Increasing College Tuition

Over the past few decades the cost of tuition has skyrocketed and turned into something that parents and students all across the nation fear to pay every year due to the fact that it is so expensive. “According to the U.S. Department of Education, the average annual tuition, fees and room and board at a public college or university in 1964-65 — the first year for which there’s data — was $6,592, in 2011 dollars. By 2010-2011, that had increased to $13,297 -- a 101.7 percent increase. The increase for private schools was even more dramatic. Average tuition, fees and room and board in 1964-65 was $13,233 a year; in 2010-2011, it was $31,395, an 137.2 percent increase (Mathews, 2013).” This 101.7 just goes to show you that tuition is way too high and has been substantially increasing over the past fifty decades, but for what reason?

Not only is the tuition increase making it harder to pay for school, its also influencing students on their future careers. "To repay their debts, students are anticipating the need for immediate and lucrative employment after college so they choose both “practical” and “well-playing” fields of study, resulting in the decline of majors such as philosophy, history, and English literature." By the increasing prices its making the students choose more ordinary jobs that they know they will land in order to pay off their debt.

There are three main reason for the tuition increase, the first being that at public colleges and universities, the story is mostly that states have cut higher education funding, and schools are making up for it with increased tuition. “Public community colleges, the largest category of higher education institution, have seen real, per full-time student spending fall from ...

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Matthews, Dylan. "The three reasons tuition is rising." The Washington Post. Washington Post, 28 Aug 2013. Web. 9 Apr 2014. .

Matthews, Dylan. "Why college is still worth it." The Washington Post. Washington Post, 27 Aug 2013. Web. 9 Apr 2014. .

Matthews, Dylan. "Introducing The Tuition is Too Damn High Series." The Washington Post. Washington Post, 26 Aug 2013. Web. 9 Apr 2014. .

Nathan, Rebekah . My Freshman Year. 1. 1. Penguin, 2006.

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