Those pursuing higher education within the United States are facing financial obstacles and unfair opportunity, especially pertaining to those living within poverty. Whether or not our upcoming generations will be given the same, if not a greater opportunity towards higher education, is dependent on our countries decision towards educational reform. Higher education through the spectrum of equal opportunity, is generating concern from both the public as well as the government; and while the topic continues to be debated, the debt surrounding our countries educational system continues to grow. The Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings has brought this issue forward by creating a National Commission to address Higher Education on a governmental level; the National Commission is directing the attention towards the countries costs and accountability pertaining to higher education. …show more content…
The public perception seems to be paying their attention towards the concern of long-term debt, and that most individuals are now seeing higher education as more of a risk rather than a possible advantage towards their future. The United States higher-education system is failing the people of this country by its ability to segregate the poor from the rich, and generate debt which shows no signs of digression. The United States needs to address the problem of higher education if we wish to continue to compete on a global scale. Education should be less about the money and more about knowledge; the noble thing for our government to do would be to provide the necessary resources for all individuals so they may pursue their intelligence with equal opportunity; the individuals of this country have the right to be given a fair chance to educate themselves, regardless of their
America possesses the necessary requirements for a country of well establishment, but there is always room for improvement. Each year, America attracts foreign citizens that lack the academic qualifications to climb the up the industrial hierarchy; this lack of education only enhances the need for more intellectual individuals. As a minority, I will proceed to better America by becoming a determined and educated African American female. The desire to improve our surroundings through innovative ideas and inspiration is there; however, people lack the drive to make these dreams happen. America needs more determined citizens, who see that this country has endless possibilities that need to be take advantage of. Through education, people can better
The United States needs to look to other nations that have figured out the necessity of higher education to be at an affordable cost if not free. In 2015, college graduates are facing on average just north of $35,000 in student debt (Berman). In part, the government has reduced the federal funding that each college receives each year. Therefore, colleges have constantly raised the
Among these is the continuation of the cycle of debt in American commercial society, the hierarchy of differing higher education institutions and cost, and the resulting socioeconomic and racial inequities in college demographics. Both an examination of the current trends and figures and a closer look at a real life example show the troublesome state of higher education and its effect on our commercial society.
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
The presidential race is now consuming America. It is mentioned every morning in the news and in every “scroll” through social media. While important topics such a national security, national debt, and international affairs are brought up constantly in the debate spotlight, higher education is a topic less discussed. However, each presidential candidate has a specific, strategic plan to tackle current issues in higher education. The main issue that candidates believe should be addressed includes college costs and how they impact student debt. Each candidate has a different stance on the issue, and each have a plan to move toward solving the issue. This review will cover the current issue of student debt and how that is impacting America, each presidential candidates strategic plan to tackle this issue, a critique of each presidential candidate’s plan, and a reflection of solutions presented. Each candidate running for the 2016 presidency deserves full recognition, this review will focus on the two leading presidential candidates: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
Higher education has become a staple of American society. With over 20 million students attending over 4,500 degree granting institutions, the role that higher education has played on larger society is paramount (Thelin, 2017). However, despite the popularity of higher education institutions, the exact purpose of higher education has changed from century to century and may serve different purposes depending on who is asked. Higher education today is arguably both a public and private good. While state and federal governments have invested in a variety of higher education initiatives, as well as assisted thousands of students with attending college through loans and scholarships in hopes that students use their acquired skills and
Good afternoon, 21 million students attended college in the fall of 2014 ("Back to School Statistics"). The total student debt in America is 1 trillion dollars, the majority held by members of the middle class ("Back to School Statistics") (Carrns). Student debt is negatively affecting the economy by encumbering the middle class with absurd financial burden thus widening the wealth gap and decreasing social mobility. America should pursue redefining education through lowering the cost of college and reevaluating social stigmas attached to states schools or community colleges.
The article on ‘An overview of higher education in America’ reviews the financing, students and institutions of higher education. They provide a general picture that reflects the changes that have taken place in higher education and America and the public policies that predict its future. The
About century ago, the United States had the most educated workforce in the world, thanks to the movement that made high school free and available for everyone, but today many nations exceeded that level. According to “Education at a Glance” report of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, U.S. college graduation rates rank 19th out of 28 countries studied by the OECD, twenty years ago the United States was first among OECD member countries, since that time more countries focus on increasing the number of college graduates; therefore, U.S. falls behind the competition (Weston.) This clearly indicates that the United States’ tertiary education needs a serious initiative like Obama’s plan to push up the college graduation
We have become driven to accept the burden of debt and have developed into a norm in American adulthood. In some aspects, it has made the seriousness of the occurring debt to become of less significance. This sense of pettiness allows the opportunity of attending a university less approachable because the cost could be seen as a liability. It’s prevalent, that countries that have created a system to benefit their citizens have promoted progressive changes. United States are more than capable; countries such as Australia have greater income equality and borrow a similar amount as Americans, but don’t pay until earning over forty thousand dollars (Dynarski 1). This ensures if one doesn’t feel limited in their society, it heartens the best of minds. In the competitiveness of globalization, education must be deemed as a right instead of a luxury. In general, our culture has become dis-unified in the topic of education and has ought to look elsewhere to be
The purpose of this report is to inform the chancellor of the issue surrounding higher education. The issue of higher education is that it’s failing to give millions of student’s quality degrees at a reasonable cost. College costs and student debt have been rising for the past years and it continues to rise. States don’t invest enough in schools to make colleges more affordable which leads to an increase of tuition cost and student loans.
Given the ongoing state of education in the United States, one may argue that it has largely shifted its focus from being an institution that focuses on the development of academics and future societal leaders, to one that focuses on financial and bureaucratic growth in which students have become the consumer and the businesses are the universities. This shift has in turn, contributed to an enormous rise in educational debt for US college and university students (Jason Houle, 2014). Houle (2014, p. 53) also states, as cited in (Federal Reserve Board, 2010), that for many students attending a college or university has opened the doors for them to also accept a 1 trillion dollar debt—a debt that has surpassed the credit card debt placing
The Secretary of Education report charts the future of United States higher education and outlines various recommendations to improve it. As higher education evolves in unexpected ways, this new landscape demands innovation and flexibility from the institutions that serve the nation’s learners. The recommendations mentioned include assess, cost and affordability, financial aid, learning, transparency and accountability, and finally innovation. One of the most significant recommendations that needs to definitely be address is the issue of cost and affordability of higher education.
The current state of our post-secondary education system should not be judged simply by the growing debt
Transformation is necessary. As more knowledge is gained, the less the public seems to know. This, although often ignored, is known by many, but other issues are prioritized. The United States falls behind in the quality and value of its education, while South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and China become leaders in the education sector. Society is threatened, not only by acts of terrorism or the violence seen on the daily news, but by the vast amount of uninformed citizens that partake on important roles in society. Every day, we are increasingly fostering a society of the oblivious, of those that are unaware of our system of government, basic financial management, communication skills, and the foundation of survival in the real world, not in