Post Secondary Education For The United States

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.

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).

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.

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

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

“Misconception No.1: A liberal arts education is a luxury that most families can no longer afford. ‘Career-education’ is what we must now focus on.” (Ungar, 2010, pp.191) As Ungar has claimed, there is a recent misconception that a liberal arts education is no longer a necessity but luxury because it doesn’t provide an instant career launching education. With so many people having to a need to spend as little money as possible, they are determined to only spend money on preparation for their future career. For this reason they go to college only to take courses that are necessary for their future. “She is in college to take vocational training. She wants to write computer code. Start a business. Get a job in television. She uses college to take vocational courses that pertain to her career interest.” (Murray, 2008, pp.228) Murray explained the story of a girl who is in college solely for preparation for her career. Because of this, she isn’t interested in a liberal arts education. If the course doesn’t directly pertain to her desired career, she prefers not to take it.

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

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 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

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

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

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

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.

The purpose of this article Navigating University Policies to Support Postsecondary Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (Plotner & Marshall, 2014) is to introduce students with intellectual and developmental disabilities into the college environment with expectations to gain an outcome of employment, to become independent, broader knowledge and skills that will excel them into the working force. In the past college was not an option or even a choice for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, it was out of their reach. Lack of finance and support was the number one issue. Students who had disabilities in the past only alternative was to stay in school until they turned twenty-one. Nothing else was offered or

Currently, 44 % of the United States post-secondary education students are made up of non-traditional students over the age of 24 (Kazis et. al, 2007). In 2004, over 60% of the United States population between the ages of 25-64 who had no post-secondary education credentials (Kazis et. al, 2007). With the education requirement for the workplace growing, the number of non-traditional students is still on the rise in colleges and universities (Caruth, 2014). In the 2013-2014 academic school year, it was estimated that tuition, fees, room, and board would be $15,640 at non-profit public institutions and $40,614 at non-profit private institutions. For non-traditional students who typically take an average of five years (Cash, 2013) to complete a college degree, if they even complete the degree program, it would cost approximately $78, 200 at a public institution and $203,070 at a private institution, without accounting for inflation (National Center for Education Statistics, n.d.). Statistics also show that more than half of today’s post-secondary student population attend school part-time (Kazis et. al, 2007). Therefore, their outside employement could hinder their qualification for federal financial aid. These statistics show the growing need for non-traditional students to be able to access and afford post-secondary education, and this paper’s aim is to address these