Is College Worth the Expense? Essay examples

Colleges are noticing a drop in students’ interest in a higher education, because it forces them to fall into poverty. Obtaining a higher education is a dream of many working class citizens, but the price to go to a choice college is not available economically. The majority of students use some type of student loan, they have become the norm for attending college (Johnston, Roten 24). College is becoming unaffordable to many lower class students. With tuition prices this high, students are backing out of school and looking for jobs that only require a high school diploma. Student loans should help people, but it is only hurting them because they feel like they can never repay it. Especially since student debt continues to rise. “Student loan debt rose by 328 percent from $241 million in 2003 to $1.08 trillion in 2013, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York” (Johnston, Roten 25).

College, originally deemed as the pointer to guaranteed employment, financial stability, and an indicator of success, has been declared in jeopardy. Topping the credit card debt and many household debts, the student loan debt has been pronounced the next potential financial disaster in the U.S. With 2014’s numbers currently exceeding $1.2 trillion, the debt figures have reached about twice of 2007’s remaining debt (Akers, 2014). Gone are the days when a parent could send a child to the state university to study their interests and finish off with a job offer, ensuring a respectable future. The average balance for a 2014 college graduate is $32,500, which will be dragging out of not only themselves but also their families (Rajan, 2014).

As adolescents begin their senior year, the topic of college often runs without hindrance, often causing extreme stress. As the monetary value, as well as the time spent, begins to accumulate in their minds, students often find themselves bound at the wrists figuring out a way to balance as well as afford college living. In many cases, the upcoming graduates are unsure about their career path, almost enhancing their stress in choosing a school that would cater to their needs. It is almost then they begin to ponder whether or not University/college life is for them, which is could be an extremely advantageous shot in a, for example, high achieving family. Whilst college does allow for a plethora of doors to be opened, the lack of time, effort, and money can hinder one 's ability to properly choose a university. Though school can help with the stepping stones of life, they do not entirely ensure a proper future, therefore many may opt out of school; however, with the correct actions, they may turn out extremely successful, which may not have even happened without the release of the burden of school.

Many families have been left with few options due to the enormous obstacle placed before them. These problems have deterred many aspiring college graduates, some are left too afraid of the price tag associated with higher education to complete their education. And for some even begin it. Good paying careers are the major push for college education however,  "The bar is getting higher for well-paid jobs, with most requiring a college degree..." (Biola and Rodriguez 5-6 ). This leaves America's youth with a decision that should not be as hard to make as it actually is. Is the risk of staggering debt in their future really worth it when they have seen others before them struggle to find good work even with a degree? With all of the talk of high tuition up to the national level many critics have decided to add their two cents into the debate. In "Democrats' loose talk on student loans", the author points out that, "44percent of students at two- and four-year institutions do not borrow at all," (paragraph 2) While this is a factual statement, having 44% of college students not borrowing money is nothing to sneeze at. Despite the fact that the number is smaller than what one would normally expect it does not make the effect of student debt any less important or devastating in some extreme situations.  The author continues by stating, "And of those who do, 59percent borrow less than

Many students have aspirations about attending the college of their dreams, but many people lack financial support and are not able to go because of high tuition payments, such as housing, and other college expenses. U.S. Student Loans Debt Statistics for 2017 indicate that “the cost of attending college is becoming a growing burden for a huge portion of Americans.” (Student Loan Hero). Students are left with the option of dropping and leaving school. Even after receiving some financial support, such as scholarships and grants, students have limited amount of money to pay off their expenses. At the start of their college career, students apply for the colleges they would like to go to, and many forget about the financial decision that is required to pay for college. “A 2010 study on more than 200,000 freshmen at four-year colleges, more students rated themselves as below average in emotional health than ever before. The financial stress of worrying about their college loans and whether they’ll find a job after college and the day to day stress of making decisions for themselves in all aspects of their lives.” (Allianz). Unfortunately, freshman students are the main group of college students that go through financial conflicts, leading to stress about how to pay for college. Some students choose to work their way through college. “Others decide they’d rather be making money working full time than pursuing a costly degree. Still others become discouraged at the prospect of incurring loan debt” (College View). According to Public Agenda, “Work is the top reason young adults give for not returning to college once they leave. More than a third (36 percent) of those who left school say that even if they had a grant that fully paid for tuition

Even though tuitiion costs have raised by almost 50% over the course of 30 years people still argue that college is still worth the price. One supporting reason that will always apply to this argument is, the fact that college graduates earn more money and have a much easier time finding employment than their peers who only have a highschool diploma. Others might state that though not all careers recquire a four-year degree, most do. With that being said a college degree can almost always give you ta head start and better skills for/in any field. Opposers also use Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg to say their choices to leave school were based off of billion dollar ideas, and that the two were already computer geniuses when their decisions were made. To add to that supporters of attending college would say , it’s not all about the learning material. The choice to attend college gives students the opportunity to gain financial responsibility, students usually learn how to put needs before wants when they attend college. Lastly whether it’s your peers or professors college provides students with the time to meet, and get to know new people, with new ideas who may challenge, inspire, encourage or even work alongside one another. This would be used by college supporters to show that college is also a networking tool, or maybe a student could just want a change of scenery. For some people the number 1 reason to go to college is to go away/move to a new location. Some may want to just escape the cold and move down south, others may want to get out of small towns and explore the world. There can be many reasons to attend college like just to live in dorms and experience a home without parents, all of these prove to opposers that college is still worth

Is College Worth It? (Embedded Assessment #2) For most people, senior year is all about preparing for college and getting ready for the next stage of your life. For others, it’s a year-long debate between choosing to continue on the school path, or taking a turn and going directly into the working field.

When it comes to the topic of attending college, most of us will readily agree that obtaining a higher education is important. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of paying for it. Whereas some are convinced that tuition is too high, others maintain that it is important no matter the cost. Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus address just such an issue in their essay “Are Colleges Worth the Price of Admission”. Hacker and Dreifus discuss the issue of college tuition fees versus the quality of teaching they offer, but also point out that “colleges are taking on too many roles and doing none of them well” (180). They offer solutions and several proposals on how to

A college education is worth the cost of time, money, and many sleepless nights. For those upstanding men and women who ask the question, “Won’t college cause a large amount of student debt?” the answer is yes, but only for a miniscule amount of time. Obtaining a college education shows employers that a college graduate is hard working, which increases the job spectrum, and allows a person to seek their dream job.

Is college worth the cost? This is a question students begin to ask when the cost of college increases and when the chances of getting a job seems slim. Thousands of high school seniors get accepted into college every year planning to be successful afterwards not knowing if the cost of the education will pay out. We are all taught from a young age that one needs a college education in order to be successful in life but they are people who are doing better than those who have received a degree. Some people in our society view higher education as an investment while others think it is a waste of time and money.

A college degree is the trajectory to the growing jobs in today’s economic and global society. The future competitive job market will require workers to have earned more than a high school diploma. A college education is the only path to preparing graduates to meet the future demands in the labor market. This outlook puts tremendous pressure on high school graduates to attend college. With the rising costs of tuition, lack of financial assistance, and the reduction in state and local support of institution, students and families will be left with the responsibility to fund their own college education. This dilemma will leave countless students wondering if they should attend college, and if college is worth the debt? Before making a decision, students should research the costs, institutions, potential majors, financial aid, and future labor earnings. These are some of the factors that should be considered when examining whether or not a college education is worth the time and debt. The more informed students are about the costs of college, the more apt they are to make the best decision. Oreopouls and Petronijevic (2013), conceded that students who are well informed about postsecondary education are able to make the right decision about their college education. The federal government finances 90% of student loans in the United States. Have you ever wondered why? Well, they back these loans because, the more educated a society, then the less crime and health

College is extremely expensive. In fact, “college tuition costs have gone up 945 percent since 1980” (Liberty). The rapidly increasing costs of a college education prevent an extraordinary amount of students from enrolling, and restricts those that can go to college to only the wealthy. “University administrators keep hiking tuition, ... and a whole generation of Americans is struggling ... as they postpone their dreams for a tomorrow that may never come” (Wonkborg). Critics argue that students have the option to take out student loans. Conversely, the majority of students who take out student loans owe tens of thousands of dollars that they might never be able to pay back. “Today’s college students borrow and rack up more debt than ever before.

Everyone has heard the horror stories of people who graduated college, paying extreme sums of their student debt till the day they die. Nevertheless, paying for higher education is another aspect that is expected when seeking a college degree, and numerous cannot afford to pay the cost of pursuing higher education; for a certain mass of people, it is not a logical choice to attend college. In the article,”Why I’m telling some of my students not to go to college”, author Jillian Gordon argues, “But with student loan debt reaching an all-time high of $1.2 trillion (surpassing credit card debt), and little research to support that the investment is worth it, I am cheating my students by not encouraging them to make the best choice for themselves.

The first decision adults are forced to make, even before they are considered an “adult”, is what is their plan after graduating high school. In a sense, millions of high-schoolers every year are forced to decide how much debt they are willing to obtain. There are many options available for graduates such as; military, college, or going straight into the workforce. Unfortunately most individuals choose a college before determining their future finances. In the past 50 years, college tuition and costs have increased 15%. In 1975, a public four-year university tuition amount was $2,387 now in 2016, the cost for an in-state student is $9,410. Unless people have had college funds set since they

“With more than $1 trillion in student loans outstanding in this country, crippling debt is no longer confined to dropouts from for-profit college or graduate students who owe on many years of education…” (Lehren 4) Today about two-thirds of bachelor’s degree recipients borrow money to attend college either from the government or private lenders. According to data reported by the colleges and compiled by an educational advocacy group, the current balance of federal student loans nationwide is $902 billion, with an additional $140 billion or so in private student loans. Of course, economist and many parents say that the only thing worse than graduating with lots of debt is not going to college at all. In order to cut back on expenses students and parents look toward scholarships,