2008 Woodie Awards
National crisis in student debt
Taylon Terrell
Issue date: 10/25/07 Section: Forum
- Page 1 of 2 next >
The Federal government has been supplying programs with money for higher education for 60 years, yet today a college education is more unaffordable than ever, resulting in higher debt.
But on the contrary, according to www.studentaid.ed.gov, Federal student aid accounted for $78 billion in new aid to students and their families last year.
So how is it that a college education seems more unaffordable than ever?
Simple-the more federal aid offered, the more colleges and universities raise their cost of tuition or reduce the amount of financial aid offered. This explains why the cost of tuition continues to skyrocket.
Unfortunately, I feel that universities and colleges are to blame for the rise in costs and inability to pay. They just aren't doing what they need to in order to make sure students can afford to get a higher education. Many states are reducing their financial aid, resulting in fewer enrollees. According to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, 43 of the 50 states deserved F's in college affordability for sticking families with higher tuition and making degrees less affordable.
The reason I hold colleges and universities responsible is because Federal financial aid cannot take care of everything. After tuition is paid, everything else is expected to come out of mom or dad's pockets. Students are now left to worry about the cost of books, room and board, living expenses and food-because sometimes a meal plan isn't always enough. Students sometimes try to find jobs to pay for these expenses but this can affect academic performance if they have to work long hours.
Although many people try to avoid debt, student loans become the only other option. About 64 percent of all students borrow money. Twenty-five years ago, students who wanted to avoid debt could use money from part-time and summer jobs to help pay for college. But since then, college tuition has risen at twice the rate of consumer prices so students have few other options. Tuition has soared much faster than pay has for the kinds of low-wage jobs that students tend to hold. Once again colleges and universities make it difficult for students to afford an education without being thousands of dollars in debt when they graduate.
But on the contrary, according to www.studentaid.ed.gov, Federal student aid accounted for $78 billion in new aid to students and their families last year.
So how is it that a college education seems more unaffordable than ever?
Simple-the more federal aid offered, the more colleges and universities raise their cost of tuition or reduce the amount of financial aid offered. This explains why the cost of tuition continues to skyrocket.
Unfortunately, I feel that universities and colleges are to blame for the rise in costs and inability to pay. They just aren't doing what they need to in order to make sure students can afford to get a higher education. Many states are reducing their financial aid, resulting in fewer enrollees. According to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, 43 of the 50 states deserved F's in college affordability for sticking families with higher tuition and making degrees less affordable.
The reason I hold colleges and universities responsible is because Federal financial aid cannot take care of everything. After tuition is paid, everything else is expected to come out of mom or dad's pockets. Students are now left to worry about the cost of books, room and board, living expenses and food-because sometimes a meal plan isn't always enough. Students sometimes try to find jobs to pay for these expenses but this can affect academic performance if they have to work long hours.
Although many people try to avoid debt, student loans become the only other option. About 64 percent of all students borrow money. Twenty-five years ago, students who wanted to avoid debt could use money from part-time and summer jobs to help pay for college. But since then, college tuition has risen at twice the rate of consumer prices so students have few other options. Tuition has soared much faster than pay has for the kinds of low-wage jobs that students tend to hold. Once again colleges and universities make it difficult for students to afford an education without being thousands of dollars in debt when they graduate.
