How to Combat the Cost of Rising Higher Education The cost of higher education is on the rise in the United States of America (USA). “Technology tends to unbundle stuff. Look how it’s unbundling television, or how it unbundled the music album. The college degree is a bundle that doesn’t work for everybody and creates unnatural market conditions, which is why college costs consistently rise faster than inflation.” (Newsweek) The cost of higher education tuition is skyrocketing throughout the USA. Imagine being a lower class family, both you and your spouse have fulltime jobs and just one of your children’ wants to pursue a higher education at a university. This is going to cost more than seventy percent of your yearly income, but it’s a gamble that may break the poverty cycle or may end you leaving you worse off. This is the choice that about ninety percent of the population in the USA is forced to contemplate. The struggle is real and the idea of assuming such a huge financial burden causes so many to forgo the pursuit of higher education because of what it will do their families. So what is the impact of not obtaining a college degree? Sadly, by 2020 it is estimated that a lack of a college degree will automatically exclude a person from applying to over sixty percent of jobs. This will also drive a huge wedge into society by polarizing the rich from the poor and creating a larger societal gap. To combat the rising cost of education there are several approaches the USA
lot of dollars for an unemployed family man or woman with little or no income.
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.
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
Throughout every generation the majority of students, who want to acquire a better paying job in the world, all apply to a college of their dreams. The whole of these students know what to expect from college; education, social connections, fundamental understanding of their respective field, as well as the benefit/hope that they will receive their dream job soon after. However, these students also expect to amass an amount of debt once they graduate as this is a common fear amongst college graduates. In spite of such hindrance in their pursuit of a job, the experience from which they accumulated throughout their college life later benefits them in diverse amount of ways.
Nowadays, we are always bombarded with the constant studies that show the economic benefits of going to college. For example, one study suggests that the average earnings gap for a high school graduate and someone with a bachelor’s degree working full time is about $15,000 (Owen and Isabel 210). But, all these sources only focus on the economic benefits and they make it seem that the only way to succeed. However, they don’t mention as much the possible negatives and that it might not be for everyone. The biggest obstacle, especially for the lower class students is the high cost of tuition. Which has caused student loan debt to become the second highest form of debt in the U.S, surpassed only by mortgage debt (Owen and Sawhill 212). Even if the student figures that out then there’s the problem of finishing school. Studies show fewer than 60% of students finish their 4-year degree within 6 years, if they finish at all (Owen and Sawhill 218). Then for those who do obtain their degree there’s the
Looking back on my childhood, I realized a myriad of moments I wouldn't have given a second glance at that age. My thoughts usually tend to gravitate towards my grandparents, both of which were extremely smart, and whether it came to money, clothes, toys, or any other household object, they always put it to multiple uses. On one hand, I believed they were hoarders, but now that I'm able to look back on it, I realize that they caught the very end of the Great Depression, and that they were doing everything in their power to not relive those times. On the other hand, not everyone in my family has made smart decisions with money, so that large amount of advice accumulated over time..
Paying for college should not be the hardest part. Lowering the cost of tuition would lead to less student debt and allow more students to attend college, which would increase the amount of educated people in the general public. Due to the fact that a college degree is necessary for most people to achieve success in today’s society, it should be cheaper or even free. Many entry-level jobs won’t hire people without a degree, and having one gives graduates more options.
There has not been a financial challenge I've faced in my life that amounts to the one that I face as a financially independent college student. In highschool they emphasize the idea of getting accepted into college, but never on how do you stay in college. All my life it has been considered ideal and fairly simple to go to high school, then to college, and from there you’ll be fine. I believed that it would be as simple as getting a plethora of scholarships and grant money. I believed loans,if any, would be easily obtainable and not a big deal. The cost of college is far greater than I could ever imagine. You see, the financial cost is one burden, but let us consider the by products of the financial burden of college. There is the physical cost, the mental cost, the social cost, etc.
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.
Many students yearn to attend college, but the cost of tuition, room and board, and supplies holds them back from attending college, however there's usually a solution that can can somewhat help. After high school many young adults plan on going to college, but the big determining factor is price.
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
In the light of the 21’st centuries arrival, society has turned to look onward to the impact of a supplementary and extensive education for every individual. The overall emphasis on education reform can be seen in the West from Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act revamping education for the youth, the fresh debate over free college tuition that posed a major influence in the 2016 presidential election, and even the average citizens opinion on whether they want their child to go to college or not. However, the price for college tuition has increased immensely and the value of the education itself may be in decline as it has been documented that many college graduates are only making minimum wage. Despite these factors, college is by far worth the cost as wages are considerably higher with a degree, it also prepares one with crucial skills that makes them not only further qualified for jobs but applicable to a wider variety, and more importantly creates skilled individuals necessary for innovation and provides an education that benefits all.
A simultaneous groan can be heard across the country by every college student as a new semester begins. Everyone knows how expensive college can be and a lot of students fresh out of high school don’t have enough money to pay for it. In 1980, when taking into consideration the cost of both private and public universities, the average four year college tuition cost was $23,000 (Melchor). Recently, the average four year cost can be $70,000, and the average debt per student is $27,000 (Melchor). Because of these rising numbers, there has been an increase in research ways to lower these costs. An analysis of raising college tuition reveals one challenge facing college administration and students: finding infallible solutions to lower the cost of
Define the opportunity cost of getting your degree by analyzing what steps and economic factors a potential student must make when choosing to pursue an education. Given your answer, is getting a formal college education worth your opportunity costs? Why?
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.