Technology Will Reduce Student Debt In Higher Education

Technology has changed the way society learns, it has introduced the virtual classroom as a new method of learning away from class. Distance learning has become more and more popular and has been adopted as a preferred method of learning among many students. It is a less expensive alternative for the traditional in-class method to receive higher education. Technology has made learning flexible to provide higher education to accommodate individuals with busy schedules. Along with online learning, technology has completely changed they way traditional classrooms function. Students can use computers, cellphones and tablets to read books and utilize websites such as khan academy to relearn missed concepts and lessons. The use of online learning

Student debt is a large problem that takes many years to pay off. What would the solution to student debt be? Many would say that the only way to live without drowning in student debt would be to drop out of college. But the emphasize put on higher education by society, with many people saying, “if you don’t obtain a degree you won’t succeed,” will keep them from doing so. So no, dropping out of college isn’t a great solution. But a new method of learning, brought by technology, might be – online learning. James Honan, a lecturer at Harvard, addresses the fact that student debt is a problem by stating, “The growth in […] student debt levels has been of great concern […] to the federal government” (Long 2013). Honan also states, “there is a gigantic push toward online resources […] to reduce the cost of traditional higher education” (Long 2013). The state and federal governments recognize the growing costs of higher education and now look towards technology to digitalize the education system to make its more affordable. The use of online learning is a great solution to put into play to reduce tuition costs. Aaron Bady, a postdoctoral fellow, acknowledges the low costs of online learning since online classes can be reusable and don’t require the “hiring of academic faculty” to teach the