College Tuition

Tax Credits

Before you aimlessly throw your life's savings at the campus doors of your dream university, take a brief minute to reevaluate your options here. There may be some pinpoints you missed while you were heating up that #instant-ramen. 

It's the most popular question of our generation; "Is college worth the money?" It may be locked in our minds that college is the key to a prosperous future, but unfortunately it is a #fact that a majority of college students are jobless, in debt, and afraid of where their precious degree will take them. Its difficult to determine the value of money at such a young age, especially with the stresses of every day life. If you haven't noticed, fresh college grads are in an overwhelming position, balancing out #debts from high tuition costs. One popular author, Megan McArdle, has written an article that everyone should check out titled, "The College Bubble." This article explains how the average level of student debt is accelerating at a much higher rate than the real value of a college degree. Controversies have uprisen as a result to what the right decision is. To invest or not to invest, that is the #real question. Similarly, John W. Schoen has written his own article, "Why Does A College Degree Cost So Much?" where he lays out the increased price of attending a four year university over the years. Its easy to see the contrast in quality of tuition, as well as how paths have changed after receiving a degree from past generations compared to present day. The #fact of the matter is, combining decreased value of education and an increased amount of tuition expenses have resulted in lesser opportunities for the average American student. 

                   

Michael Fleshman

More than half of newly graduates are unemployed or working in a job that doesn't require a degree. As college students, we are putting in energy, time and money to gain from this so called investment. Unfortunately, some could argue that the investment we are putting into our education contains a much higher consequential cost than what was expected. McArdle states that "Promotional literature for colleges and student loans often speaks as an investment in yourself. Sadly, the student loan debt carried by households has more than quintupled since 1999." We can conclude that it was not really an investment to begin with. One could say you could have saved yourself a hassle by not attending college. 

  

       

Barry Dahl

The noble prize winning economist James Heckman, has analyzed how individual student's backgrounds and levels of ability impact their education. He states that "Even with high prices, you're still finding a high return for individuals who are bright and highly motivated. On the other hand, if you're not college ready., the answer is NO. College is not worth it." Duties of average college students include:

• Full/part time jobs
• Family
• Friends and peer pressure        
• Commute                         
• Social lives 
• Stresses of daily duties
• Tuition costs

Tuition has reached its all time high in the past decade, which resulted in pushing its students in a #negative-zone. 

Mark Kantrowitz

Fact: Tuition costs have more than doubled from the last generation! (That itself should be a leading factor for skepticism). Since the 1980's, the overall cost has risen by 4%. That includes dorm and room, textbooks, and classes. A limited number of well paying jobs have been maneuvering in and demanding college degrees from the inept and unmotivated. This results in more competition for a tighter space. The result? Borrowing money from jobs that a whopping 47% of fresh graduates ultimately won't receive. Only a tiny 10% of the top 1% of families (the higher class) are prepared for this amount of debt. This mainly aims at a specific yet large group of students; the lower and middle class. Numbers like these are unintentionally bringing fear of debt to students and their families. The targeted audience will ask themselves, "Why is college so expensive, and what are we truly to gain?" With the results continuing to be unflattering in this modern day and age, students can only hope that their chips land in the right places. 

"With the total level of student debt 

outstanding at more than $1.2 trillion, parents, students,

 and researchers are now asking: how is this sustainable? 

And why does college cost so much?"

- John W. Schoen

Across the country, college students everywhere are putting their thinking caps on and have started to doubt the system. Costs of tuition have risen not only by what was expected, but by what was necessary. It will be a great accomplishment to see American Students possess a bright future as well as an even more outstanding tuition rate. The time has come to set expectations to the federal and state government about what is truly conquerable for the every day college student. The cost is much too high and puts even more pressure on our daily lives. The time to make a change has come. Feel free to share this blog with your friends and family, and join the fight to change the future of students throughout the country. We can ask ourselves, "Is this a chance worth taking?" The #fact is, us as a student body can make that decision on our own.

                Eda Gozubuyuk is a 20 year old college student currently studying to be an accountant at Northern Virginia Community College. Her passions include debate, blogging, and coming up with new and advanced ways to enhance the future of students nation wide.