Public College : Should Be Lowered

As it is, there is about $1 trillion in college debt in America. A Philadelphia Enquirer article warns that, “The average debt owed per person is $25,000 -- the highest level of student debt in the nation's history,” and that the number is increased by tens of thousands of dollars for those who go on to get higher degrees. $25,000 is a lot but the reality is that a lot of people have even more than that. For example, what if someone goes to an expensive private college and their tuition is anywhere between 30 and 70 thousand per year. In total they could be paying between 120 and 240 thousand dollars per year. The majority of the country is most likely unable to easily pay for that and could end up with extensive amounts of debt just because they went to the college that they wanted to. Student’s education shouldn’t be compromised just because the school they want to go to has a high tuition. Alarmingly, “Study after study has shown the number one barrier to attending college is the published rate of tuition.”(Lowe) The amount of student debt as a result of a school’s high tuition should decide where people should go to school. If tuition is decreased then simultaneously, student debt would be as well.

College tuition is a subject that I am certain is on every college student's mind. The current cost of college has become so outrageously high and so students are graduating college with what you think is a feeling of excitement for their lives starting, when in reality they are entering a pool of stress due to high amounts of debt and no job guarantees. With that being said overly expensive College Tuition is merely taking away opportunities from potential students. According to Collegefactual.com, you will see that 20 years ago the average college tuition for a student at any University was around $6,285 for the room, board, and tuition. Today, according to Niche.com, the average tuition for almost any college is over $30,000 for those same things. Today, this isn't even offered for those same colleges, we don’t even know what is actually causing the raising tuition. At this point in time, we are paying for the name. Just like clothing, we pay more for the “high end” (a.k.a the college name) items. This is an issue that not only affects college students, but people who want a good education. College tuition should be lowered because the average student debt is too high, FAFSA results can be misleading and not high enough, and there is not enough access to college for deserving students.

There are many colleges around the world and most people like to attend one. Students study hard and try their best just so they can get an acceptance letter from their dream college. However, college tuition is not that affordable; college tuition is increasing in price every single year while the yearly salary of a father stays the same or barely increases. College tuition should be affordable to everyone regardless of his or her family status and position. Students should be able to attend a college without being in a debt consisting of thousands of dollars. There are scholarships, grants and financial aid available but that does not help everyone. A middle class family cannot fully afford a child going to a 4-year college and make a living, which is comfortably in residence. A change in college tuition is definitely required for American students and the students around the world to have a better education at low cost.

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

Lower classes families will be able to send their children to college which will give them an opportunity they would never have had.

As a high school senior, post high school options are far and few, but the one that shines above the others is the option of attending college. Instead of going straight into the workforce in order to establish some sort of independence, college provides the opportunity to build upon academic skills, gain a step up in terms of work experience, and become more acquainted with the world and adult life without a watchful parent. It is a very impactful experience that can alter the path taken in life but it comes with a very high price, one that many aren’t able to pay and in turn are forced into tens of thousands of dollars in debt. However, the individuals in debt that did graduate have received something that to most of them was all worth it, a degree. With this, they have opened up more paths in life and immediately are more welcomed in the workforce.

Throughout the USA college tuition has increased drastically; in the last five years Georgia colleges have had 75% increase along with other states such as Arizona whose tuition has increased by 77% (NPR). Since 2006 the tuition in Utah has increased by 62.8% and is rising throughout the U.S. (Desert News). Between 1885-2016 the price of college has increased between 2.1% to 4.3% per year beyond inflation (CollegeBoard). Through calculations, that equates to about a hundred precent increase since 1885. It’s no secret that college tuition has skyrocketed, increasing student debt and leaving prospective students to ask “Is College Worth It?” college education is beneficial in that it teaches students valuable life lessons in responsibility, prepares students to enter the workforce and can be relatively inexpensive. The eduction is “college education” is worth every penny but America has created clichés to define the college experience which are expensive and unnecessary. In a radical new world a college education is required in many high paying jobs, which leads to the question “Is the experience of college all it is built up to be?” Through recent research, many articles and news mention about the value of higher education seem to only take account of is the financial aspect. A college education is worth what one makes it and is an investment in a future and in one’s self. The purpose of college the education is to be prepared to go into a the workforce having gained the

In 1976, the average cost to attend a four year public university was $2,175; today, the average cost to attend a four year public university is $25,000 (Snyder). This means it is 1150% more expensive to go to college in The United States today than it was 30 years ago. This obviously would create a problem on how we as people are going to pay for our higher education. Today college has become almost a necessity to have a satisfactory life, and with these rising prices some individuals believe student loans are the only option. There are many reasons as to why the prices have risen, but the one undeniable fact is that this has created a problem within our country. Which, is known as the student debt crisis, and it has been on the rise the past couple years. This problem is affecting people all around the United States, and is causing multitude of problems for them all because they wanted to pursue higher education. Wanting to better your opportunities by bettering yourself is not something that needs to be punished, and sadly that is what is happening. This problem is something that needs to be fixed for the sake of Americans and our economy, but will also take time and a multitude of steps to correct.

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).

In our society today, college is something that one is looked upon to do. Today our society is mostly looked at by our education level rather than who the person truly is. Now society is also looking at this generation for us to know that to succeed, one might set high goals for their self, which means going to college and pursing a degree. On the other hand, there are some people in this world that graduated from high school and have never been to college and are just happy with their life like it is. There are two ways to look at this topic. One is that college is worth the cost and another view is that college is not worth the cost at all. College is worth the cost. Yes, it can be expensive depending on where the high school graduated would like to attend to earn their degree, but education is something that is worth the cost and very valuable and something one will never lose.

The price of tuition and the amount of student debt that graduates find themselves in is another thing that is hurting the scholars in this country. In America, the student loan debt is at a whopping 1.31 trillion dollars with the average student owing around 37 thousand dollars. This is, in one word, unacceptable. How can the expectation be for students to attend these colleges and acquire higher education when they have to pay an arm and a leg just to receive their diploma? This system is setting them up for failure, on top of the fact that finding a job and a lifelong career after college is hard enough. Knowing that they have to add on 37 thousand dollars of worry and stress onto their plate, such not be the norm of the average

Today, college is not an option in some homes. When applying to college it can be very stressful, especially when thinking about how much money it is going to cost someone each year that they are trying to earn a degree. Most college students go to school not because they want to spend money, but because they must earn their education to make it somewhere with a career. For example, imagine that a new graduate with a bachelor’s degree in construction management applies for a construction job and is competing against another applicant who only has some work experience

The American Dream teaches us that if we work hard, earn a good living, and do our best that we will be able to live comfortably and happily with the fruits of our labors. In today’s society to achieve the American dream, one must first obtain a higher education. In order to do that though many students are taking out student loans and putting themselves further in debt. Having an education has now become highly sought after, yet increasingly harder to get due to the high cost of attendance. According to the Wall Street Journal , “Average published tuition and fees at private, nonprofit four-year colleges and universities increased 14% between 2008-09 and 2013-14 beyond the rate of inflation,

Students all over the United States struggle paying for their education many question if education should even have a price, or does it have to keep the economy flowing? Majority of these loans being requested come from freshman in college and high schoolers transitioning into their universities of choice. Many jobs today require experience and some of this experience comes from a student's education, the demand for workers who are highly educated has risen; “Not only are college graduates more likely to be employed, but are more likely to get jobs with better stability” (Johnson). At the moment the government is not spending a lot of public education for colleges, the budget currently sits at a low $10,499, which is very low considered the amount of money the government spends on other things and the amount they could be spending on education. Many families have the issue of paying of their children's loans because their children cannot do it on their own, “35 year old veteran, mother of two boys owes a staggering $99,326 in student loans” (Edwards). This example was used by many candidates in the recent election to provide an example of how bad this growing issue really is, the question is why has nobody done anything about it yet? Some loans even grow overtime due to the

Today colleges are growing more and more necessary for attaining a solid path towards a successful career, yet the rapidly increasing cost of tuition is driving students away from their dream of attending college, due to the preposterous amount of money that is now being demanded by colleges across the nation and world as a whole. It is sad to see students being turned away from a successful future due to the money-hungry nature of the universities that dot the globe. More and more impossible it is becoming to have a “rags-to-riches” scenario that used to highlight the American Dream, as if a student doesn’t have the riches to afford a higher education and the tuition that is drug upon its coattails, then our society is doomed to be clothed in rags forever, unless major changes are brought about to restructure and end the indefatigable growth of tuition rates across the board.