Rising Cost Of College Essay

The expense of College Skyrockets

Many parents dream of their children graduating high school and taking the following steps to earn a college or university degree. They believe that earning a degree will give their children better opportunities and be more successful in the world. However, these hopes and dreams are becoming more and more difficult due to the rising cost of college. Jill Dominique, writer of the article Rising College Costs: Overview, proclaims, “In August 2022, estimates of the total amount of student debt owed in the U.S. was about $1.62 trillion”(Dominique 2). Even though there are financial programs to help families and students, there are still many factors that contribute to this problem including investments in non-academic

For students, the cost of nine months of study is almost about $80,000. The classes themselves are expensive, and enrollment in certain courses is in high demand. Dominique states “They must stay current with ever-advancing technologies in campus networks, computer labs, and sophisticated classroom teaching aids”(Dominique 3). Colleges and universities must stay in touch with the needs and demands in order for students to get more immersed in their field of study. More importantly, things such as non-academic amenities like residence halls, athletic facilities, and dining options contribute to the cost. This trend is particularly evident in private universities, which are competing for students in a crowded and higher education marketplace. Due to the fact that schools and universities must borrow money in order to finance these kinds of projects, the investment in these items has resulted in an increase in student

So what can we do to assist the needs of these students and families? A possible solution arising amongst undergraduate students is allowing the college to be paid for, or free tuition. With that being said the topic of whether or not college should be free is up in the air, though there are many pros and cons that contribute to this, for example, amenities like living spaces and dining options would not be covered. Students who are already in debt will be unaffected by this, there is around 40 percent of student debt that is taken out for more advanced degrees like masters and medical degrees. This plan would also only apply to those who are undergraduates and those who are earning a bachelor’s or associate. Economically taxes would need to be raised in order to fund the number of students that are enrolling in colleges and universities. This would greatly affect the poor losing even more money, it wouldn’t be fair in terms of social classes, and there would be a continuous cycle of families wanting to be more reliant on free college