The Cost Of College Education

Should college be free? A current universal problem poses this question. In today’s world, full of public education standards that hold students maybe too high and in a generation bogged down by student debt, this issue qualifies as a problem more than many are maybe even willing to admit. While the prospect of free college proposes excellent ideals such as a stronger and smarter generation, no student loan problems, and a higher educated society, the truth may actually lie in the reality that making college free would do more hindrance than good and is not the answer to these problems. Free college would increase economic problems, according to Andrew P. Kelly, who says it would only shifts the cost to someone else. As well, it would also hinder our education system. Michael J. Petrilli writes that making college free would “probably shift billions of dollars a year from programs that help talented poor kids access higher education and improve our schools”. Although the concept of free higher education is becoming appealing to the general population, it ultimately would create more problems than it solved and do virtually nothing of huge significance to increase the level of intelligence in modern society.

College tuition is very expensive and many people are unable to attend due to the overall cost of tuition, books, room and board. The high price of a college education is unfair to the bright students who have limited resources. These students are at a disadvantage because of lack of funds. The United States should find a way to provide free tuition to all students who want an education.

Ever since you were little, your parents have been talking about this wonderful thing called college. They told you that you have to go there to get an education before you can get a good job. Many kids have dreamed of going to college, and being able to get the job of their dreams. By putting in hard work and dedication to good grades in high school, you had high hopes that you would be able to get into an Ivy League school. The American dream of being able to go to college to get a degree is sliding away from many people due to rising costs. With increasing tuition prices and job loss, the college dream is slowly and surely slipping away from many students and their families.

The trend continues with the skyrocketing prices of college tuitions. This is not an uncommon issue the days of college tuition being affordable are slowly fading into the past. This conundrum has brought to light the idea of using tax money to help pay tuition. This idea has vast potential, but can it reach its potential.

Bernie Sanders, senator of the state of Vermont said, “The cost of college education today is so high that many young people are giving up their dream of going to college, while many others are graduating deeply in debt” (“Brainy Quote”). Each year students take out loans to pay for a college education. Is it really necessary? They are just going to be a statistic. I believe everyone should not go to college. College is not for everyone.

The author talks about college cost, and the effect it has on students and on how times it takes longer to graduate. This is an important topic because college cost has been a problem for many individuals for decades and it still is. College cost is something that shapes people's lives and it worries them because college cost is what determines if they're going to continue going to college. It’s something that people should take lightly because college is pretty expensive. According to the advocacy group complete college America, it cost 63,718 for one extra year to attend college. For students who take longer to finish school because of certain requisites, it becomes a toll because of the cost. According to Norton Field Guide to writing by Richard Bullock and Maureen Daly Goggin found a report on Los Angeles-bases campaigns for college opportunity, saying students who attend school 6 years instead of 4 years will lose 110,900 dollars in their lifetime. Many people in the work field and colleges expect students to attend school for four years. According to the NFGW, “nearly nine out of 10 freshmen think they will earn their bachelor degree within the traditional four years.” Yet In the NFGW quotes the U.S Department of Education and they report that “about 45 percent won’t have finished.”

In times, nowadays college is one of the main ways to become successful in this world. The thing is college isn't for everyone. Some kids simply do not qualify because of grades but a major problem is tuition. On average tuition can range from 20,000 dollars to 40,000 dollars a year. Add this up for 4 years and you are looking at about 120,000 dollars for a 4-year degree. This price is what can take away an opportunity to go to college. In 2011-12, the NCAA reported $871.6 million in revenue. That could fully cover about 7,263 students, so imagine if this price was split each year for students, this would help lower the cost of tuition. Student athletes already get a full scholarship and most of the money received yearly by the NCAA is from

One of the biggest questions a high-school student will be asked is about their future career. What most students pursing a college degree fail to realize is the opportunity cost they might have to sacrifice. It all comes down to the individual because unless the person is a professional basketball player, then college might not be worth the opportunity cost for that said individual. Unfortunately, not everyone is a professional athlete so their opportunity cost for college might not be so easy to determine. Also the student must take into consideration what degree they want to pursue and see how the job market is like. For instance, an art degree may not be the best choice to go with in today’s economy. The CNBC article that brought an interest to this topic is “What’s the

With the shockingly high number of student debt in America, it is no wonder why people constantly look for alternatives to make education cheaper.Certainly, higher education is in need of reformation. However, it should not come at the expense of dollars from people who pay taxes. In theory, free college sounds fantastic, but it must be understood that this luxury is not free. The money would come from people who pay taxes, which is evidently twisted as a majority of people do not value higher education. They should not be forced to pay for something that is optional in one’s life. People will be paying for free college for the rest of their lives in taxes. Moreover, free college removes the incentive of valuing education in high school. There

Dreams are not cheap. I have dreamed of having a college degree for twenty years, one of the hurdles that I struggled with overcoming was the shear rising cost of higher education. In the articles, The Problem with Obama’s “Free Community College” Proposal and Obama’s Dream of Free Community College is Headed to Congress, high dropout rates and low percentages of students earning a bachelor’s degree are touched upon. While reducing the cost of college or providing free community college may not be enough to raise the dropout rate, we need to look at the other non-quantifiable costs of getting an education. If we want to enable American’s to earn that dream, we need to address the whole needs of the student and not just throw money at them.

The topic of paying for college has been a widely debated issue for students. Some people believe college is too expensive for teens who have just began to wander around the adult world, while others feel college would be taken for granted if the student doesn’t make an effort for their education. Higher education may include longer years of studying, loans and debt. This is what makes society feel that college should be free. However, it must be acknowledged that free college really isn’t free and misunderstanding this concept would be an economic mistake. Although it’s understood that college comes with a great price, eliminating the cost for higher education would increase taxes, diminish the value of a degree and may cause students to not

While I am grateful for my opportunity to attend college, postsecondary education is far too often seen as a necessary step towards adulthood, but is at the cost of a luxury item. Unlike Hamlet, I will not be graduating from college without any debt. Therefore, my “Utopian” college experience will be at no or little cost to ensure a fair chance of financial stability after graduation. Everyone should have the chance to attend college if they desire to pursue their education without

“The benefits of post secondary education are well documented and have major implications for economic growth, equality, and social mobility” (Dominguez). This was reported by the white house on January 2014. Many others can agree education is the key to a healthier economy. But lately, students throughout the United States have been struggling to pay the expensive tuition fees that tag along with having a college education. These expensive college costs have been largely debated and constantly listed as a national concern for middle class families all around the US. Many believe free tuition is the solution to our country’s trillion debt problem, but with our economy on the

“I’m not going to college” my friend told me over the phone one day during a conversation we were having. I was somewhat surprised, but his decision did not catch me completely off guard. We had discussed the topic before and he mentioned his consideration to not attend college after he graduated from high school. He believed that even though he would probably enjoy going to college and learning new information, college was not the best option for him. He is smart; however, he was already working various jobs and projects while in high school, sometimes missing school to complete his responsibilities. He was making much more money during high school than most students his age. He applied and was accepted at various

Over the years, college fees have gradually risen for high school graduates. It’s been said that most jobs with a college degree earn almost double of what a high school graduate would earn. Many people all over the country have been unable to go to college because of these high fees for education. Some people think that your future shouldn’t be controlled by the amount of money you pay. If these fees continue to increase, then no one will be able to attend college. Higher education for free will increase productivity within students because they can get a good job, college is now a prerequisite, and college worthy jobs have great salaries.