Post-secondary education in the United States is often viewed as a necessary step towards financial security mostly for those who take part in it. The introduction of the GI Bill in the year 1944 labeled the post-secondary education as a larger part of the American dream because it acted as a ticket towards economic security. Today, approximately 20 million students in the United States are in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree, masters, or any other type of higher-level education such as certifications and specialized courses (Friss, 2012). This elevated number of students interested in becoming educated denotes that the cost of advanced education has and will simultaneously continue to increase. Therefore, this fact has its pros and cons depending on the career of choice and especially depending on how much one receives in return once entered the workforce. Students in America pursue post-secondary education for a diversity of motives. Most do it for economic stability and consequently tend to develop a profession for the sake of earning an income as their primary goal. Comfortable living accompanies such motive, action which leads individuals to wish to obtain a substantial life where they may enjoy financial freedom. Some students look for a broad, liberal arts education, while others become focused on a specific career. However, there are students who simply enroll to take one or two classes for the joy of learning and/or keeping up with their skills. Great
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.
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
Most people would agree that getting a degree would make life easier as opposed to ending education with a high school diploma. With the shortage of career opportunities, jobs are becoming more competitive and most require higher education. College has become necessary and so consequently, it has become more expensive. While loans have made it possible for nearly anyone to attend college, because they are given too easily, the costs of college has increased even more. A cycle of giving loans and raising tuition is created and as a result college students are burdened with a colossal amount of debt. The issues of student debt go beyond affecting graduates’ lives and begin to cripple many areas of the economy, as well as hinder forward mobility.
Pursuing a post-secondary education is very important because without that extra education you will not be able to get as good of a career as you would with a post-secondary education. With that extra education you have more opportunities of higher paying jobs and healthcare coverage. Also when students go to college they have a chance to listen to the Professors lecture on their personal field of study, so they know what they are talking about. With a college degree you are also open to more promotion opportunities. Also when you go into the college life it is a time where you get a big taste of the real world, you start to be independent, learn to save money and pay bills.
Family incomes are increasing, therefore we can assume that those living with a family income of 100,000 dollars or greater, will be able to fund their children’s education. Students are also maintaining jobs as they attend their post secondary education, and therefore they’re appreciating the value of money and their education. The quality of post-secondary education must be protected, and in order to do this, prices of education may need to increase. Therefore, consideration of the following policy may be crucial for students to continue to attend post-secondary education (Brown
In 1980, Americans with a college education earned 30 percent more than a high school graduate, whereas in recent years, people with a college education earned roughly 70 percent more than a high school graduate. (582). They argue that the average income for a person with a higher education continues to increase. Additionally, the lower class will see a raise in their income and in turn, that will raise the overall standard of living. Meanwhile, “the premium for having a graduate degree increased from roughly 50 percent in 1980 to well over 100 percent today.” (583).
How would you feel if money were no object when it comes to obtaining something you really want, and know it will be of great benefit to you in exchange? In fact, what if I told you that a post secondary education can be of no cost to you or your parents, meaning no high interest rates, or additional fees to pay back. All you need is the desire to better your circumstances. No loan applications and debt required! Well, I wish that had been offered this proposition before graduating high school, and not worry about whether or not my parents could afford to send me to a traditional 4-year college. We are all currently sitting in this classroom to satisfy one of many required courses in hopes to obtain a diploma in return. Some may even be looking to transfer into a 4-year college or university. Unfortunately, the cost of college education is expensive and for many is a deterrent, and loans do not make it any more enticing. The burden in repaying student loans is enough to discourage many from ever stepping foot into a college classroom. However, as demands to fill high-paying positions in the job market increases, many are going vacant as most require college degrees. For many Americans today, high costs of colleges make it difficult to consider. Today I would like to talk about first, the problems of high costs in post secondary education, second, how this proposal has been a debate, especially among recent presidential hopefuls, and finally how a community with tuition-free
The overwhelming cost for higher educational institutions is causing a huge concern over whether higher education will be an attainable financial concept to the ordinary student in the upcoming years. Many Americans now tend to believe that the path to obtaining a degree has turned into distraught with financial traps. Recent studies done by the U.S. Department of Education show that “college tuition and fees have ballooned 1,120% since 1978. A year of college tuition for
A free postsecondary education will benefit the economy as it allows more individuals to graduate college, permitting the middle class to grow and put more money in the markets. In his article Higher Education, Wages, and Polarization, Rob Valletta asserts that a postsecondary education brings distinct advantages in the labor market. The author includes a graph comparing the rising wage gaps of those with a college or postgraduate degree to those solely with a high school diploma, which depicts individuals who have sought a higher education as receivers of a larger income (2). This implies that a college degree contributes to a graduate’s financial success and spending power. Graduates are more likely to use their paychecks in the market economy, as they have more money. In addition, Erin Dillon, a senior policy analyst at Education Sector, argues that college is worth the money, as graduates have an unemployment rate of 4.4 percent while high school students have an
In a society where the inflation of the broad economy is going up, it is being beat by the rapidly increasing tuition costs. Everyday people make the decision whether it is worth paying for high college tuition when job wages are decreasing. However, since the wages of jobs are going down it is more important now that people receiving a degree from a college or university. Therefore they can be on the top of the pay range by having the advantage of getting a job over high school graduates. It is worth paying the high tuition cost because the end result after forty years will be beneficial. As a college graduate, a person is pursuing a dream for their parent by surpassing their living situations, they are receiving more than an education which includes character traits and satisfaction of a job, and in the end they are going to be more financially stable than a high school graduate.
“An Investment in knowledge pays the best interest” this was a quote by one of our great founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin. I firmly believe that we need to make post secondary education not just more affordable but, free. This has been thrown around as a joke in the past year with it being a cornerstone of presidential candidate Bernie Sanders’s platform and yes it sounds crazy, I know, but it is completely feasible. Anyone who thinks otherwise is completely uneducated and proves my point. This is exactly what I’m going to show you today.
Greenstone and Looney (2011), in an article in the Los Angeles Times, reasoned as to why an investment in higher education worthwhile. They explained college educations value through a few factors. The authors looked at college graduate statistics during the time in which they referred to them as the “Class of the Great Recession” (para. 3) in 2010. Greenstone and Looney stated that close “90%” (para. 3) of college graduates had a job compared to a dismal “64%” (para. 3) of individuals who did not attend college. Furthermore, they calculated the total dollar figure that is put in as an investment into a college degree taking into consideration tuition, books, fees and wages lost that could have been gained if the individual would have been
The worth of a college education varies vastly depending on what students get per dollar. Initially I had set out to prove to prove that it is worth having a college education, but my thesis changed in regards to what one would call worth having. “Statistics about future earnings potential coupled with the more complex world we live in have convinced millions that the true and only pathway to success in life is receiving a college education.” (Anonymous, 2015) Which is true for grand majority of the people, especially those living in growing economies instead of developed nations. But, ever increasing tuition fees and job insecurities of today steer more and more people away from private big name universities. Therefore, in this paper I will make the point of not having that private university education to leap into a debt-free future.
Thomas J. Billiteri, author of “The Value of a College Education” (2009), focuses on higher education where he talks about the expanding demand of four-year college degrees in the United States. He explores the many educational paths students can choose apart from the normal and traditional four-year degree and the income that comes with each path. He views higher