Economic Growth with Student Debt (Analytical Paper)
From the media to the web, people have been deceived with the misconception that student debt is a major issue in our society solely because of those who take out loans to pursue degrees. The statistical data of outstanding student debt is deceiving because it generalizes every debtor rather than categorizing the people based on the different situations they are in. Student debt, in general, is viewed as an issue, but for others, the opportunity cost of student debt may benefit others in an ideal situation than those of other situations, which I will explain further on. Student loan debt accounts for $1.3 trillion of the total debt in the USA, according to The Economists report in 2014,
…show more content…
With individuals who struggle and delay several expenses in their lives, inflation causes the Consumer Price Index to rise due to its rising prices of a particular service. Because inflation for tuition (CPI) rises faster than how much real income can adjust, the graduates expected nominal income would drop with a decreased purchasing power to pay off their outstanding debt. The rapid inflation of college tuition is due to the fact that financial aides have increased, therefore, colleges raise their prices because students will still continue to attend; they know that that the aggregate demand to attend college is rising. Taking advantage of this capitalist economy, colleges know that the US government subsidies college tuition, leading to an increase in tuition prices. To a majority of people in this society, college is becoming a necessity for their future, and it is undeniably difficult for people to make a living with a high school diploma. It may seem ideal that most students are full-time and not in the labor force, but the reality is that adults are working on their college degrees while they are in the labor force (employed or unemployed). “College is largely one of the best investments a young person can make,” (Thompson 2) but “we should worry about the single mother of two, going back to school in her …show more content…
The cost of student debt, in an economic perspective, highlights the crisis of the corruption in student debt, and leaves individuals with less than their expected outcomes. Increased income and a higher standard of living is supposedly the opportunity cost of going to college, but some people end up being afflicted by student loans. They become tormented by debt that will take time to pay off - giving up time and more than they have anticipated. Student debt has not only become a crisis for the economy but for the people who believe that college will help them find a better job.
Bibliography
Abel, Jaison R., and Richard Deitz. “The Value of a College Degree Liberty Street Economics.” Liberty Street Economics, Liberty Street Economics, 2 Sept. 2014, www.libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2014/09/the-value-of-a-college-degree.html.
Berman, Jullian. “New York Fed warns of troubling consequence of rising student loan debt.” Marketwatch, Marketwatch, 1 Aug. 2016, www.marketwatch.com/story/new-york-fed-warns-of-troubling-consequence-of-rising-student-loan-debt-2016-08-01.
Clements, Nick. “The Real Student Loan Crisis: Debt-Fueled Tuition Inflation.” Forbes, Forbes, 8 Aug. 2016,
Martin and Lehren’s article “A Generation Hounded by the Soaring Cost of College” addresses the issue faced by current and former college students dealing with large amounts of debt due to student loans. The article presents the reader with stories of former college students who have either graduated or dropped out, and their struggle to pay off their student loans. The article also talks about issues such as students not being informed about high amounts of student loans and why student debts have increased. Martin and Lehren also make the issue of student debt more intimidating by giving examples of high amounts of student loans students have had. The article gives a very hard reality check to anyone reading as to how bad the problem of student debt is.
Unemployment is on the rise and, always trying to be avoided. By obtaining a degree, the chance of being out of work is reduced. Baum, Ma, & Payea (2013) claim, “The 2012 unemployment rates for 25- to 34-year-olds were 9.6% for those with some college but no degree and 7.2% for those with associate degrees” (p.20). With just an associate's degree, the chance of being unemployed plummets 2.4% compared to those compared to little college, proving when the higher of a degree is obtained, the lower
"Debate on Student Loan Debt Doesn 't Go Far Enough." Applebaum, Robert. Hill (2012). Print.
Many Americans are seeking an ideal presidential candidate for our next election; furthermore, many college students seek a candidate that has their best interest in mind, leading many to focus on Bernie Sanders and his ideas for an affordable education system. In the article, The Myth of the Student Loan Crisis, Nicole Allan and Derek Thomas focus the article on the risky investments of college and questioning the rising debt levels as a national crisis. While Allan and Davis claim the risk of college and mention rising debt levels as a national crisis; however, Allan and Davis use charts to support their stance while avoiding the issues Americans need to focus on, such as the rising cost of college, “justifiable debt”, and the cost of those not contributing to society.
To understand the student debt crisis, one must first understand what caused it and what results from it. College undergraduates use student loans to finance the cost of tuition, room, board, transportation, and personal expenses while attending (Gage and Lorin). Student loans are different from other forms of debt because basic consumer rights like bankruptcy protection don’t apply to students who default on their loans. As a result, students are virtually locked into their debt, offering them little to no ability to refinance it. Solutions to debt problems like consolidation are available to students but that process doesn’t involve shopping for a better deal from competing lenders like it does in other debt areas. Therefore, interest rates often remain high and the loans remain with the original lender (Vanegeren). As Kayla Webley expl...
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.
Today two thirds of college students need to take out loans to pay their tuition. Inflation on college tuition has more t...
Everyone knows that person from high school that just wasn’t cut out for college. It’s not a bad thing by any means, but if you’re thinking about heading off to college like many American teenagers often do, think about this: going to college can be a waste of both your time and your money. I’m not the first to say it, and I sure as hell won’t be the last. In Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill’s essay, Should Everyone Go to College?, the two authors take a strong economic approach to justify going to college. Owen, an ex- senior research assistant at Brookings’ Center on Children and Families and current research associate at the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan center for research on the problems of urban communities, and Sawhill, the co-director of the Center on Children and Families and a senior fellow in economic studies at Brookings, claim that the return on investment (ROI) of a college education is overwhelmingly positive on average; However, they also bring light
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.
Murray, Charles. "Are Too Many People Going to College?" The Journal of the American Enterprise Institute 8 September 2008.
Although a college education grows more and more expensive every year. People begin to question whether college is a good idea to invest in or not. “As college costs continue to rise, students and their families are looking more carefully at what they are getting for their money. Increasingly, they are finding that the college experience falls short of their expectations”(Cooper. H Mary). Many people believe that the cost of a college degree has outstripped the value of a degree.Studies show that a college degree will increase your earning power. A lot of people say that a college degree now is worth what a high school diploma was wor...
The cost of college tuition continues to increase each year. If this keeps increasing the way it has been, students will be indebted the rest of their life. Author of “The Looming Student Loan Crisis”, Jackson Toby states that student loans have increased along with the increase of tuition costs. In 2004, the average unpaid student debt was approximately $18,650...
In an article written by Andrew Lehren, the author provides the bold statement that “the only thing worse than graduating with lots of debt is not going to college at all” (Lehren). In today 's society, many families lack the funds to provide a full ride for their children in terms of college. Due to this fact, many people turn to alternate solutions such as loans or diving straight into the workforce instead of attending college at all. These solutions, however, may greatly affect a person throughout the course of their life. The problem of college debt is increasing rates in regards to tuition, however, fortunately there are various solutions accessible in order to decrease or eliminate the debt that many american students face.
With the ever-increasing tuition and ever-tighten federal student aid, the number of students relying on student loan to fund a college education hits a historical peak. According to a survey conducted by an independent and nonprofit organization, two-thirds of college seniors graduated with loans in 2010, and each of them carried an average of $25,250 in debt. (Reed et. al., par. 2). My research question will focus on the profound effect of education debt on American college graduates’ lives, and my thesis statement will concentrate on the view that the education policymakers should improve financial aid programs and minimize the risks and adverse consequences of student loan borrowing.
In today’s society, the idea of receiving a college education has been pondered quite a bit as to whether or not it is actually worth it. According to Michelle Adam, many people “…today believe that getting a good education is key to success in our society, this revealed surprising issues that challenge the notion of higher education being worth its price tag” (59). Naturally, many high school graduates apply for college right before or after graduation. Others decide to go into the work force, armed forces, or simply remain unemployed. The question that many people debate about is, is a college education worth it in the long run? Though some people believe a college education will benefit ones’ career, others believe it will cause a mass of debt and loans for college students and graduates, and postpone life events.