Do you know how the cost of college, including tuition, fees, and living expenses, weighs against the potential benefits of obtaining a degree? Both Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill, authors of "Should Everyone Go to College," and Charles Fain Lehman, author of "The Student Loan Trap: When Debt Delays Life," discuss these significant beneficiaries in their writings. All authors cover the burden of student loan debt that can permeate various aspects of an individual's life, affecting not only their financial well-being but also their mental, emotional, and physical health. Firstly, to start off, in Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill’s essay “Should Everyone Go to College” they explore the debate surrounding the idea that attending college is necessary or beneficial for everyone. Owen and Sawhill …show more content…
Owen and Sawhill specifically address the advantages of going to college, including increased earning potential, more choices for employment, and personal growth. They do concede, though, that not everyone may experience these advantages. Lehman, on the other hand, presents data demonstrating the growing amounts of student loan debt and its effects on students' financial security. By analyzing both essays, it was made evident by Owen and Sawhill's examination that the cost of college, alternative pathways, and finishing college, helps shed light to Lehman's research on the detrimental effects of higher education. In the end, the true measure of success in addressing student loan debt lies not only in dollars and cents, but in the lives transformed, the dreams realized, and the promise of a brighter future for generations to come. Would you rather live a life where your only concern is paying off debt for the rest of your life, or would you rather lead a simpler life where you are truly filled with joy within