Cost Of College Essay

During students’ searches for their ideal college, they only see numbers: ACT scores, GPAs, AP test scores, and the largest number of all, the tuition of college itself. College costs too much, both for students and for society as a whole. The primary source of blame goes to the federal government, and though “not all of the increases in college tuition and administrative bloat are caused by government regulation . . . some are – and far more than you think” (Kirk). The cost of college and higher education has skyrocketed in the previous few decades, resulting in an increase in the unemployment rate, fewer people attending college, and excessive student debts. With the inflation of college costs, fewer people can afford more education and are unlikely to find jobs, thus increasing the unemployment rate. Only 17 percent of the U.S. population has

Compared to past generations, parents are less footing of the college tuition bill, which has escalated continuously. “On average since 1980, college tuition prices rise seven percent a year. Comparatively, the inflation rate is just 3.2 percent” (Vedder and Denhart). Some attempt to explain this disassociation by referencing the law of demand. As long as the demand for higher education continues to rise, the cost will also rise, and in order to pay off the superfluous expense of higher education, students are turning to loans. Additionally, the longstanding argument of education being worth the cost has been a principle drilled into students and their families, leading to “student loans exceeding one billion each year” (Vedder and Denhart). Indeed, while most loans do not have to be paid off until after graduation, many students still struggle with finding jobs capable of subsidizing the loan