Why Do Students Go To College?

Although many people are considering student loan debt to be a national crisis, we must understand the reality behind it. Unfortunately not everyone is fortunate enough to make it through college without accumulating debt. In Robin Wilson’s essay, “A Lifetime of Student Debt? Not Likely”, she makes a compelling argument that shows how students get involved with really high debt. She claims, “…the problem among students who go heavily into debt is that they are determined to attend their dream college, no matter what the cost (257).” It is a true statement because students want to turn their dream into a reality. All students can reach their goal of attending a dream college by first choosing a community college in order to decrease the amount of student loans.

In the U.S. students are encouraged to earn a college degree, but the cost of an education turns many away. “Driven by the allure of a decent salary with a college degree, Americans borrowed to go to school. Outstanding student debt doubled from 2005 to 2010, and by 2012 total student debt in the U.S. economy surpassed $1 trillion” (Mian, Sufi 167). There are plenty of opportunities to obtain funds for college, including one of the most common, student loans. A student loan is defined as “a common way to fund education, specifically college and graduate school, and they provide educational opportunities that you otherwise may not be able to afford” (Barr). Student debt is at an all-time high in America. Over half of all lower income

As decades pass by, obtaining a college degree seems more necessary to get a decent job after graduating. Therefore, high school students feel the pressure to get into a good university and to get the highest degree possible, even when they have no plan on how to pay for it. Financial aid has not kept up with growing tuition prices, and taking out student loans seems almost impossible to avoid. According to research, “About 40 million Americans hold student loans and about 70% of bachelor’s degree recipients graduate with debt.” (Market Watch) The U.S currently has a total of 1.3 trillion dollars of outstanding debt. There is a ton of controversy on how to solve this issue, but there are progressive solutions schools and college kids need

Student debt is an increasing problem in the American education system. As the times keep changing one thing becomes clearer and clearer: going to college is becoming less and less of a choice for recently graduated high school students. Unfortunately for us students that also means by the time we graduate we will have thousands of dollars in student loans to pay off when we are trying to start fresh in our new jobs. According to a story reported by the Daily News, approximately 70 percent of college students owe around 30,000 dollars by the time they graduate. This number

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

Over the years, the cost of college has hastily increased and the students of this time face a lot of prices to pay; the main two expenses to pay include tuition and living. According to an article by Laitinen, “more than two-thirds of students graduate with debt. And the average amount of debt owed is about $30,000.” (“College Credit? Kill that”) This means that the average person who attends college--whether it be a community, public four-year, or private four-year school—graduates with $30,000 in debt. The amount of debt that these students have when graduating from school is highly important because not only is it debt in general, but it also contributes to future issues the students may have in their financial lives. For example, “…an

Over the years, the cost of college has hastily increased and the students of this time face a lot of prices to pay; the main two expenses to pay include tuition and living. According to an article by Laitinen, “more than two-thirds of students graduate with debt. And the average amount of debt owed is about $30,000.” (“College Credit? Kill that”) This means that the average person who attends college--whether it be a community, public four-year, or private four-year school—graduates with $30,000 in debt. The amount of debt that these students have when graduating from school is highly important because not only is it debt in general, but it also contributes to future issues the students may have in their financial lives. For example, “…an

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

In the United States today, the number of students graduating college with student loan debt is quite astonishing. In the article titled, “How the $1.2 Trillion College Debt Crisis Is Crippling Students, Parents And The Economy”, we will examine and break down the student loan debt crisis by the numbers. Today, almost two-third’s of students graduating college are graduating with an average of $26,000 in debt. For most students, $26,000 is a lot of money when the average annual income for a first year graduate is only in the mid $40,000 a year range. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, student loan debt has reached a new milestone, crossing the $1.2 trillion mark (Denhart, 2013, Introduction, par. 2). With student loan debt levels

The necessity of college is an important idea many students across the nation must consider, and for good reason. Opponents of this idea will argue that the price is too much to justify. According to studentloanhero.com, the average student in 2016 graduated with over 30,000 dollars of student loan debt, and it’s no easy feat to repay such debt back. Is the sky high price worth the high reward? College is well worth the price because one with a college degree is more likely to have employer provided benefits, makes thousands more per year, and is more likely to get a career of their choice.

The combination of inadequately paying work together with great outstanding loans limits college graduates from participating fully in society as adults. For instance, indicators of adulthood and full participation include a stable career, a long term relationship, family, a home, retirement savings, and owning material necessities such as a vehicle. When we take into account all of the burdens that tens of thousands of dollars of student loans, it is apparent that this debt impacts just about every aspect of life for graduates. One study by American Student Assistant (ASA) found that around a quarter of student loan debtors have difficulty buying daily necessities because of student loans, while over half indicated that their debt disallows them to make larger purchases like a car, and three quarters of respondents said that they were putting off savings for retirement because of their loans (Life Delayed… 3). Further, almost half reported that student debt has delayed their decision to start a family (Life Delayed…3). From the normal day to day to the largest and most important aspects of life such as starting a family, student loan debt is oppressively bearing down on graduates.

A college degree is the trajectory to the growing jobs in today’s economic and global society. The future competitive job market will require workers to have earned more than a high school diploma. A college education is the only path to preparing graduates to meet the future demands in the labor market. This outlook puts tremendous pressure on high school graduates to attend college. With the rising costs of tuition, lack of financial assistance, and the reduction in state and local support of institution, students and families will be left with the responsibility to fund their own college education. This dilemma will leave countless students wondering if they should attend college, and if college is worth the debt? Before making a decision, students should research the costs, institutions, potential majors, financial aid, and future labor earnings. These are some of the factors that should be considered when examining whether or not a college education is worth the time and debt. The more informed students are about the costs of college, the more apt they are to make the best decision. Oreopouls and Petronijevic (2013), conceded that students who are well informed about postsecondary education are able to make the right decision about their college education. The federal government finances 90% of student loans in the United States. Have you ever wondered why? Well, they back these loans because, the more educated a society, then the less crime and health

Everyone has heard the horror stories of people who graduated college, paying extreme sums of their student debt till the day they die. Nevertheless, paying for higher education is another aspect that is expected when seeking a college degree, and numerous cannot afford to pay the cost of pursuing higher education; for a certain mass of people, it is not a logical choice to attend college. In the article,”Why I’m telling some of my students not to go to college”, author Jillian Gordon argues, “But with student loan debt reaching an all-time high of $1.2 trillion (surpassing credit card debt), and little research to support that the investment is worth it, I am cheating my students by not encouraging them to make the best choice for themselves.

“Seven in 10 seniors (69%) who graduated from public and nonprofit colleges in 2014 had student loan debt, with an average of $28,950 per borrower. Over the last decade—from 2004 to 2014—the share of graduates with debt rose modestly (from 65% to 69%) while average debt at graduation rose at more than twice the rate of inflation” (2014).

Your whole life you are constantly told to do everything you can to stay out of debt, then when you turn about 18 debt is what you are “supposed” to go into, according to the majority of America. For years teenagers have constantly been nagged about enrolling to college after their senior year of high school. But is that really the right decision? Is going into that much debt the best option for everyone? In NPR, Money Magazine, and The Washington Times newspaper, the question “Is college worth the cost?” has frequently been covered and supported with the use of logos, pathos, ethos, and hidden fallacies. After analyzing the articles, “When College Isn’t Worth It”, “Is College Worth the Cost?”, and “Is