Cost Of College Education Essay

The history of college education and tuition expenses is extensive. The first college, Boston Latin School, opened in 1635 (Jacobs and McMahon 3). In 1796, Thomas Jefferson proposed a tax- supported education system. Students could have attended Harvard in 1870 for $150 per year and Brown University for half of that (Staff Writers). In 1900, only 10 percent of Americans aged 14- 17 attended high school (Kingsley and Vance 2). College admission doubled between 1920 and 1930, and 20% of Americans were enrolled in college by the end of the decade (Staff Writers). In 1935, “Arizona state constitution requires its state colleges to provide instruction that is ‘nearly as free as possible.’ The Arizona Supreme Court has allowed fees to be charged,

Bill was passed in 1944 by the U.S. government enabling veterans to pursue college or vocational education for free or at reduced cost. By the time the original bill ended in 1956, 7.8 million veterans had used the G. I. Bill to receive an education or complete a training program by the time the original bill ended in 1956 (Staff Writers). THe Higher Education Act, a program to offer college loans to low- income students, was signed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965 (Jacobs and McMahon 3). Average tuition at a four- year public university was just $243, in 1965 (“It’s Time to Make College Tuition Free and Debt Free”). Grants cover 80% of the cost of college in 1972, and by now 49% of high school graduates went on to go to college. In 1973 in- state public schools were just $2,175 on average and private schools averaged $9,876 for a year (in today’s dollars). College costs began to increase at a rate much faster than normal inflation in 1975 (Staff Writers). College education in California was tuition free until 1984 when a $5 per credit unit charge was implemented in California community colleges for the first time (“History of Free College Tuition”). In 1987, the average public school cost was $2,700 (in today’s dollars) and private school tuition costed about $12,800 (Staff