Essay about College Is Not Worth It: The Fleecing of America's Youth

The towering prices of college tuition is an avid cause for the overwhelming ignorance in America. U.S. leaders once hoped that 60 percent of the U.S. population would have college degrees by 2025. Today in 2017, it is closer to 30 percent. Not only do tuition costs dig deep financial holes in a student’s life, the pressure of making the investment causes unnecessary, avoidable stress. Students around the world flourish without the financial commitment. Students in America- the land of the “free”- need the same financial freedoms and opportunities to thrive and contribute to mankind in the changing world of today.

Colleges have been snowballing into profit making machines throughout the past 15 years. Students wishing to pursue higher education nowadays have to take loans and do everything they can to make minimum payments to try and pay tuition for the college of their choice. The rate of inflation of college tuition has risen immensely as opposed to the stagnant average income for most American households. College has also become more and more crucial to getting jobs and it is predicted that in the near future over two thirds of all jobs will require a college degree. With the need for a college degree increasing at an insurmountable rate the difficulty for finding the funds has also increased at the same rate. Although many believe that colleges

A big question going through the minds’ of high school juniors and seniors is whether or not the cost of rising tuition, living fees, and books is truly worth the degree. The following articles discuss this topic and give specific details, statistics, and real world examples about the cost of college. Many colleges have recently raised their cost of tuition, discouraging many from considering going beyond a high school diploma. But what most people do not realize is the expenses that come with tuition. There are many fees for different classes, depending on what class and major is being pursued, the cost of books, and living expenses such as rent, utilities, transportation and meal cost. All of the

“… A college degree is the surest ticket to the middle class,” says President Barack Obama (10, “College Education”). However, many disagree. Only 44% of people say that college is worth it from a previous 75%. This is understandable because tuition is the highest it has ever been and is still rising; meanwhile, student debt has surpassed $1.2 trillion (4, “Is College Worth”). Is college really worth the money? It depends on many factors such as the student, major, college, and time taken to graduate. But for the average student, it is definitely worth it; in fact, a college degree has never been more valuable because it increases the chances of having better wages and benefits, more job opportunities, and marketable knowledge. Anthony Carnevale from Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce says that ““the only thing worse than going to college is not going to college,” meaning students must decide between risking lower wages and higher chance of unemployment or paying for college (4).

After Robert Zaller explained how the housing market crashed due to a tremendous rise in prices, he said, “Now, looking at the costs of private higher education, typically in the range of $40,000-$50,000 per year, it seems clear that they, too, have become unsustainable” (553). High school students, from their first day of freshman year, are pushed to look into attending a “big” college, which often means the most expensive colleges. The cost of the college is not a top

In The Biggest Misconception About Today’s College Students, Gail O. Mellow discusses the struggles many community college students face: paying for living costs. Students are overworked because they must have a job—sometimes two—and still must study, attend classes, and, in many cases, take care of their family (Mellow). If students are unable to afford food, shelter, and transportation, they must focus on being able to pay for those rather than focusing on schoolwork. With their priorities shifting form academics, many students are unable to succeed in college, and many drop out. Some don’t even apply in the first place, because they feel like they can’t pay the living costs, even if they had scholarships and grants to pay for tuition. The severe lack of academic focus for these students prevents them from receiving the quality of education they deserve, because they don’t have the time for

The cost of American college tuitions are increasing sharply and getting out of control. The victim behind that increment is student who can’t afford paying school tuitions to get a college degree that will help to improve his/her quality of life. According to Sanford J. Ungar “The problem of costs goes beyond

College students all over the country are going through the tuition struggle, and they have every right to be angry about what they have to go through. In nearly 30 years, "tuition increased twice as fast as the overall cost of living” (Larson, 63). Just in the span of 1980 and 1990, the average cost of attending public and private university increased by 109% and 146%, ridiculously. Taking another look at these figures, a direct comparison can be made comparing them to other rises that took place in separate areas during that same given time. An example being the rise in medical care costs which was 117%, the cost of new homes rose to 90%, and the price of a new automobile went up 37%; simultaneously, middle class income only grew by 73% . The few capable of affording these ridiculous prices, are usually capable to afford to ignore them. However, the rest of us struggling individuals are forced to pinch pennies and are haunted by the desire of

There is no escaping the fact that the cost of college tuition continues to rise in the United States each year. To make it worse, having a college degree is no longer an option, but a requirement in today’s society. According to data gathered by the College Board, total costs at public four-year institutions rose more rapidly between 2003-04 and 2013-14 than they did during either of the two preceding decades (Collegeboard.com). Students are pressured to continue into higher education but yet, the increasing costs of books and tuition make us think about twice. Sometimes, some of these students have to leave with their education partially finished, leaving them with crushing debts. It is important to find the means to prevent these

To flourish in America today, the average student will have to go to a high-quality college, earn a degree and land a successful job to eventually support a family. However, success is easier said than done, because all of those steps are vital. The step that many Americans struggle with is affording a high-quality college, not because they aren 't smart or skilled enough, but because Americans cannot pay for the pricy tuition and additional expenses. The rising of college tuition scares many, even though they yearn for a college degree. Two reasons for this struggle are that college costs are taking a monumental percentage out of Americans salaries, and most importantly the large amount

During the junior year of a student’s high school career, they begin preparation for the future. Preparing, in this case, includes thinking about a lifetime career, taking the SAT and ACT standardized tests, choosing which college(s) they are interested in attending, and submitting various applications for scholarships and for colleges themselves. In addition, many juniors are taking their most stressful and challenging classes since colleges tend to look at junior year grade point averages to aid in the acceptance process. Getting accepted into college and graduating from college is part of the so called “American Dream” and yet it is becoming more difficult to achieve due to student debt rates increasing and income rates coming to a halt. On average, the tuition cost for public universities has risen to $21,000 and the cost for private universities has reached over $40,000 and is continuing to rise (Hart). Due to college tuitions many students are forced into attending community colleges, end up

Attending college has been part of American lives since the 1500s. When we look at the affordability of college, the costs have only increased from the 1970’s to present day. According to recent statistics from bloomberg, college tuition has increased “1,120 percent since records began in 1978.”In the same time period, medical expenses have climbed 601 percent, while the price of food has increased 244 percent” (Bloomberg).

College can be a costly investment. In 2016, the United States Department of Education reported that, on average, the total cost for an undergraduate to attend a public institution is $16,188 while private institutions cost around $41,970 (“Back to School Statistics”). Even though grants and scholarships can reduce the cost of college, only 0.3 percent are able to attend college completely for free (O’Shaughnessy). Regardless of the cost, an increasing amount of high school graduates are seeking a higher education. The United States Department of Labor predicted that 69.2 percent of graduates planned to attend a college or university in 2015 (“College Enrollment and Work Activity”). Thus, with an expensive price tag on college and a rising

Every working American family knows how hard it is today to find affordable higher education. As of the past few decades the tuition fee for most public and private colleges increased by 250 percent while income increased by 16 percent (Politico, 2013). The statistics have since then become a trend that has now evolved each year, hence; making it difficult for parents to send their children to school that can cause them to miss out on great opportunities (Dorfman, 2013). According to Justine Draeger (2009) “With the cost of college rising, many have asked a central question: Is a college education worth the cost?” (Para. 1).

For some, higher education is an expectation, perhaps engrained in their minds by family. Yet as tuition prices continue to increase, payment options remain limited – scholarships, loans, and grants. College has a price tag and it must be paid, in some way. In fact, Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus share that tuition charges as public and private colleges have doubled (2010). Furthermore tuition itself presents a financial burden second only to a home mortgage. With a lofty price tag, and potential for staggering loans – and debt – many question the