Costs And Challenges Of College: The Rising Cost Of College

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.

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.

In recent years, the soaring cost of college tuition has angered many students and parents, leaving many wondering where they will come up with the funds to pay. While college is still a pretty sound investment for most career paths, the cost of an education has outpaced general inflation by almost double, leaving many families simply unable to shoulder the fiscal burden without incurring large amounts of debt. How did we get to where we are today? A big part of it has to do with how colleges themselves have changed and the ways our cultural outlook on higher education has evolved. More students than ever are heading to college, and expect better resources from schools each and every year. But have colleges gone too far? Part II.A discusses the history of congressional acts that have over the years increased federal educational spending while showing how college tuitions have drastically gone up. Part II.B examines how the continued investment in college at current and future prices will affect society. And Part II.C assesses different countries debt problems, why they are not in as much trouble as the U.S. and what we can learn from them.

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.

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

The cost of tuition for higher education is quickly rising. Over half of college freshmen show some concern with how to pay for college. This is the highest this number has been since 1971 (Marill and O’Leary 64-66, 93). The amount of college graduate debt has been rapidly increasing also. With limited jobs available because of the high unemployment rate, college graduates find themselves staying in debt even longer. Although grants and financial aid are available to students, students still struggle to pay for their college tuition. Higher education costs are prohibitively expensive because the state’s revenue is low, the unemployment rate is high, and graduates cannot pay off their student 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

Every day in the United States thousands of juniors and seniors are applying to colleges all over the country. However, roughly 80% of Americans cannot afford the cost of attending college. Families and their children are paying over-priced college bills years after finishing school, even after scholarships, grants and aid. A college education has become necessary to acquire a decent paying job, yet prices are outrageously high. I will be attending college in two years, but the financial burden that is going to be put on myself and my parents overtime, is a major concern of mine.

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.

A major problem for today’s high school graduates is the rising price in college education. Attending college can add up really fast; it can cost up to tens of thousands of dollars per year (Barkan 1). No wonder, in Steven Barkan’s book of social problems, issues and problems in higher education take up a full chapter. In this chapter, Barkan states that only 44% of all students who attend a four-year institution is lucky enough to have annual tuitions and fees amount to less than $9,000 per year. The aggravating question is, “why does college cost so much?” Not only is tuition part of the cost of college but also fees housing and meals, books, school supplies, and accessories (“What’s the Price Tag” 1). All tuition covers is the money for academic instruction. Fees are charges for specific services such as, internet access, and then the cost of books and school supplies add up. Additionally, one is not paying just for textbooks but also

The cost of attending college has risen drastically over the years. Statistics show that there has been a 260% increase in tuition costs since 1980. The increase in tuition cost equates to an increase in money borrowed to fund higher education. An increase in money borrowed results in an increase in debt accumulated over time. As a result of the rising figures, the economy as a whole has also suffered because of the restricted financial space many graduates find themselves in upon completion of their degree. In this paper, we will discuss college costs, reasons why they have risen, and the best way for students to pay for it.

It is quite obvious that receiving an education beyond high school is very expensive, but why? The cost of college has increased to more than half of what it was thirty-five years ago. Paul F. Campos, in his article “The Real Reason College Tuition Cost So Much,” scrutinizes the reasons why the price of college has gone up so much, and who is to blame for the problem. In his article, Campos answers his question of why higher education is so pricey now compared to then and explains the reasons behind this insane rise in tuition cost.

The topic of paying for college has been a widely debated issue for students. Some people believe college is too expensive for teens who have just began to wander around the adult world, while others feel college would be taken for granted if the student doesn’t make an effort for their education. Higher education may include longer years of studying, loans and debt. This is what makes society feel that college should be free. However, it must be acknowledged that free college really isn’t free and misunderstanding this concept would be an economic mistake. Although it’s understood that college comes with a great price, eliminating the cost for higher education would increase taxes, diminish the value of a degree and may cause students to not

Since the beginning of the 20th Century, college education has been available for everyone and anyone who is willing to develop their knowledge regarding a specific professional field. Currently in the United States, the percentage of high school graduates going to college has increased considerably: 68 percent in 2011 compared to 49 percent in 1940 (Menand, 2) and the record high set in 2009 with 70 percent of total high school graduates enrolled in college ("Bureau of Labor Statistics"). Notwithstanding, it has come to the attention of many that the college tuition and fees have been increasing at an accelerated rate. According to The New York Times, college tuition and fees increased 439 percent from 1982 to 2007 (Lewin, 1). This

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 undergraduate and advanced degrees continually rises at a greater rate than inflation. 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 lucrative post-graduate employment to repay their loans.