Rising Cost Of College Essay

Going directly to college after high school can be completely beneficial to one’s life. It is what the government encourages while in high school and can easily be accomplished. By attending college at a young age you can live the infamous college life that so many adults speak of as “the best four years of my life”. These four years can be achieved and should be enjoyed. As a young student, one can have the stamina to attend class with hours on end. As a current college student, I see many adults coming back to college because they have been part of the group that has tried to succeed while only having a high school diploma. The truth of the matter is those high school students that realize that a four-year degree in college can secure a place in life that is acceptable for them will be the ones to succeed; furthermore, these students are the future of America.

For some students, the question of what to do after high school may be a burden to even contemplate as it approaches quicker and quicker. The pressure to continue another four (or more) years of education after high school can be overwhelming considering twelve years of schooling has already been completed; why go right back to school again? When’s break time? Some people are simply just not ready for college and they know it, or at least until after they have had a long break or have had some time to recollect themselves. Technically speaking college isn’t for everyone, nor is it necessarily needed for a career. Luckily today, there are many other options that potential career seeking beings can get a head start on such as community colleges and trade/vocational schools. These alternatives to a four year college are considered to be a good start on a job (and maybe even a career). The best benefits of these alternatives involve the cost of attending, the student environment, and the degrees offered.

In today's world many people question or education system and question whether or not the cost is of college is worth it just to continue your education. Although you inquire a lot of debt in college. Getting a degree is almost necessary in today's job market because most jobs require one and jobs that do not require a college degree are getting harder to get, as the unemployment rises. Therefore a college degree is worth incurring significant debt. Earning a college not only provides you with job security and provides potential for greater lifetime earnings.

lot of dollars for an unemployed family man or woman with little or no income.

A lot of people will argue, that college is too expensive. Not everyone can go to college, for financial reasons. Also, they may get into college, but end up having to leave because they cannot afford the remaining balances; or, they received financial aid, but end up having to take out loans they are going to be paying back forever. It is like once they graduate they will be working mostly to pay off their student loan debt. This also discourages some students. In some cases, they will not even take the initiative to try because it is so costly. I do not understand why it cost so much to want to better yourself, and possibly put us in debt for the rest of our life just to receive a higher education. Not only has the cost of college risen over a period of time, but it continues to go up. Yes, they have alternatives for paying student debts, but what if you do not qualify? Lastly, you are not guaranteed a job just because you graduate and have a college degree(s).

Tuition rates have been on the rise since the start of colleges. In 1988, the average college tuition was about $2,800 for a year of schooling. In 2008, that number had risen 130% to nearly $6,800 for one year; according to Annalyn Censky of CNN Money, if the average income had raised the same amount, median family earning would be roughly $77,000 a year, instead of the current $33,000. Americans are making $400 less on average than they did in 1988 says Censky. Over the past twenty years, college has risen 5% of the median family income from 12% to 17%; private colleges went from 27% to 47% says Economist.com. (1 SV; SV.) Tuition isn’t the only thing rising at colleges: room, meals, books, and other fees are rising as well. (4 SV: A,B,C,D.) This also takes its toll on families as well as the students themselves. Many students

Whether a student is looking to stay in-state or move out, the cost is still very high. According to College Board, expenses, on average, to attend a 4-year university add up to around $9,000 a year for in-state residents. Triple this amount and non-residents must pay that. Private school expenses tend to add up to around $35,000 a year (College Costs). During the 1995-1996 academic years, 66% of four year students in public institutions received some form of financial aid (Losco). Although the financial aid sounds like a good plan at the time, it causes the ones who take aid to being their adulthood in a large amount of debt. Even though there are a number of scholarships and financial aid programs available, each student must qualify and meet certain requirements that are not always met.

The cost of college is becoming outrageous because they are rising tuition, trying to make their campus more appealing to the students that attend as well as incoming students, and government loans have astronomical interest rates. Students are having to come up with all of the money themselves. It is hurting the students after they graduate because they are in so much debt before they even start their career. Some students wonder if going to college is worth it or if finishing high school would be enough for them. The amount of debt students are accumulating by going to college makes others wonder if they want to start a career already thousands of dollars in debt. Going to college may seem like a no brainer for some, but others struggle with the thought of “being in the red” right out of college and trying to find a high paying job that will help them pay back their loans and borrowed money, especially in the economy now.

have also risen. State funding for higher education has skyrocketed, but all of that public money

There is no better way to explain the increase in the cost of tuition other than raw numbers and data. According to the College Board, “The average published tuition and fee price for students enrolled full time at public nonprofit four-year colleges and universities increased by $1,100 (3.7%) between 2013-14 and 2014-15.” This source also states that the average cost of tuition across the country was 8,893 dollars last year. This does not include room and board. A decent place to stay, food and books also add on quickly to the expenses. All and all, according to the College Board, “The total price of college rose 6% just last year.” Although six percent does not seem like a lot at first glance, over the time of a 4-year degree this could equate to over 10,000 dollars. This is the most common reason that high school students don’t attend a higher education, according to a study by Hartwick College.

The cost of attending college has risen drastically over the years. Statistics show that there has been a 260% increase in tuition costs since 1980. The increase in tuition cost equates to an increase in money borrowed to fund higher education. An increase in money borrowed results in an increase in debt accumulated over time. As a result of the rising figures, the economy as a whole has also suffered because of the restricted financial space many graduates find themselves in upon completion of their degree. In this paper, we will discuss college costs, reasons why they have risen, and the best way for students to pay for it.

Higher education costs have been increasing at a rapid pace, faster than inflation for the economy as a whole, for the past fifty years. It started in the 1960’s when the federal government passed the Higher Education Act to increase the amount of people able to afford and attend college. Regardless of the Unites States Government efforts to increase the affordability of college, federal aid programs have not risen to expectations due to the ever-increasing college prices. To lower the price of college, the government needs to cut back on student financial spending to go only to the lowest income families and create tax incentives for families to start saving up on their own.

As a result of this, states receive pressure to make up for this and must raise tuition. Grant donors are also becoming less generous in their contributions to students as well. This makes affording college even harder for students.

The words tax and tuition once had nothing in common but the letter t at the start of each word. That is about to change and some say for the better while others cry foul. The rising tuition rate of many colleges is forcing new ideas on how to combat it. This issue of rising tuition rate gave light to the idea using taxes to help pay for tuition in a form of a scholarship.

Neither candidate speaks about the harmful effects on one’s finances or the country’s economy as a result of people attending college. As the cost of college increases, so does the amount of student debt piling up all over the country. Along with the increase in debt, finding good paying jobs, and sometimes even jobs in general are very difficult. However above all these factors related to our country’s grueling economy, while in college we are not taught anything related to the real world’s jobs, careers, finances, or pocketbook economics. With the price of college constantly increasing the jobs are steadily decreasing. With this the percentage of unemployed Americans are increasing drastically as well. Even if once you graduate and have a job waiting for you in the real world, the real world is different than the safety net of our schools. Colleges are not preparing the future of our country for the real world, instead they are teaching them what our grandfathers in the 19th century were taught. The only people who graduate from college who have remotely no issues finding a job, are people who were taught in the STEM based