Op-ed Draft
Damiela Thomas
Professor Katie
English 160-28
11/6/21
COLLEGE TUITION SOARING HIGH
The U.S. is an overall country that is known to be full of great opportunities and education is one example of it. Education is what shapes us into becoming successful. The country stresses to push for children to strive and set standards to achieve. From daycare to high school, we learn and develop important skills that are beneficial to us in the real world that is college. It is every child’s dream to get their degree in what they want to become in the future but money is seen to be this strong brick wall that prevents them from accomplishing that dream. The controversy between whether college tuition should remain expensive or lowering the costs has sparked over the years. College Tuition in public state universities should be more affordable between the range of 10,000 to 15,000 because it would allow more students to attend college, it would reduce student debt and students are focused on their education rather than the money which would increase the number of students with degrees.
As high school seniors apply for colleges that are suitable for them and their career, the smell of the amount of money for college tuition is unbearable. According to Dickler, Jessica. “Fewer Kids Are Going to College.” CNBC, CNBC Headquarters, 14 March 2021, www.cnbc.com/2021/03/14/fewer-kids-going-to-college-because-of-cost.html gives a short anecdote of a high school senior, Jason Neuharth who is an adamant on going to college. “I grew up with not a lot of money and that was a fear of mine — the money,” he said. “I would not be able to feasibly pay for college.” Many young people are focused on the main ingredient of college which is the money that they put aside the other ingredients that college comes with such as distance from home, activities and clubs that the college offers. The college tuition is so outrageously high (figure 1) that many don’t bother wanting to attend college. And so, lowering the cost of college tuition between 10,000 to 15,000 will drive more young people to attend college and pursue their career.
Figure 2: This shows student debt has dramatically increased from 2000 to 2010. (Mother Jones: College Tuition and student debt charts and graphics, www.faireconomy.org/charts_student_debt_as_a_percentage_of_gdp)
The rise of college tuition pushes the debt load for young people which deeply affects them in the future. According to statistics published in February 2021 by Forbes: forty-five million Americans hold student debt totaling approximately $1.7 trillion. Each year more than a million student loans go into default, meaning that the borrowers have not made payments in at least 270 days. In 2020 the US Department of Education found that 20 percent of borrowers were in default on their student loans. (“College Tuition and Student Loans.” Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2021. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com Accessed 8 Nov. 2021.) This leaves young people to become overwhelmed and fearful by the student debt of not paying or late payment of student loans and having to battle this for probably a lifetime. This will affect young people in the future. According to Hess, Abigail. “Three Ways Student Debt Impacts the Economy.” CNBC, CNBC Headquarters, 2 July. 2021, www.cnbc.com/2021/07/02/3-ways-student-debt-impacts-the-economy.html says, “The Federal Reserve estimates that student debt shaves roughly 0.05% off GDP per year. While the current impact may appear relatively small, as borrowers struggle to buy homes, save for retirement and invest in the stock market, the impact may become more significant.” This not only affects college students but also negatively affects the country’s economy. Student debt falls heavily on the shoulders of young people.
On the other hand, many argue that college tuition in public state universities should be more affordable between the range of 10,000 to 15,000, but others disagree because doing so makes the college less competitive. According to Davis, Ben. “Why Should College Prices Not Be Lowered?” MV Organizing, MV Organization, 30 Apr. 2021 www.mvorganizing.org/why-college-prices-should-not-be-lowered/ it states “College leaders know that lowering prices isn’t making them more competitive.” Every college whether it’s private, public or community is competitive with one another. It’s a competition between who can recruit more people than the other which makes the college shine. And so, if every college becomes more affordable then what’s the purpose of having so many colleges provide the same amount of cost towards college tuition? However, many can argue that that doesn’t make logical sense. So it’s better that colleges are competing with one another for the frame rather than caring about hurting young adults’ pockets? Young adults are more focused on money than getting a higher education. They find themselves working while attending their classes which can cause them to become stressed and exhausted. While some may disagree, college tuition in public state universities should be more affordable between the range of 10,000 to 15,000.
College Tuition has become outrageously high and so many young adults are graduating from college full of excitement but in reality drowning themselves in huge college debts. It is amazing to see how costly it is to get an education. But what can we do in order to fix this crisis that the country faces every year? Many policy makers and organizations should come up with proposals that are designed to make college more affordable and allow students to earn degrees without accumulating debilitating levels of debt. In addition, even though former President Barack Obama didn’t get the bill for the first two years of community college free, why can’t President Joe Biden and Congress urge to continue to push for a bill that makes college as a whole free for the first two years? It would be a great idea, don’t you think!
WORK CITED PAGE
Dickler, Jessica. “Fewer Kids Are Going to College.” CNBC, CNBC Headquarters,
14 March 2021, www.cnbc.com/2021/03/14/fewer-kids-going-to-college-because-of-cost.html
“College Tuition and Student Loans.” Gale Opposing
Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2021. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com Accessed 8 Nov. 2021.
Hess, Abigail. “Three Ways Student Debt Impacts the Economy.” CNBC, CNBC Headquarters, 2 July. 2021, www.cnbc.com/2021/07/02/3-ways-student-debt-impacts-the-economy.html
Davis, Ben. “Why Should College Prices Not Be Lowered?” MVOrganizing, MV Organization, 30 Apr. 2021
www.mvorganizing.org/why-college-prices-should-not-be-lowered