Should the U.S. government limit tuition increases at colleges and universities? Marleen Clapp, a doctorate holder in higher education administration from Boston believes “In many aspects, a four-year college degree has essentially replaced the high school diploma as the necessary preparation for a career in the modern information economy. Higher-order skills, including critical- and creative-thinking abilities, are often required to compete globally” (Driscoll, Clapp). In this day in age, a high school diploma can only get an individual so far. The importance of college in the United States has been continually growing. While the importance of getting a higher education has grown, college tuition prices have risen as well. Between the fiscal years of 2008 and 2014 the cost of college tuition has skyrocketed in multiple states. Arizona saw an increase of 80.6%, Nevada with 44%, California with 62.4% Minnesota with 19.5%, and Maryland with the lowest of 3.1%. The United States average increase of college tuition for the fiscal years of 2008 and 2014 was 28.2%. The reason for the increases in college tuition come from the recessions the country has experienced. When there is a recession, the funding is cut for the universities causing them to either cut services or raise tuition prices. Tyler Durden, author of “The Shocking Increase of College Tuition By State” explains, “Today, tuition revenue now outweighs government funding for higher education in 23 states-asking students and families to shoulder higher education costs by a ratio of at least 2-to-1”. Basically, college students are making up for the education cuts with their tuition (Durden). The issue of college tuition increases affects all students out of high sch... ... middle of paper ... ...Journal Congressional Connection Poll, May 3 2012. Web. 13 2014 Jacobs, W.E. McMahon, Maureen. “Counterpoint: Free College Education Is Poorly Matched With The Needs Of The Students Or The Economy.” Points Of View: Free College Tuition (2013): 3. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 5 May 2014. Kingsley, D.S. Vance, Noelle. “Point: Public College Tuition Should Be Free, Just Like High School.” Points Of View: Free College Tuition (2013): 2. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 5 May 2014. “Republican Views on Education.” Republican Views.org. n.p., 3 Apr 2014. Web. 13 May 2014. Saad, Lydia. "Young Adults Cite College Costs as Their Top Money Problem." Young Adults Cite College Costs as Their Top Money Problem. Gallup, n.d. Web. 13 May 2014. “The Democratic Party Platform.” Democrats.org. n.p., 2012. Web. 13 May 2014.
American’s education system has been entering crisis mode for a long time. Throughout the past few years, the overwhelming question “Is college needed or worth it?” While it is an opinion, there are facts that back up each answer. Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” mentions that the enlightened must help the unenlightened and further their knowledge. The problem with America today is that high school students are given the option of college and that makes for less enlightened people. While it is possible to learn in the work force or Army, college is a better option. Mary Daly wrote the article “Is It Still Worth Going to College?” which talks about the statistical value of attending. Michelle Adam wrote the article “Is College Worth It?” which mentions the struggle young people are going through to even get into college. Caroline Bird wrote the chapter “Where College Fails Us” in her book The Case Against College where she
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.
Rep. Dick Zimmer predicts that at the current rate of rising college costs, by the year 2000 the average price tag for attending a four-year public university will be over $50,000 and the average four-year cost at a private university will exceed $104,000. (College costs continue to climb, 14) During the years between 1970 and 1994, the consumer price index increased just under four times, but the average cost of tuition, room, and board at four-year public colleges went up nearly five times, and private college costs rose almost seven times, from just under $3,000 to over $20,000. According to the U.S. News Cost of College Index, the average middle-class worker must now labor 95 days to pay for a year at an average private college. Two decades ago, it took slightly more than half as long to pay for the same education. (Elfin, 90) By 1994, the average four-year cost at a private college was over three times the typical family's annual income. (Reiland, 59) However, The College Board recently announced that US college tuition and fees for 1996-97 increased at nearly the same rate as they had in the previous year, adding that the more than $50...
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...
A high school education is no longer sufficient to succeed in America’s increasingly complex economy. However, because of the high price point of a college education, far too many Americans are unable to afford education beyond high school. As shown in the graph below, the higher level of education received greatly increases the chances for employment and also dramatically increases the average salary potential of an individual.
backgrounds, is greater than ever, access and opportunity in American higher education is more complex and a lot less optimistic. Also, the majority of jobs requiring a college education doubled over the past 40 years (Carnevale, Smith, Strohl, 2010). While half of all people from high-income families have a bachelor’s degree by age 25, just
The price of colleges in America; whether it is a four-year school or community college, has been viewed as a major issue to millions of citizens. Numerous people have argued that an education should not cost thousands of dollars. Some have even stated that college in general should be free. Although this may seem like an amazing idea, it could actually have negative effects that people may not have thoroughly considered. As simple as an education may seem, students and parents in America must pay their way through college; for nothing is free in life. In order to keep this country functioning in a proper way, community colleges in America should not be free.
As McArdle points out, the cost for a college education has gone up over the years, leaving students in debt. I agree with this statement, because a college education was more affordable years ago and now it has doubled it’s cost. According to the article, McArdle states “The average price of all goods and services has risen about 50 percent. But the price of a college
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...
This requires colleges and universities to raise tuition to students to cover the spread. The interesting fact is that, per Belkin, “Universities are not spending more money educating students than they have in the past.” With this two things are known so far; the first is that the government has reduced its funding per student and that the cost to educate each student has not risen. Dr. Fichtenbaum is referenced in the article, “How to get College Tuition Under Control” by Douglas Belkin in which he says, “Between 1987 and 2012, in real dollars, government support has declined from $8,497 to $5,906 per student.” To put the cost of tuition in perspective Roger Fillion, who wrote the article “Tackling Tuition,” also talks about how tuition has increased by 722% since 1983 while the next closest comparison is healthcare cost which have increased by 356% since 1983 (17-19). Douglas Belkin also points out the fact that states are covering less of colleges operating costs which must be paid for somehow. Therefore, the increase in tuition must be coming from other sources. In the same article, Dr. Fichtenbaum talks about what has caused college tuition to rise. The reason that many people state
A college education has become the expectation for most youth in the United States. Children need a college education to succeed in the global economy. Unfortunately for the majority of Americans the price of an education has become the equivalent to a small house. The steep tuition of a college education has made it an intimidating financial hurdle for middle class families. In 1986-1987 school year the average tuition at a private university was $20,566 (adjusted to 2011 dollars) while in 2011 the average cost was $28,500 for an increase of 38.6%. Similarly in public universities there has been an increase in tuition: in the 1986-1987 school year the average tuition at a public university was $8,454 (adjusted to 2011 dollars) while in 2011 the average cost was actually $20,770 for an increase of 145.7%. Most families who are able to save for college try to do so, therefore their children are not left with large amounts of debt due to loans. Nevertheless, families are only able to save on average around $10,000, which is not enough to pay for a full educ...
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.
For most young Americans, college has always been preached to them as being a vital part to their success in the adult world; but as they reach this educative rite of passage many find they must take out inflated loans, work part time jobs, or even become dissuaded entirely due to the exorbitant costs of higher education. We must forsake this current antiquated system in favor of government subsidized tuition. Therefore, college education must be free because of its benefit to the economy, creation of equal opportunity, and the resolution of the student loan crisis.
One of the first steps toward college reform is to begin adjusting our tuition rates accordingly. Many college institutions have steadily raised the cost of tuition resulting in many students to have difficulties paying for college across the United States. Tuition rates have been a huge barrier for college undergraduates: "Over the past three decades, tuition at four-year colleges has more than doubled, even after adjusting for inflation" (Fact Sheet). Tuition is steadily increasing, causing college to become more expensive than in previous decades. Instead of helping Americans who have a desire to attend an educational institution, the government is slowly making it harder to attend and pay for college. High Tuition is preventing college undergraduates from obtaining a degree, causing many to be in a financial crisis when taking into account student loans and paying for tuition. Having high inflation rates in the economy is only making it worse and more difficult to get a higher education. The government would undoubtedly want to see improvements in employment rates within the United States, yet when Americans are trying desperately to obtain a degree, they have to deal with the overwhelming, costly tuition rates that have caused many to slow graduation and make college students pile up more debt than necessary. Thus, students often worry about debt
Should the university increase tuition fee? Currently, a debate about whether universities and colleges should increase their tuition fees has drawn a lot of attention and discussion among both the students and the faculty. According to the article, “The Struggle for Public Education in California: Coming Due: Accounting for Debt, Counting on Crisis,” the authors state， “Low income students have on average $2,000 more in debt than others. During the last ten years, average U.S. college tuition has increased about 8 percent (three times the rate of inflation) every year. In the UC system, tuition has increased 300 percent since 2000 '，” That supports, students in the universities or colleges are really hard get the diploma because they can’t afford tuition by themselves or their parents. Especially, government and organization always provide financial support to university and college, they have enough money to support whole university or college work thoroughly. So, university and college should not increase tuition fee.