The Big Squeeze: Article Analysis

Why does the tuition cost so much more? This leaves college students baffled and stressed about how much money they’re paying and what they’re even paying for.

Recently there has been a lot of debate about the importance of college education. Students are asking if it’s worth the debt to attend a four year university or community college. Some are thinking what are the benefits of a degree is in the workforce. With college tuition increasing and state fundings lowering, low income students are struggling to attain a higher education. College institutions should have a role to provide students higher education and equal opportunity to students to increase social mobility yet intergenerational reproduction of privilege has produced inequality in education.

Research indicates a steep upward trend in the cost of higher education throughout the 20th century. In recent decades, America has witnessed a widening gap between inflation and tuition. An incoming freshman at a typical college incurs charges for tuition, university fees, books, room and board,

“College Prices Soar Again!” “Budget Cuts Cause Even Higher Tuition!” “Higher Education Now Even Less Affordable” These are all statements that have been seen all over the media: newspapers, magazines, television, and radio. (3 SV: SV) Rising college tuition in America has been a problem for years. Many students drop out after a single year due to the pricey costs of tuition. The rapid rise can be attributed to many aspects of the economy, not just a single source. There have also been some propositions of how costs could be lowered, but these have yet to be seen. The United States has gone into a tuition crisis.

As a recent analysis, America’s colleges and universities are quietly shifting the burden of their big tuition increases onto low-income students, while many higher-income families are seeing their college costs rise more slowly, or even fall” (Eskow). Though education is the basic human right, most of the people in the U.S. are not being able to gain it as because of its rising cost. Since the 1970s, tuition and fees at public institutions have increased by more than 350 percent, while pay for working- and middle-class households has stagnated. As a result, the cost of a public-college education now accounts for almost 15 percent of the average family's annual income; 40 years ago it was about 4 percent (Kenneth W. Warren and Samir Sonti). The tuition and fees are increasing in such a way that the young Americans aren’t as educated as the young citizens of many other developed countries. The U.S. ranks 14th in the world in the percentage of 25-34 year-olds with higher education (42%).” When all adults of working age are considered, the US is still one of the highest-educated countries in the world. But when this age group is considered, we are falling behind (Richard Eskow). That’s the personal loss for the young people of the U.S. Education is not a privilege of the rich and well-to-do; it is the inalienable right of every people. It is a powerful tool by which people can lift

Today college tuition prices are rising. Paying for college can often be a stressful responsibility. A college education is very important for many students, but when stressing on how to pay for college gets in the way, it becomes more of a burden. Kim Clark effectively states the rising prices of college tuition in her article, “The Surprising Causes of Those College Tuition Hikes.” Clark states that the cost of attending a public university, even after subtracting out aid and inflation, rose more than fifteen percent in the last

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

One of the culprits hindering higher education for Americans is the tuition rates. A report by the Delta Cost Project indicates that if tuition had grown in pace with inflation, the average tuition at in-state public colleges would only have been $2,052 in 2010. The actual price of tuition was around $7,500, and it is increasing at around 5% per year, about twice as fast as the rate of inflation. Whereas everything else in the economy doubles in cost about every 32 years, college costs have been doubling around every 15 years. In a paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, titled How the Changing Market Structure of U.S. Higher Education Explains College, the author, Caroline Hoxby, states that universities have little incentive

In the article, “It’s Time to End Tuition at Public Universities - and Abolish Student Debt”, published by the Nation in March 2015, Jon Wiener discusses reasonings behind the actions of implementing free college tuition across the entire United States. Wiener analyzes many different claims such as the surprising cost of college tuition and the alarming rate of which college tuition costs are rising. Wiener claims that nearly two-third of college graduates are dealing with roughly $29,000 in student-loan debt. He uses these statistics to scare the readers of his article with the underlying truth. Wiener wants to make sure that he gets the point across to his audience. Wiener also ties in the United State government’s effort into his work. He discusses the humongous amount of money that is put into college tuition already: “The US government already spends lots of money on student aid. Federal spending in 2014. the College Board reports, includes $47 billion

It should be common sense that those who work hard in school and achieve academically should be rewarded with the opportunity to attend better universities in our field of study. When Caldwell seeks advice from her friends on Facebook, the issue of attending the University of Wisconsin or Rutgers University is controversial. Although some argue that her son should attend Wisconsin “debt be damned”, others contend that the debt is not worth it and he should settle for Rutgers and transfer later if he desires. My view is that debts should be avoided when possible, but people should not be punished for their achievements in the education system. The harsh costs of further education limit the abilities of many middle class people, such as home ownership, job opportunities, and financial independence. Achievement and success should not be limited by being born into a family that provides a decent standard of living. The middle class is being left behind in the wake of budget cuts and higher tuition because many people earn too much to be considered for need based aid and are also incapable of affording skyrocketing tuition, room and board, and many of the other required expenses of higher education without sacrifice and looming loans. The insights of Deborah Caldwell into the costs of college are disappointing because it is just the story of one family that is facing the expense of a necessary part in a child’s education. The decision to accept financial burden to attend a prestigious program or for financial stability and a mediocre experience is a difficult one that society has forced man to make. The values of a community are reflected in their policies, and many across the country have realized the harm of slashing college aid programs. It is important

In " Free College Doesn't Fix Everything,” Richard Reeves, a senior fellow in economic studies at the Brookings Institution. Said that Community colleges in the United States can, in theory, provide an important service. not everyone has the same opportunity to earn a bachelor's degree. Most high school students from rich families will end the university, some of humble origin will join them. At this time, the system of institutions in the United States serves to reinforce inequality from generation to generation, rather than reduce it. However, some students do not get into college, or do not finish their studies, and this is not only economically-financial situation is also due to the weakness that has America in education. However,

Tuition prices are rising exponentially and the current student loan system claims to make college more accessible, yet it is often at the cost of subjecting one's self to crippling debt for the rest of one's life. The unrealistic price of tuition is quickly becoming a moral issue that is poised to destroy the lives of an entire generation. College is, once again, becoming a right reserved only for the wealthy, which will inevitably perpetuate the ever growing chasm between the rich and poor. Poverty exists in the united states on a level that is nearly unparalleled when compared to other first world countries. In terms of both wealth and income distribution we have far more in common with Russia than we do with European nations. The affordability and accessibility of a decent college education plays a pivotal role in attempting to reduce American poverty and various other human rights issues. It will also allow us to remain more competitive in the global market as robotic technologies take over unskilled labor positions. No one should be disqualified from receiving an education and humane existence solely because their parents are not

There are a few flaws with Wieners arguments here. First of all, Wiener naming other countries in comparison to the United states such as Denmark, Sweden, and Finland, is invalid. He doesn’t take into account one major thing. The population of these countries aren’t comparable to the united states. Sweden's population according to the world atlas is almost 10 million. The united states has 32X. The same thing with Denmark and Finland who have approximately 6 million each. This means that if the U.S government were to pay for all college students, they would have to pay much more per student because they have more

Since the beginning of the 20th Century, college education has been available for everyone and anyone who is willing to develop their knowledge regarding a specific professional field. Currently in the United States, the percentage of high school graduates going to college has increased considerably: 68 percent in 2011 compared to 49 percent in 1940 (Menand, 2) and the record high set in 2009 with 70 percent of total high school graduates enrolled in college ("Bureau of Labor Statistics"). Notwithstanding, it has come to the attention of many that the college tuition and fees have been increasing at an accelerated rate. According to The New York Times, college tuition and fees increased 439 percent from 1982 to 2007 (Lewin, 1). This

The increasing cost of higher education in the United States has been a continuing topic for debate in recent decades. American society emphasizes the importance of education after high school, yet the cost of undergraduate and advanced degrees continually rises at a greater rate than inflation. According to the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, cost factors prevent 48% of college-qualified high school graduates from pursuing further education (McKeon, 2004, p. 45). The current system requires the majority of students to accumulate extensive debt with the expectation that they gain lucrative post-graduate employment to repay their loans.