The Rise And Fall Of College Tuition

Charles Schwertner is a Texas Tribune who wrote “Tuition deregulation is failing Texas students” in December, 11, 2014 and published in Star-telegram.com website. His main audience are Texas students. His argument presents the “broken system” of tuition and fees at public universities had left many students in debt. Students’ debt accumulated and surpassed credit card debt to be a second source of debt in our country. His argument does have some flaws, but overall it really convinces me that tuition and fees at college are a big problem today.

    In the year 2017, Americans owe about $875 billion in student loans, which is more than what is owed on the nation’s credit cards combined. Student debt is flooding the country and burdening millions of Americans to the point where it is nearly impossible to pay off. Despite the fact that the majority of people believe tuition is outrageously expensive, there are many that believe the cost of college is exactly where it needs to be. Author Dylan Matthews writes about the skyrocketing costs of higher education in his 10-part series entitled “Introducing ‘The Tuition is Too Damn High.’” He reflects on how tuition is gradually increasing throughout the decades and argues that it is too much to keep up with. Matthews provides a logically convincing argument, but does not adequately or abundantly use emotional or credible appeals, as well as premises.

In the year 2017, Americans owe about $875 billion in student loans, which is more than what is owed on the nation’s credit cards combined. Student debt is flooding the country and burdening millions of Americans to the point where it is nearly impossible to pay off. Despite the fact that the majority of people believe tuition is outrageously expensive, there are many that believe the cost of college is exactly where it needs to be. Author Dylan Matthews writes about the skyrocketing costs of higher education in his 10-part series entitled “Introducing ‘The Tuition is Too Damn High.’” He reflects on how tuition is gradually increasing throughout the decades and argues that it is too much to keep up with. Matthews provides a logically convincing argument, but does not adequately or abundantly use emotional or credible appeals, as well as premises.

Free college tuition is crucial for the millions of students across the country that either cannot afford an education or are struggling with enormous debts. Statistics show that the amount of

“Feel the Bern” – an inspirational slogan that resonates as the presidential race approaches its zenith, and as the rhetorical Bernie sanders, the crafty Hilary Clinton, and the booming Donald Trump lay their values, visions, and views on the table, they pray that they will win over the American people. One of those views, held prominently by Mr. Sanders, lies in the proposition of eradicating college tuition. Published in The Washington Post, “Make College Free for All” outlines the position of Sanders: “Education is essential for personal and national well-being…hundreds of thousands of bright young people cannot afford to go to college while millions more leave school deeply in debt. It is time to build on the progressive movement of the past and make public colleges and universities tuition-free in the United States — a development that will be the driver of a new era of American prosperity…we will have a stronger economy and a stronger democracy when all young people with the ambition and the talent can reach their full potential, regardless of their circumstances at birth.” Individuals in the U.S., in light of the outrageous amount of resources available, ought to fund their own education. America would undoubtedly “feel the Bern” if Mr. Sanders’ socialistic views reach execution, given that once a government funds anything, it ultimately controls it.

He makes a strong effort, aimed at creating a sentiment towards government, colleges, and student loans that will solicit change to the system in use today. Whether or not his endeavor worked is still yet to be seen 4 years later, as students today still struggle with the same problem featured in the article: vast amounts of student loan debt. Proposals of “free community college” by former President Obama, and “debt free public college” by Secretary Clinton, but America voted against such ideas. The question lingers whether or not the current administration will take

Universities used to be a privilege for most academic students to attend and it was very affordable, but currently the price per year to attend college has drastically increased. For instance, in the “1970’s the average cost was 10,000 dollars a year and today the average cost is 30,000 dollars a year” (CQ Researcher). This is a triple increase in the price per year to attend college. Allowing this increase on college tuition has impacted the student’s attendance rate. This is a significant financial burden for college students and their family. Some believe that college shouldn’t be free because we are risking the value of college education, while others think it should be free because we are trying to avoid having our upcoming generation

The hot topic amongst people entering college is student loan debt. With the average debt at tens of thousands of dollars, many people shy away from college, or at least do not get a full degree. As a result, many politicians have preached plans to make college free, and thus bring an end to student loan debt. However, those on the other end of the spectrum find themselves hindered in jumping aboard the free college mania, because, after all, nothing is free, everything comes at a price. And as they soon learned, what a price indeed. In fact, in order for the universities to pay staff and accommodate the student body without tuition being on the shoulders of the students, state taxes would have to be increased on the entire taxpaying population.

The United States needs to look to other nations that have figured out the necessity of higher education to be at an affordable cost if not free. In 2015, college graduates are facing on average just north of $35,000 in student debt (Berman). In part, the government has reduced the federal funding that each college receives each year. Therefore, colleges have constantly raised the

After reading about the historic court case of Robert Murphy, an unemployed 65-year-old man fighting to have over $200,000 in student loan debt dismissed through bankruptcy, I began to think “Have I been lied to about my investment in a college education”? Well, the answer is yes; we have all been lied to! Student loan debt is an invisible phantom that follows millions of Americans through their lives. We are told, however, that this invaluable investment is well worth the risk of living in financial destitution for the rest our lives. The truth is it creates even more hardships on Americans in the form of debt. I and millions of others are tired of the lies! If college is going to continuously be America’s golden standard for economic advancement, our next leader needs to fix the affordability of the higher education system and the debt that burdens Americans once and for all.

The presidential race is now consuming America. It is mentioned every morning in the news and in every “scroll” through social media. While important topics such a national security, national debt, and international affairs are brought up constantly in the debate spotlight, higher education is a topic less discussed. However, each presidential candidate has a specific, strategic plan to tackle current issues in higher education. The main issue that candidates believe should be addressed includes college costs and how they impact student debt. Each candidate has a different stance on the issue, and each have a plan to move toward solving the issue. This review will cover the current issue of student debt and how that is impacting America, each presidential candidates strategic plan to tackle this issue, a critique of each presidential candidate’s plan, and a reflection of solutions presented. Each candidate running for the 2016 presidency deserves full recognition, this review will focus on the two leading presidential candidates: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

So it’s not that colleges are spending more money to educate students, it’s that they have to get that money from someplace to replace their lost state funding; and that’s from tuition and fees from students and families (Sanchez 1). While most institutions tried to keep costs down, some took advantage of the public perception that a high tuition means a quality education (Sanchez 2). The problems that students face now are rising tuition, increasing loans and lacking financial aid to compensate. The fastest growing income for public colleges and universities in our country is tuition. Most students must take out loans to make it through college now.

For many in the middle class student debt has a strong and relentless grasp on their economic future. In their article "Why Free Higher Ed Can't Wait" Jeje Biola and Belinda Rodriguez state that, "Student debt has reached a record total of over $1.3 trillion" (6). This has left many people wondering where this is coming from and wanting change. This number is just too high in the minds of the average American. In the last few years free college tuition has been a hot topic in American politics, as recently as the 2016 presidential race. Candidates such as Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton proved to be a huge push for free tuition. The raising college tuition rates effect all Americans in some form or fashion, so support is quickly rising especially

The words “free college tuition” spark interest in any college student with accumulating debt. In fact, this topic is so incredibly supported that Bernie Sanders implemented it as a core interest in his 2016 campaign. Once Hillary Clinton became the Democratic nominee, she decided to take it on herself with an extensive plan that guaranteed students free tuition. Unsurprisingly, free tuition resonates extremely well within the student demographic. To forty million Americans, free tuition eliminates the largest problem for students: debt (Hess, 2017). However, free college tuition generates the inverse of what these low-income and middle-income students believe. In fact, free college cripples them from multiple perspectives; students will end up spending more financially, will be less likely to graduate with a degree, and will be subjected to more inequality and less exposure.

Despite all the benefits and the minimal research proven effect tuition rates have on students, a major issue that arises from this topic is the idea of the current national problem: student debt. Now although tuition costs play a role in the national problem of student debt, financial aid and admission policies should be examined and formed a solution to as well. Davidson claims that “problem is that [financial] aid is distributed unevenly”. Davidson reports that because public colleges “often behave like elite private schools, [use] aid to attract the best students, typically the ones who would probably go to a decent school without government support” (Davidson). There is an uneven level of distribution of financial aid because the “best” students are the ones receiving too large or too small financial support where as those really struggling receive the polar opposite. Also supported by Senior Economist at Consortium on Financing Higher Education, James Monks, reports that the problem roots back to financial aid policies and admissions. Monks claims that “meeting-full- need, limiting loans, and graduating students in high paying majors can have a larger impact on student debt levels than simply