The main goal for many American children between the ages of four and eighteen is to graduate. From a very young age, a question that every child hears is ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?'. The response varied from doctors and lawyers to performers. The answer was never ‘I want to be a few thousand dollars in debt by the time I'm twenty- five'. The price of college is on the rise.
The transition from middle school to high school is one that students either look forward to or dread. The focus of school shifts from just passing to scoring high enough to get into college. Every state- test you take is the deciding factor in whether you will graduate or not. For those who are great at taking tests, this is no issue. The students who don't struggle are the ones who are awarded scholarships. The rising price of college does not affect them as much as it affects the students who struggle to take tests.
Students have to really ask themselves when they are about to graduate high- school, is college really what I want to do. Some students ask, ‘can I afford college? The main question is ‘do I really want to attend?'. Parents have always told their child or children ‘Oh you are going to college'. Going to school for two or more years is a lot when kids have already done twelve years. Adding the rising cost of tuition is not much help to any student who already does not necessarily plan to attend college. According to National Center of Education Statistics, community college cost around $10,600. But University's cost $26,000. Most people cannot even afford community college with the help of grants. No one wants to take out loans to pay for college when that person can not even afford their bills.
The cost of college goes up more and more each year. In fact, for a two year college in 1985 it was $7,500. To attend a University back then, the price was $12,300. The price difference is outrageous. The students are paying to be taught, but in reality, we are teaching our selves. Students are basically paying for attendance. Students have to retake classes they have already taken in high school in college. We learn the same basic skills, but only in college the lesson is more in depth.
A simple solution would be to make college free altogether, however, that is not feasible with the rising costs of technology. Lowering the prices might encourage more people to attend college. The more people that attend, the less others will have to pay. Another solution would be to stop forcing meal plans on students. Most colleges charge hundreds of dollars for food that students do not eat.
Did you know that some schools charge for things like area beautification? Area beautification consists of things such as cutting grass, trimming hedges, changing light bulbs, etc. These are jobs that most students can easily do and in exchange can have charges deducted from their account. There are not many jobs around many college campuses. In smaller cities jobs have already been fulfilled by people who live nearby. The students who do not live near the campus nor have a job may come to the city where they will be attending school to find a job, but there is still a problem. There are too many people in the world but not enough jobs.
