The Cost Of Higher Education

“Ensuring quality higher education is one of the most important things we can do for our future generations” (Ron Lewis). There are more students enrolling in post-secondary schools than ever before and consequently there are more students acquiring large debts. Once a student graduates, they enter a $33,000 or more student loan debt (Students Loan Resources). These student loans continue to place graduates into large debts, which is largely caused by their lack of knowledge of available resources, and this impacts their everyday lives and future generations.

An education is one of the most important tools a person can acquire. It gives them the skills and abilities to obtain a job, earn a wage, and then use that wage to better their lives and the lives of their loved ones. However, due to the seemingly exponential increase in the costs of obtaining a college degree, students are either being driven away entirely from earning a degree or taking out student loans which cripple their financial prospects well after graduation. Without question, the increasing national student loan debt is one of the most pressing economic issues the United States is dealing with, as students who are debt ridden are not able to consume and invest in the economy. Therefore, many politicians and students are calling

The U.S. is home to some of the greatest colleges and universities in the world. But with an overwhelming 1.3 million students graduating with an average student loan debt of $29,000 each and with youth unemployment elevated, the question of whether or not college tuition is worth the money arises (The Institute for College Access & Success, 2013). Higher education faces intimidating challenges: continually rising costs, access and completion problems, constant changing of technology, and responsibility pressures from state and federal officials. But no challenge is more intimidating than the fundamental question that many Americans face to ask themselves, "Is college worth the cost?" As a result of the economic turn down, many students who graduate are not finding well-paying jobs, either within their field of study or not.

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 higher education and advanced degrees continually rises at a greater rate than inflation in the 1970’s. 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 rewarding post-graduate employment to repay their loans.

As the demand for workers with college degrees increases the pile of debt students may graduate with gets bigger and bigger. This problem is America’s next sizeable financial crisis, but this crisis however is avoidable. Student loan debt is a financial bubble waiting to blow up just as the housing market collapse did in 2007, which the country is only just now starting to see signs of recovery from. The cost of a four-year degree has seen increases that surpass inflation and health care costs. Likewise, the amount of student loan debt is now greater than both auto loans and credit card debt. So, the question most frequently asked is, how has this happened?

Post-secondary education comes at a very high price. The excitement of graduating college to land the six-figure job is soon destroyed when you realize how much debt you are in. Dreams of owning a house and starting a family is shattered by the money borrowed to provide and guarantee students a better future. Instead of waiting to land that perfect job, students are forced to work multiple jobs to help ends meet. Struggling to stay afloat, millions of students are becoming victims of one of the major economic crisis in the United States; Student debt.

Student debt has become a large (and growing) problem. The high levels of student debt have served to perpetuate economic inequality, minimizing the opportunity of higher education. In a speech this year, President Obama called higher education "one of the crown jewels of this country" and said it was "the single most important way to get ahead.” The long term impact of student loans have given students every reason not to want to attend college, including myself. That alone has the potential to harm colleges and universities across the country. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said student debt is one reason that people between the ages of twenty and thirty seem to be living a prolonged adolescence, or living with their parents.

The cost of college education in the 21st century is absolutely ridiculous. although colleges have to make money to support things like sports, it is making it so more and more kids aren't going to college, and the kids who do go are coming out with huge amounts of debt. People who go to college aren't coming out with the job that they think they deserve, which is leading to lower income, and a harder time paying off their college debt.

Good afternoon, 21 million students attended college in the fall of 2014 ("Back to School Statistics"). The total student debt in America is 1 trillion dollars, the majority held by members of the middle class ("Back to School Statistics") (Carrns). Student debt is negatively affecting the economy by encumbering the middle class with absurd financial burden thus widening the wealth gap and decreasing social mobility. America should pursue redefining education through lowering the cost of college and reevaluating social stigmas attached to states schools or community colleges.

College graduates are left with debt from student loans. The average student loan debt is less than the cost of most new cars which $20,000 is very affordable (Draeger). College graduates have lower poverty rates (ProCon Pro 7). College grads are more likely to have a job they like and most likely won’t be laid off or be left without income. “Some of the most elite schools spend up to $100,000 to educate a student each year” (Oachs 13). Lower tier schools are easily affordable compared to this and even the elite schools would provide jobs that would make it to where it could be easily paid off. To determine the cost of education is based

The student loan debt crisis in the United States has reached $1 trillion dollars. According to Belkin (2015), the average student loan debt is $35,000. This debt has recent graduates doubting whether or not their education was worth the cost. Fifty-two percent of graduates from public institutions agreed that their education was worth the investment, whereas 48% did not (Belkin, 2015). Forty-seven percent of graduates from private colleges agreed that their education was worth the expense, while 53% indicated that their education was not worth the expense (Belkin, 2015). In fact, graduates’ frustration with their degree is impart to the amount debt they incurred while in school. Although graduates have concerns regarding their debt, the

What do you think of when you hear the words college graduate? Well, in most scenarios, these words would be exciting to someone that just graduated college who have put in years of hard work and dedication to better educate and promote themselves for their future careers. Sadly enough, this is too far common not the case. In today’s society, students are graduating college with piles of debt at an alarming rate. With a troubled economy that is recovering from a recession and jobs difficult to come by for a lot of graduates with bachelor’s degrees, the student loan debt in the United States is bound to be a major crisis that could severely weaken and crimp the economy even more in the coming years.

Democrats and Republicans are at odds among how much should be done to ease the cost of a higher education. Republicans and other congressional appointed figures have been openly opposed to the possibility of free education, while offering alternate solutions. They question the need to provide free education to young people who they believe are not prepared, or for that matter motivated to get a two year or even a four year degree. Republican leaders in Congress oppose any substantial increase in federal assistance to higher education. They argue that colleges and universities continue to receive billions of dollars a year in federal subsidies without any new liability to parents, students and taxpayers, despite indications that problematic

If an aspiring college student doesn’t have the necessary funds to attend school, there is another option they could use to pay for school. Student loans are a popular choice so that the student can pay for school. While this may seem like a great option for affording school, it can be a devil in disguise for many. The New York Times reports that Americans owe over 1.4 trillion dollars in student loan debt (Kelly 1). This happens when a college student takes loans with the belief that the college degree they get will help them achieve a higher salary which will in turn will help them pay off their debt. This often isn’t the case. A student takes the loans and attends school, but does not receive the salary that they were hoping to acquire from attending school. A standard payment plan for students is to pay off their debt in ten years, but according to a study conducted by US News, the average bachelor degree holder takes twenty-one years to pay off (Bidwell 1). This is a common occurrence as well, a report conducted by The Institute for Collee Access and Success shows that in 2012, seventy-one percent of college graduates had student debt (Serrato 1). The current system that the government offers to help those struggling to afford a secondary education is a flawed program that needs restructuring.

American youth have more pressure to get a good education than ever before, but at what price? The cost of education is at an all time high and rising every year. Many Americans are struggling with a large amount of student loan debt weather they graduated with a degree or not. The only way to secure the future of students today is to invest in the students themselves rather than investing their money into the corporate market. By preparing students for higher education and providing financial resources students will have the knowledge to deal with student loans and the debt they may be accruing while in school.