissions process itself has its flaws—legacies, minorities, and athletes are being chosen over exceptionally gifted valedictorians. Even after college, the problems do not end; possible joblessness and student debt are unavoidable. On top of these major problems, educators and parents continue to convince kids everywhere that college is the only option to become successful, and choosing another path is heavily looked down upon. The newest generation’s life is centered around the climax of college while at the same time, more and more students are unable to attend universities because of cost or rejection, but this is a paradox. The more high schoolers work hard, the more high schoolers will get turned down to their dream schools, and the more the college admissions process effectively become a lottery, leading to “many highly talented, brilliant, creative people thinking they’re not” (Robinson). The widespread college problem has no easy fix, nor does it have a single solution. Rather than working to fix the unfixable, adults must stop putting such emphasis on the college pathway, and instead stress that there are other options. The future of the job world is unknown; there is no way to know if an expensive college education is the right choice. College, with all of its flaws, is just one option in preparing for the future; it is not necessarily the best. Therefore, the single word, “college,” should stop dividing the academic from the non-academic or the successful from the unsuccessful, and instead be considered a single path in an array of worthy
The U.S. is home to some of the greatest colleges and universities in the world. But with an overwhelming 1.3 million students graduating with an average student loan debt of $29,000 each and with youth unemployment elevated, the question of whether or not college tuition is worth the money arises (The Institute for College Access & Success, 2013). Higher education faces intimidating challenges: continually rising costs, access and completion problems, constant changing of technology, and responsibility pressures from state and federal officials. But no challenge is more intimidating than the fundamental question that many Americans face to ask themselves, "Is college worth the cost?" As a result of the economic turn down, many students who graduate are not finding well-paying jobs, either within their field of study or not.
Degrees are one of the most important documents in todays society besides the constitution. Almost all americans will go to college and get a degree for the occupation they are interested in. Without a tuition todays society wont be getting bigger rather, smaller. The tuition cost has gone up 2.8 percent in the past decade. States have cut spending costs to higher education. More recently states are slowly making college tuition more affordable using the limited amount of tax dollars to help lower the cost. Minnesota for example, has created a law that has made community collage almost free, the new law allows students with financial aid which might not pay all of the tuition, force the state to pay for what the finical aid can not. Some have
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
In recent conversations of the increment of the student loan debt, a controversial issue has been whether a college degree is worth getting. On the one hand, some argue that earning a college degree is a major life achievement that some consider to be part of the American dream. From this perspective, we can see that a college degree opens up more opportunities and possibilities of employment with a higher pay and position. On the other hand, however, others argue that many people succeed without college degrees. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the 30 projected fastest growing jobs between 2010 and 2020, five do not require a high school diploma, nine require a high school diploma, four require an associate’s degree, six require a bachelor’s degree, and six require graduate degrees. In sum, the issue is whether a college or career path is worth the debt or not.
There have been arguments when discussing the price of attending college. The main argument that we have is whether college tuition is too expensive or not. Over the last few decades the college tuition rates have increased drastically, but is a rate increase necessarily a good or bad thing. I personally believe that the cost to attend college is too expensive especially for low and middle-income families. There are many reasons why tuition could be considered too expensive they include, rise of tuition, little financial aid, and lack of college savings to name a few. The first reason why college tuition is considered too expensive is the continuing rise of tuition itself. Between the years 1973 to 2008 tuition for a four-year increased
The most overwhelming task for high school seniors is deciding what they want to do after high school. Some receive scholarships to colleges, some don't go to college at all, and some can't afford to go to college. Everyday high school students think about how they plan on paying for college, which includes tuition, books, dorms, among other hefty payments. College tuition is becoming a financial issue for students and parents around the world. Tuition and fees should be lowered; to understand this argument it is important to examine stats on the unaffordability of college, how it holds back lower class students, and how the cost can be lowered. It is also vital to show how the lowering of college costs
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
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.
College is becoming increasingly expensive, ranging from 60,000 dollars to around 10,000 dollars. In the United states, 75% of people feel that “college is too expensive”(Source F). But to what extent should money rule an individual's life? The same survey also reported that 86% of people feel as though “college has been a good investment for them personally.” (Source F) This statistic proves that money should not control the life of an individual because although college is expensive a vast majority of people enjoy it. A college education not only prepares someone for a career in the future, but allows academic experimentation, higher pay as an adult and teaches students skills that young adults with only a high school degree may lack.
For the average student, college consists of more than just midterms, instant noodles, and caffeine; it’s unique relationships, lightbulb moments, and a tool to spark a lifetime of learning. Unfortunately, there are many young adults who struggle to decide between the workforce and higher education. To them, the stress is too much to append to their current life, and a degree isn’t worth the debt. The underlying fact is that the financial burden of university is crippling students nationwide. Factors like FAFSA criteria, federal loopholes, and the misleading of the youth make up a problem with an unclear solution.