When discussing further education for a high school graduate, attending a university is very costly. The use of federal loans became dependent on most American families that try to provide such an education to their child. Before World War II, academically advanced students from families that were unable to finance college could apply for competitive scholarships; Scholarships mutated into “financial aid” when the GI Bill of Rights financed college for the discharged veterans (Toby, 2010). Since then, student loan debt has surpassed $1 trillion, which is larger than debt accumulated from both credit cards and auto purchases (Student Loan Debt No Longer Just Problem for Borrowers, 2012). With the increasing amount of loans and the uprising cost of college, students fall farther into student debt every year. Whether it is at fault of the university, the poor economy, or the aid programs in general, students should not be required to pay back their federal student loans before finding a steady job in their field of study.
Fault at the University Attending college after high school has become almost a necessity for finding employment in this day and age. The average university, whether it be public or private, is charging an exceedingly amount of money for enrollment, causing the student’s debt to increase.
Tuition and fees have risen 26 percent during the past ten years at private four-year colleges, 47 percent at public two-year colleges, and 66 percent at public four-year
While this is often true, it can create problems when a student does not have the money to pay for a quality education. The cost of college has risen an estimated 250-500% over the last 30 years while consumer price index has only increased by 115 percent during the same time frame (White, 2015; Eskow, 2014). The amount of student loan debt is increasing, along with the cost of college. The income of many young people today cannot keep up with the rising costs of college education and housing. Part of the problem with student loan debt begins when students choose to attend a college that exceeds their financial resources and rely on federal student loans as well as private student loans to make up the difference. Eskow found that even public colleges and universities are becoming difficult to pay for without taking out student loans often averaging $30,000 for tuition, room, and board (2014). Since many people do not have enough money to cover college education expenses, they rely on student loans, both federal and private, to fill the gap. Financial advisor Ramsey stated that often the loans students take out pay “for an off-campus standard of living, and no debt was needed to get the degree” (2013). “The Project on Student Debt reported in 2013 over ⅔ graduating seniors were leaving school with student loans” averaging approximately $28,400 (White, 2015). Taking on almost $30,000 in debt before even starting a career can have a significant impact. It can force people to get a job just to pay off the student loans, not based on what they got an education for prepared for or what they studied. This also can cause a setback in future plans, having to delay many adult milestones due to lack of
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
With the ever-increasing tuition and ever-tighten federal student aid, the number of students relying on student loan to fund a college education hits a historical peak. According to a survey conducted by an independent and nonprofit organization, two-thirds of college seniors graduated with loans in 2010, and each of them carried an average of $25,250 in debt. (Reed et. al., par. 2). My research question will focus on the profound effect of education debt on American college graduates’ lives, and my thesis statement will concentrate on the view that the education policymakers should improve financial aid programs and minimize the risks and adverse consequences of student loan borrowing.
The United States needs to look to other nations that have figured out the necessity of higher education to be at an affordable cost if not free. In 2015, college graduates are facing on average just north of $35,000 in student debt (Berman). In part, the government has reduced the federal funding that each college receives each year. Therefore, colleges have constantly raised the
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.
After reading about the historic court case of Robert Murphy, an unemployed 65-year-old man fighting to have over $200,000 in student loan debt dismissed through bankruptcy, I began to think “Have I been lied to about my investment in a college education”? Well, the answer is yes; we have all been lied to! Student loan debt is an invisible phantom that follows millions of Americans through their lives. We are told, however, that this invaluable investment is well worth the risk of living in financial destitution for the rest our lives. The truth is it creates even more hardships on Americans in the form of debt. I and millions of others are tired of the lies! If college is going to continuously be America’s golden standard for economic advancement, our next leader needs to fix the affordability of the higher education system and the debt that burdens Americans once and for all.
In recent decades, student loan debt has increased dramatically causing a so-called, “education bubble”. This ‘education bubble’ is essentially the ‘housing bubble’ within higher education. The Federal Government, like those in the housing market crash in 2008, are lending money to those who receive a low income and can not afford college. According to The Weekly Standard, “the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reports that during the past decade, student loan debt has nearly tripled and the number of students with debt has risen by 70 percent” (Cochrane). The Federal Government needs to decrease the amount of loans they are giving out in order to prevent another crash within our economy. As a senior in high school who will not be receiving
Colleges are noticing a drop in students’ interest in a higher education, because it forces them to fall into poverty. Obtaining a higher education is a dream of many working class citizens, but the price to go to a choice college is not available economically. The majority of students use some type of student loan, they have become the norm for attending college (Johnston, Roten 24). College is becoming unaffordable to many lower class students. With tuition prices this high, students are backing out of school and looking for jobs that only require a high school diploma. Student loans should help people, but it is only hurting them because they feel like they can never repay it. Especially since student debt continues to rise. “Student loan debt rose by 328 percent from $241 million in 2003 to $1.08 trillion in 2013, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York” (Johnston, Roten 25).
Student loan debt in the United States is expanding unrestricted each year. There are 36 million Americans today, holding over $740 billion dollars in student loan debt. (U.S. 2013) The current student loan system is intended to open doors to economic prosperity for those who could not otherwise afford to go to college. Research suggests that the unintended consequence of too much available student credit is real people losing prosperity and languishing in debt for extended periods of their lives. Reducing or eliminating the availability of student loans would have a tremendous impact on improving the lives of Americans. If things continue the way they are now, American’s will soon find college, and its implied ticket to economic
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.
Families are now aiming low when it comes to college- or are simply not going at all. Money could play a huge part in this decision- after all, the cost of college has skyrocketed over the years, and so has the amount of student loan debt. This is something even Leonhardt admits, stating that, because of this, only about 33 percent of young adults get a four-year college degree today, while another 10 percent receive a two-year degree (Leonhardt). And even though many colleges offer financial aid packages, that money may soon be cut and the cost of college will continue to grow. It is true that, in my personal experience, just because a student is awarded financial aid does not mean they have a golden ticket to University. This leaves many desperate students the only option of taking out as many loans as they think they can handle- often more than they should. Debt is not a new issue for America, but it is still a problem. Although David Autor, an M.I.T. economist, laments: “not sending [young adults] to college would be a disaster”, no one can ignore the rising rates of loan defaults, and some think it
Currently, higher education is highly valued as a step in achieving success and earnings potential, but attaining a degree comes at a high cost. Although a very valued asset, the cost to attain a college degree for most students includes getting loans, grants from the government, and sometimes even private loans. Most of these loans come at a high price for students as the interest structure for most student loans is crippling. In fact, a December 2016 report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York shows that outstanding student loan balances at $1.3 trillion, an increase of $31billion from the previous report in 2015 ("Quarterly
The cost of tuition for higher education is quickly rising. Over half of college freshmen show some concern with how to pay for college. This is the highest this number has been since 1971 (Marill and O’Leary 64-66, 93). The amount of college graduate debt has been rapidly increasing also. With limited jobs available because of the high unemployment rate, college graduates find themselves staying in debt even longer. Although grants and financial aid are available to students, students still struggle to pay for their college tuition. Higher education costs are prohibitively expensive because the state’s revenue is low, the unemployment rate is high, and graduates cannot pay off their student loans.
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.
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.