The Cost Of Obtaining A College Degree

Hannah Hampton Mr. Schmitt English 1001 1 December 2011 “The writing in this essay is my own work. If I have used outside sources, I have acknowledged them through correct documentation.” Student Loans Today college tuition prices are rising. Paying for college can often be a stressful responsibility. A college education is very important for many

Over the past decade, it has become evident to the students of the United States that in order to attain a well paying job they must seek a higher education. The higher education, usually a college or university, is practically required in order to succeed. To be able to attend

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.

Most people would agree that getting a degree would make life easier as opposed to ending education with a high school diploma. With the shortage of career opportunities, jobs are becoming more competitive and most require higher education. College has become necessary and so consequently, it has become more expensive. While loans have made it possible for nearly anyone to attend college, because they are given too easily, the costs of college has increased even more. A cycle of giving loans and raising tuition is created and as a result college students are burdened with a colossal amount of debt. The issues of student debt go beyond affecting graduates’ lives and begin to cripple many areas of the economy, as well as hinder forward mobility.

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

College students across the nation suppress a shudder when the phrase is uttered. They try to push it to the back of their mind, to save the problem for another day. Sadly, it cannot be ignored forever. Student loans over the United States have been becoming more frequent and increasing in size for years. According to M. Swig, Hickey, and S. Swig, there are now 41 million Americans burdened with having to pay student loans back. While one may question if taking out a student loan in the thousands is worth it, one should consider today 's society. To most people, college is the only option. Parents, families, and neighbors almost force it upon the young adults because they believe it’s the only way for them to be successful. Much of the nation views a higher education as the key component in an individual 's future job, wealth, and therefore general happiness. It is almost to the point where not attending would be comparable to breaking a social norm.

The articles also argue on how the most expensive education is the one that does not lead to a degree. While graduating with high levels of debt, it does more damage to a student that takes on a debt but never graduates. Time after time, students always look for ways to pay for college and try to manage to have good grades in order to stay and graduate. Information and facts support throughout the article on how there needs to be more access and more affordability to students who want higher education opportunities. Reasons that include affordability are either lowering tuition or making college free, having more students in 4 year universities and focusing on the outcome of student entering college for the first

Attending college has benefitted a lot High school encourages students to stay on task and focus on their future. However, there are some students who simply just don’t care about their education and therefore aren’t prepared for college (Leonhardt). College isn't meant for everyone, but there are always substitutes such as community college. Students are able to take their time and “will have the opportunity to explore interests that [they] might not have otherwise pursued” (“The Pros and Cons Of Community Colleges”). High school graduates are able to get back on track and start thinking about passing their classes instead of slacking off in community college. Community college is a fresh start for those who didn’t take high school seriously. Another challenge high school graduates face is not being able to afford going to college, so a “share of students are leaving college with a substantial debt burden, and among those who do, about half (48%) say that paying off that debt made it harder to pay other bills; a quarter say it has made it harder to buy a home (25%); and about a quarter say it has had an impact on their career choices (24%)” (“Is College Worth It?”). The author identifies that these factors make college education a dangerous investment. Going to college causes many students to be in debt making it hard for them to live on their own or

How would you feel if money were no object when it comes to obtaining something you really want, and know it will be of great benefit to you in exchange? In fact, what if I told you that a post secondary education can be of no cost to you or your parents, meaning no high interest rates, or additional fees to pay back. All you need is the desire to better your circumstances. No loan applications and debt required! Well, I wish that had been offered this proposition before graduating high school, and not worry about whether or not my parents could afford to send me to a traditional 4-year college. We are all currently sitting in this classroom to satisfy one of many required courses in hopes to obtain a diploma in return. Some may even be looking to transfer into a 4-year college or university. Unfortunately, the cost of college education is expensive and for many is a deterrent, and loans do not make it any more enticing. The burden in repaying student loans is enough to discourage many from ever stepping foot into a college classroom. However, as demands to fill high-paying positions in the job market increases, many are going vacant as most require college degrees. For many Americans today, high costs of colleges make it difficult to consider. Today I would like to talk about first, the problems of high costs in post secondary education, second, how this proposal has been a debate, especially among recent presidential hopefuls, and finally how a community with tuition-free

The average college student will graduate with 37,173 dollars’ worth of debt and 40 percent of college students will drop out. (Cite should everyone go to college) Despite this, higher education typically allows an individual to follow their passion and make a living off it. In addition, college provides an intrinsic value that enlightens the individual. Although higher education requires a large investment that may not return its original value, I contend that this investment provides one the ability to typically earn significantly more money and pursue their passion.

Recent college graduates who are working full-time earn about $15,000 more annually than their peers, who have only a high school diploma. Jobs that only require a high school diploma or GED will not pay as much as the jobs requiring employees to have a bachelor or even higher, so graduating college with a degree is almost required in today’s society. Consequently, students are forced to choose the lesser of two evils: pay the great price to go to college with the possibility of suffering an enormous amount of student debt, or earn far less over a lifetime and undergo a greater likelihood of being unemployed for long periods, without the prospect of finding a reliable job. When looking at the two options, college still seems to always win because despite the recent struggles of college graduates, investing your time in a college degree may be more

There is no doubt that the cost of attending college has rapidly increasing in the last few decades. The average cost of attending a top college is approaching a quarter of a million dollars. Phil Izzo (2014) analyze data of college graduate class of 2014 and found that the average 2014 graduate with student loans will have to pay back around $33,000. Even after taking inflation into account, that is nearly double the amount from twenty years ago. As the price tag rise and average salaries downgrade, forty millions Americans with student loan will most likely not be able to repay their debt. Moreover, the cost of university per undergraduate has aroused by almost five times since 1983; while on the other hand, graduate salaries have been level

Imagine after working hard the past four years of your life at college you graduate. You are faced with the realization that the next 10 years of your life you'll be faced with paying off all of your college debt. You will hardly have any income at all. Students may decide college is not worth it because the debts are huge and difficult for a young adult to pay off. Also, it is very possible for a determined high school graduate to get a quality job to support themself without the expensive fees of attending a college. Therefore, students should rethinks their goal of getting into a quality college because attending college is not worth it.

Tuition on the Rise: A Cause of Turmoil Today colleges are growing more and more necessary for attaining a solid path towards a successful career, yet the rapidly increasing cost of tuition is driving students away from their dream of attending college, due to the preposterous amount of money that is now being demanded by colleges across the nation and world as a whole. It is sad to see students being turned away from a successful future due to the money-hungry nature of the universities that dot the globe. More and more impossible it is becoming to have a “rags-to-riches” scenario that used to highlight the American Dream, as if a student doesn’t have the riches to afford a higher education and the tuition that is drug upon its coattails, then our society is doomed to be clothed in rags forever, unless major changes are brought about to restructure and end the indefatigable growth of tuition rates across the board.

The cost of education after high school is constantly increasing as years go by and has some people question, “Is this degree even worth it?” The debt of many former college students who payed their own way, follows them for the rest of their lives. It’s like an annoying nuisance