Modernization Of The One Generation Will Be The Philosophies Of Government

One of the many changes in the Age of Reform was the reform of public education. The first schools were built for religious purposes, but during this period, the reformers wanted better schools to make sure that the future voters would be informed. Also, these schools would help immigrants become part of the culture of American society. Massachusetts was

Higher education in America is facing many challenges, i.e., low retention, low graduation rates and less funding. Postsecondary institutions are scrambling to remain a competitive entity within society. In order to do so, students must remain in school (Talbert, 2012). The Office of the White House states (2014), educational attainment is critical to our county’s economic success. In essence, the work force is creating more jobs requiring more education and a higher level of skill than was previously achieved. Individuals with only a high school diploma will not make into the middle class sector because of

In society today, a college education is often seen as a “the next step” in a young adult’s life. Whether they actually know what they would like to earn a degree in, they feel the need to continue their education as almost everyone around them is pursuing post-secondary education of some sort. It is often argued that a college education is not necessary to get ahead because of the manufacture based workforce that is up and coming in America, however, there are many benefits to having a post-secondary education such as a higher rate of pay and more job opportunities.

The ideas of equal opportunities that America was built on has been lost and replaced with a structure of education only being accessible for the wealthy. College tuition is a topic that is on every high school and college student's mind. As tuition costs are constantly rising more college students will face the sticker shock of acquiring a secondary education. Unfortunately, college costs do not just end at tuition and room and board people also have to pay for textbooks, meals, and transportation. The cost of college has become outrageous and students are leaving college with high amounts of debt.

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

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

Colleges and university have slowly become one of the stepping stones into the working world today. People go to colleges for higher education with the intention of earning degrees in which they can use in their respective fields. Some example degrees that people pursue are Medical, Law, Business, Accounting, and Science Degrees. Through the years the idea of college was that it was optional and it was a door for better life and job. However in the modern times, it become a necessity. It all started when the colleges once single- gender institutions target specific students in their respective demographics. Today, the college market has now been divided into two major categories:

Colleges are struggling to adapt to society’s changing requirements for adults entering the work force. John Fawell laments this change and states that humans intrinsically desire to learn more for the purpose of knowing more. However, the focus has shifted away from this and has become more career-oriented. This shift is not well supported in the current college system. The education system is aware of this change and some have modified their programs, but they are too narrow and a broad college education is lost. Even though it has become almost mandatory in society, a college degree does not prepare students for a real-world work environment and is not necessary for most occupations. Many, such as lawyers or doctors, do require further education and a system that instructs them while also training the majority of the workforce would be an improvement.

As the world of work becomes more complex, many workers need training to avoid losing their jobs or being passed over for promotion. Consequently, many who would not have considered college 20 or even 15 years ago are finding themselves back in school. As adults become students, employers, colleges, and workers are changing old notions about how to go about pursuing higher learning.

Every year, there are thousands of college students that are pushed to attend college, in the sole hope that they will be able to make a respectable living. More than half of these students will not end up completing their 4-year degree. Many students are starting to take a hard look at why they are going to pursue a college degree, to determine if a degree is really their best option. College education is changing for the better, with technical and vocational skills giving less academically inclined students an option. Another reason why students should consider other options is the cost; university boards have been some of the most corrupt and wasteful spenders in the last decade and this will only change with less demand. Finally, the strenuous process of admissions has been continuously overlooked and underestimated by thousands of future students. A traditional 4-year education, that caters to the industry of university, is no longer required to be successful in the job market, and traditional admissions can become an anachronism.

The unattainable “American Dream” seems to be becoming even more of a fantasy as the rising costs of collegiate education deter many from pursuing higher education. Student loan debt is now creeping to an average of $30,000 and there appears to be no end to this rising number. Lower income families find themselves unable to send their children to college without a major financial impact. These kids who are hoping to get a degree of their own, to help support themselves and those they love, struggle to make ends meet as they pay off their loans. College expenses are far too expensive for students because scholarships lag behind tuition fees, the middle class struggles to receive the financial aid it needs, and universities in general believe that they can raise the price of tuition due to the increasing amount of government aid to education

Marleen Clapp, a doctorate holder in higher education administration from Boston believes “In many aspects, a four-year college degree has essentially replaced the high school diploma as the necessary preparation for a career in the modern information economy. Higher-order skills, including critical- and creative-thinking abilities, are often required to compete globally” (Driscoll, Clapp). In this day in age, a high school diploma can only get an individual so far. The importance of college in the United States has been continually growing. While the importance of getting a higher education has grown, college tuition prices have risen as well.

Government created financial aid to increase enrollment rates for higher education. Financial aid helps those in need to continue their education. However, financial aid does not help everyone. Society expects young adults to further their education and get good jobs, even with their limited incomes. These expectations drive increases in the price of college dramatically each year. When tuition increases, middle class families struggle to afford their child’s education, resulting in students working to pay for college if they fail to qualify for financial aid. Numerous criteria for financial aid exist, so many middle-class students find it difficult to afford college. Colleges should grant more financial aid to those students working to support themselves and their families.

Today, colleges and universities have assumed an important role far beyond their role in earlier times. Since the 20th century, economic and social changes have transformed higher education into a primary gateway to the middle-class, providing minorities and women with opportunities to advance against longstanding exclusion from mainstream higher education (Eckel & King, n.d.). Given the change, Americans now view access to higher education as a necessary component of the nation’s ideal as a “land of opportunity” (Eckel & King, n.d.). With this recently developed opportunity, jobs have demanded more knowledgeable and well-trained adults with the skills required to practice in a given profession, manage a wide variety of organizations, and complete an increasing proportion of tasks in a more technologically sophisticated economy (Eckel & King, n.d.; Bok, 2015). The wide spread of higher education opportunities has helped to strengthen America’s democracy by providing its future leaders knowledge and ideas to create new industries, protect us from disease, preserve and enrich our culture, and inform us about our history, our environment, our society, and ourselves (Bok, 2015).

Thomas Jefferson, the “Man of the People,” is best known for drafting the Declaration of Independence, but he also wrote prolifically and prophetically about education. “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be,” he wrote in a letter to a friend. Common school advocates like Jefferson worked to establish a free elementary education accessible to everyone and financed by public funds. Jefferson understood that freedom depends on self-government and that education contributes to both the knowledge and virtues that form a self-governing citizen. Jefferson sought to teach “all children of the state reading, writing, and common arithmetic.” Jefferson viewed this basic education as instrumental in securing “life, liberty, and