Higher education debate is a controversial and hot topic for politicians in the United States due to the price associated with higher education in the country. State lawmakers regularly worry about the rising cost of attaining a college degree, and lowering the debt burden to the student. Consequently these issues have been turned into a talking point during the presidential campaign trail. The pressure on the amount of tuition paid has not only been seen from the government but also from the families, which have shown reluctance in paying the high tuition fees. Public universities 'which have attempted to increase the fee' have come under heavy scrutiny despite the reluctance of the state to invest in higher education (Holmwood, 2011).
An article written in 2015, by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities explains that “States cut funding deeply after the recession hit. The average state is spending $1,805, or 20 percent, less per student than it did in the 2007-08 school year” (Mitchell and Leachman). With approximately 20 percent less per student given to educational institutes over the course of time, this will amount to a great deal of money lost and schools will need to adjust accordingly. Unfortunately, one of the ways that educational institutes are working to correct this is by increasing college tuition for students. When you do this, it is much harder for scholars to justify attending institute. Some individuals will argue that you are able to get financial aid. However, this does not turn out to be so for must students. This, again, is a setback in getting an education. An article writing by Michael Mitchell and Michael Leachman states that “In Arizona, published tuition at four-year schools is up more than 80 percent”. With this increase of education, how do students know where the money is being spent. Scholars would like to know that the cost of their education is not being spent incorrectly and are curious as to why the cost of education is increasing when there is no increase for them in the
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, college tuition and relevant fees have increased by 893 percent (“College costs and the CPI”). 893 percent is a very daunting percentage considering that it has surpassed the rise in the costs of Medicare, food, and housing. As America is trying to pull out of a recession, many students are looking for higher education so they can attain a gratified job. However, their vision is being stained by the dreadful rise in college costs. College tuition is rising beyond inflation. Such an immense rise in tuition has many serious implications for students; for example, fewer students are attending private colleges, fewer students are staying enrolled in college, and fewer students are working in the fields in which they majored in.
Johnstone, Bruce. "Investing more equitably and efficiently in higher education, creating value for America." National Dialogue on Student Financial Aid (2003): 6-10. Print.
Since the 1980’s the cost of attending colleges have increased rapidly. Rising costs of for Medicare, highways and prisons have caused many states to reduce a percentage of their budget for higher education. Colleges and Universities currently face a very serious challenge:
Allan and Davis mention the spike of college cost since 1995 has increased by 150 percent; student debt has increased 300 percent since 2003, and with education, second to the mortgage industry in the nation’s debt, America needs to redirect their attention to the future and focus on education (Allan n. pg). Budget cuts from national to state
For the past decade, The United States has stressed the importance of college education, to those seeking employment, and better careers. For most people, college is the logical next step in education, as it provides a working knowledge of a desired field and opens the door to many opportunities, but college has become increasingly more expensive as time goes on. Many people feel that college is no longer an option financially. Even with financial aid and scholarships, the cost of a college education can still be very taxing. This is due to massive price increase across the boards, but the main issue on most people’s minds is the debt that will be acquired from higher education.
Since the 1973-74 school year to the 2008-2009 school year, the price of attending a four-year public or private school has roughly tripled after adjusting for inflation according to College Board. (Update). The current price of college tuition leaves students with many problems in order to receive a college degree which most careers today require. Attending college is part of the “American Dream” and the freedoms that this great country offers but when students can not afford the freedoms we offer, then it becomes a problem. Most college students are left with substantial amounts of debt restricting them from further advancing in their careers after they graduate and the average family can not keep up with the rising costs of education and have to resort to finding other ways to get the desperately needed money. College Tuition--tripling in 40 years, leaving students with large amounts of debt, accounting for 3.3% of the total U.S. gdp-- should be lowered.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2011, the average tuition for just one year at a four-year private university was nearly $33,000. While the median inflation-adjusted household income fell by seven percent between 2006 and 2011, the average real tuition at public four-year colleges increased over that period by eighteen percent (1). To prove how rapidly the cost to attend college rose, researchers compared college tuition to the increasing cost of healthcare. Research showed that college tuition increased at twice the rate of healthcare costs over the past twenty-five years. While college tuition rapidly increased, average income fell, which left families in deeper debt with each upcoming year. High tuition costs make getting a college education unattainable for many low and middle income students. Luckily, thanks to an up-and-coming alternative to the typical college experience, there is now a chance for some of these students to pursue their dreams of higher education.
As stated earlier, the cost of college is too high and it needs to be reduced to a more reasonable amount. It is expected that young adults in this day in age would want to go to college or another post-secondary education school to receive higher learning and to somewhat better their lives. While this is true ...
Lewin, Tamar. "Higher Education May Soon Be Unaffordable for Most Americans, Report Says." The New York Times. The New York Times, 02 Dec. 2008. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
Denhart, Chris. “How the $1.2 Trillion College Debt Crisis is Crippling Students, Parents, and the Economy.” Forbes. 7 Aug. 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
The ability to gain a degree in any field of study is highly important in American society, possessing skills and knowledge over your job emphasizes the significance of higher education. Especially, for job promotions that would cause someone to make more than their fellow colleagues. In our increasingly competitive economic society, having the minimal of a high school diploma is not enough to provide financial stability nor will it help to compete in a workforce in which the best-educated are the ones that are rewarded the most. Therefore, higher education is a crucial necessity in order to move up the socioeconomic ladder and qualify for higher paying jobs. The rising costs of college, however, is making it harder for Americans to obtain
One cause of increased tuition is the reduction of state and federal appropriations to state colleges, causing the institutions to shift the cost over to students in the form of higher tuition. State support for public colleges and universities has fallen by about 26% per full time student since the early 1990s. In 2011 American public universities took in more revenue from tuition than state funding. About 80% of American college students attend public institutions. In a financial bubble, assets like houses are sometimes purchased with a view to reselling at a higher price, and this...
Higher education costs have been increasing at a rapid pace, faster than inflation for the economy as a whole, for the past fifty years. It started in the 1960’s when the federal government passed the Higher Education Act to increase the amount of people able to afford and attend college. Regardless of the Unites States Government efforts to increase the affordability of college, federal aid programs have not risen to expectations due to the ever-increasing college prices. To lower the price of college, the government needs to cut back on student financial spending to go only to the lowest income families and create tax incentives for families to start saving up on their own.