My middle daughter came home in the 9th grade, crying because her teacher was unhappy with her. Why was the teacher unhappy? Because my 14-year-old daughter did not know what she what she planned to major in when she went to college. What the heck? I was (at the time) 38-years-old and didn 't know what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. How on earth is a 14-year-old supposed to know that? Three years later she came home angry (progress, I think) because her counselor was pushing her towards a $38,000 a year college, rather than the $11,000 a year college that she had chosen. Because she felt that her counselor was not terribly bright, she did the math for him. The $38,000 a year college had offered her an $18,000 a year scholarship, …show more content…
We made too much money to qualify for any sort of help - such as college grants - but way too little money to pay for three kids to go to college. And I do not believe that any parent should be paying their children 's college debts until they are ready to retire. How the heck is that an investment for us? Anyway - back to my daughter 's venting. "You can 't believe how many of my friends are jumping into these high-dollar schools! And their parents aren 't any better off than you and dad! How the heck are they going to pay for that? Do they know something that I don 't?" So here 's the thing. My daughter - much like her older sister, and her younger sister to follow - would have dearly loved to attend one of the more expensive colleges. Lovely campuses, smaller class sizes - and they could have lived in the dorms, rather than commuting to save some money. I could not, in all good conscience, encourage this. That money, the seemingly magical student loan, has to be repaid. I do not know why so many children and their parents alike do not seem to grasp that concept. So now daughter #1 is 23. She, much like her younger sister, kept her student debt to an absolute dull roar. Most of her friends, on the other hand, did not. And now she 's seeing the benefit. Her friends are crying the 'how the heck am I supposed to pay all that back? ' blues. Their four-year degrees, in many instances, do not
Earning an education could cost you for your entire life, especially if you do not apply for the various types of financial aid. After earning their degree, several students do not earn enough money with the field they have chosen to pay off their debt, making the degree seem pointless. Families that pay for their children’s tuition often wonder, like Linda Lee, if their child is getting what they pay for. Parents pay for the tuition because they do not want their children to miss out on the “college experience.” However, when their child fails to make the right decisions or simply acts their age, it leaves the family wondering if they have made a
Going to college may get students an education, but may cause their parents or legal guardians to lose everything they have worked for in the process. While trying to stay up to date with their student loans, they may fall behind on all their other bills. You may even lose your home because “you cannot make your mortgage payments for fear of missing a student loan payment or two” (Beauchamp and Cooper 539). They apply so much pressure on how it is important to pay off your loans that “you struggle to make your car
As a mother of four, a large number of the social problems described in the text can and does directly relate to myself, as well as, my family especially regarding the matter of education. However, the problem directly affecting my family and I is the emerging social problem of rising student loan debt. Student loan debt is a problem that has begun to seep into the very mainstream of society as more and more individuals attend college, especially those with great financial needs. Personally, I am lucky to say that I do not need to borrow money to attend IRSC which has been a major blessing that has allowed me to better my education. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about my husband, who graduated from Florida State University with student loan debts around $30,000 dollars. $30,000 dollars is a relatively average amount, according the Institute for College Access and Success(TICAS) 70% of college students graduate with student loan debt, with an average of $28,950. While this amount is overall average in our society, combined with the costs of raising four children, as well as, having only one working family member who makes a relatively low salary as a school teacher, it puts significant financial strain on my family. Rising student loan debt just doesn’t affect my family and I, it affects millions of Americans, especially those who are poor and cannot afford college. Rising student loan debt is a societal problem that is hampering millions of young Americans
When I was a freshman in high school, my parents sat me down in the living room and told me that if I wanted to go to college, I’d have to pay for it myself. Our financial difficulties were large enough to merit the statement. My step-dad was hardly able to work anymore because of health problems from a career in manufacturing. My mom also suffered in the over-saturated market for dental hygienists in Mesa—she was recently fired from a corporate office for refusing to sell unnecessary treatments to patients, and could only find a job in an office run by an abusive dentist who screamed at his employees and who even threw a computer at an assistant at one point. My mom needed to leave the office, but nobody knew if she would find work anywhere
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
Many families have been left with few options due to the enormous obstacle placed before them. These problems have deterred many aspiring college graduates, some are left too afraid of the price tag associated with higher education to complete their education. And for some even begin it. Good paying careers are the major push for college education however, "The bar is getting higher for well-paid jobs, with most requiring a college degree..." (Biola and Rodriguez 5-6 ). This leaves America's youth with a decision that should not be as hard to make as it actually is. Is the risk of staggering debt in their future really worth it when they have seen others before them struggle to find good work even with a degree? With all of the talk of high tuition up to the national level many critics have decided to add their two cents into the debate. In "Democrats' loose talk on student loans", the author points out that, "44percent of students at two- and four-year institutions do not borrow at all," (paragraph 2) While this is a factual statement, having 44% of college students not borrowing money is nothing to sneeze at. Despite the fact that the number is smaller than what one would normally expect it does not make the effect of student debt any less important or devastating in some extreme situations. The author continues by stating, "And of those who do, 59percent borrow less than
Deborah Caldwell shares her emotional experiences with the college education system in her essay “My Son Was Accepted to a College He Can’t Afford. Now What?” that I hope will not reflect my own. I am a High School Senior who is planning to attend college in the upcoming term, going through the selection process just as Caldwell describes. Just like my mother, She takes pride in the achievements of her children and is proud they are accepted to prestigious schools for all their hard work. I see my family through her experiences as the year unfolds and I apply for federal aid. Just like many other middle class families, we are neither rich enough to afford university tuition without aid nor poor enough to qualify for government assistance programs.
Of all of the hardships facing college students in this day and age, debt one of the greatest. There is a trillion-dollar debt that United States' students are drowning in, and it has become not only a burden on the shoulders of those who have the debt, but in fact, every taxpayer in this country suffers because of this debt. We, as a county, have created the concept of "free money," specifically when talking about loans, credit cards, etc. Without immediate consequences, it is not an immediate threat to those who obtain it. This "free money" can be directly attributed to inflation and a rise in the price of a collegiate education. My parents, who graduated from college in 2001, are still agonized with paying off their collegiate debt. I do
According to Miller,“the latest estimates of average student debt are $29,400” (qtd in Elliot). When people see the debt from college students they automatically assume college wasn’t worth it. But some are not aware of the possibilities of scholarships, and grants that are available. Some of these a philanthropies do require high grades and hard work, but how else will you survive college? There are opportunities available to help pay for college. In a statement by Campaign and Hossler,“student loans may help facilitate middle- and upper-income white students’ ability to attend more expensive four-year college then they could otherwise afford” (qtd in Elliot). This proves if one researches and tries to look for scholarships and grants, help can be offered to cut your college costs and prevent a massive debt from
Statistics exhibit that majority of people are unable to pay for their further education. Pew Social and Demographic Trends state, “A majority of Americans (57%) say the higher education system in the United States fails to provide students with a good value for the money they and their families spend.” Tuition rates for colleges hyperbolizes its values comparatively to the money families spend. It also proclaims, “An even larger majority- 75%- says college is too expensive for most Americans to afford.” College snatch away the money of American families at a value too high and too much for the average family to spend. Not only does college seize the money many family don’t have to begin with, but it forces families to go into debt. Working extreme hours and trying to pay for college wearies the family’s way of living. According to Pew Social and Demographic Trends, “A record share of students are leaving college with a substantial debt burden… about half say that paying off that debt made it harder to pay other bills… about a quarter say it has had an impact on their career choices.” Debts triggers a person to change their profession and causes hardships to their life in the future. High tuition rates and debts stir students away from college and jobs that they truly want. College acquire families money at an
up. One of the reasons is that parents don’t really look into making a college fund. Most
Growing up, it is easy to imagine the future playing out something like this: attend college, score that dream job, get rich, get married, have kids, and live happily ever after. It all sounds pretty familiar, however many young adults find that life does not always happen so simply. There are horror stories everywhere. Students graduate, fail to find a job in their field as they expected, and are left feeling hopeless as their credit card and loan bills pile sky high. Take Paige Nichols for example. Paige grew up in a family that was well-off financially. Her parents were able to pay for her two younger siblings’ college educations and, like many middle class children, she was used to getting what she wanted. However, by the time it was her turn to go to college, her parents’ financial situation had gone downhill and she was left to pay for her education by herself. After four years she graduated with a business degree and $20,000 in debt to go with it. Her payment plan was set at $300 per month, and although she had jobs, she was used to living frivolously, and therefore only made the bare minimum payment of $50 most months. This left her in a position where she would remain in debt until she was 50 years old. A few years after graduating with her bachelor’s, she considered going back for her master’s in forensic psychology, something she had grown very fond of. However, since she was already inundated with student debt and could not afford to spend an extra
In the article "College cost are out of control," Jessica Dickler (2016) examines how college tuition costs have risen in the last decade. A higher form of education is the second tremendous expense an individual will choose to make in their lifespan right after buying a residence. The justification they use for college fees, raising is the profuseness of graduates who lend money that discourages colleges and universities from not raising the cost. More families have had to rely on loans and scholarships to get their family members through school. Financial aid has covered 34 percent of tuition cost in the last years, with the second being progenitors who have had to take money out of their income or savings to help cover the cost. Furthermore,
Students from all over the United States are told all through their life that they need to attend college if they ever want to be successful, however, this is far from the truth. Often schools are culprits for driving students to attend money driven colleges, in other cases it is family. While schools all too often make the push on students to continue their schooling, parents can cause the same situation, as they may not have a degree and be working a low-paying factory job. Now kids already don’t want to be like their parents when they get older, so seeing them suffer in poverty or barely above the poverty line can cause some dissatisfaction, further seeking a degree to live a life that they never got. What many
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.