Federal and state appropriations, to higher education, are tied to the economy especially during times when the economy is in crisis. One of the issues of decline are public appropriations, which almost always lead to an increase in enrollment at community colleges (Manning 2012). With demands on increasing enrollment coupled with declining federal and state appropriations, publicly supported community colleges are increasingly challenged to find alternative means of obtaining adequate financial support. Finally, realizing that seeking to do more with less is not always a reliable long-term strategy. That being said, community colleges are increasingly seeking creative ways to increase their financial obligations with public and private donations. States do not have a legal obligation to provide Community College schooling resources as they do for Chicago Public Schools (CPS) for example. However, there is a growing sense that an associate’s degree is today the minimal credential necessary to attain social and economic security. An example is evident during the Clinton administration and Bill Clinton’s initial proposal for the federal “Hope Scholarship.” In his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in 1996, Clinton proposed a tax credit for the first two years of college to “make at least two years of college as universal as four years of a high school education is today” ( Bill Clinton's view on education, from acceptance speech. 1996) The implementation of the “scholarship” as a tax credit provided a boon for the middle class more than it helped low-income students enter college demonstrates the tension between the rhetoric of access and the politics of resource distribution. The growing imp... ... middle of paper ... ..., 2003, 2003, from http://www.chronicle.com Breneman, D. W., & Nelson, S. C. (1981). Financing community colleges: An economic perspective. Washington: The Brookings Institution. Dowd, A. C. (2003). From access to outcome equity: Revitalizing the democratic mission of the community college. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 586(March), 92-119. Burke, J. C., & Serban, A. M. (Eds.). (1998). Performance funding for public higher education: Fad or trend? San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Yue, Loraine, (October 09, 2013) City Colleges Raises $250 Million from its First Bond Sale. Crain’s Chicago Business. Conner, T.W., and T.M. Rabovsky. “Accountability, Affordability, Access: A Review of the Recent Trends in Higher Education Policy Research.” Policy Studies Journal, 39 (2011), 93-112.
Accountability will remain an important issue because it goes hand-in-hand with funding. Additionally the question of how to pay for education is a prominent one. As stated by Kallison, and Cohen (2010) “We need to return to governmental policies and programs that provide adequate federal and state funding to public higher education institutions and increase financial aid students, particularly low- and moderate-income students. Funding must return to levels in which spending on higher education per student keeps pace with inflation” (p. 41). Merely because an institution is accountable does not mean it is supersede standards and high quality (Kallison and Cohen, 2010). Accountability is “the obligation to report to others, to explain, to justify, to answer ques¬tions concerning the utilization of resource.”
Everyone knows that person from high school that just wasn’t cut out for college. It’s not a bad thing by any means, but if you’re thinking about heading off to college like many American teenagers often do, think about this: going to college can be a waste of both your time and your money. I’m not the first to say it, and I sure as hell won’t be the last. In Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill’s essay, Should Everyone Go to College?, the two authors take a strong economic approach to justify going to college. Owen, an ex- senior research assistant at Brookings’ Center on Children and Families and current research associate at the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan center for research on the problems of urban communities, and Sawhill, the co-director
In “Two Years Are Better than Four”, Liz Addison argues against Rick Perlstein’s article “What’s the Matter With College?”. While Perlstein questions the value of college as it currently is, Addison argues that the “community college system is America’s hidden public service gem”(Addison 257). By way of that, she defends the value of college. Unsurprisingly, as with most situations, the truth is somewhere in between ends of a spectrum created by these two articles. While I agree with Addison’s idea of community college being an accessible starting point for everyone, she fails to appropriately represent the unique culture often found in these types of colleges. Also, I think that she also fails to look at the overall purpose of attending school and then neglects to acknowledge the benefits of a four year university.
Lankford, Ronald D. "Chapters 2 and 3." The Rising Cost of College. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2009. N. pag. Print.
Johnstone, Bruce. "Investing more equitably and efficiently in higher education, creating value for America." National Dialogue on Student Financial Aid (2003): 6-10. Print.
College is a popular topic for most, and Sanford J. Ungar and Charles Murray have a unique way of explaining both their opinions. In his essay, “The New Liberal Arts,” Sanford J. Ungar advocates that the liberal arts should be everybody’s education, regardless of the fact that most Americans are facing economic hardship. The first misconception that he begins to explain is “a liberal arts degree is a luxury that most families can no longer afford”. Career education” is what we now must focus on.”
Long ago, receiving education was once something only the rich could afford; it was a luxury. Nowadays it is open to everyone, but many students enter college only to discover that they are underprepared, and in turn they become disenchanted. David Leonhardt’s article, The College Dropout Boom, addresses the issues that are apparent in the education system and how it contributes to the gap between the upper and lower class while Access to Attainment by Abby Miller, Katherine Valle, Jennifer Engle, and Michelle Cooper calls to improve access to college education for today’s students. This is incredibly important because many students either drop out or never attended college and in today’s time, having a Bachelor’s degree has become a requirement
"Parents with incomes below $40,000 were much more likely to say they couldn 't afford college compared to those with higher incomes. The unsettling aspect of this poll is that in all likelihood, these parents ' perceptions mirror reality," says Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped”. She talks about how most middle class families can 't afford to put their children into college. The highest education they can get is a high school diploma, which we all know in this modern world it cant get you a lucrative job to maintain your whole life. Most American don 't get the chance to develop their full capabilities through higher schooling due to lack of resources like funds to enable them see their full potential. People will say that education is meant for people who can afford to go. And already the government has made schooling from pre-k to high school free for all public school, so making community colleges free will cost the state about 60 billion dollars as said by the white house spokesman Eric Schultz . Education must not be limited to only privilege people,it should be universal for anybody willing to educate themselves to make their life better and help grow Americas economy reducing
As The “Progress of Education Reform” suggests, tuition discounting is major contributor to the rising cost of college in the sense that while it provides a tuition discount to the one particular student receiving the grant or scholarship it places a heavier burden on the majority demographic that attends the university without such discounting. (The Progress of Education Reform” 1). In contrast to popular opinion, scholarships and grants which are normally regarded as blessings are ironically a contributing factor to rising tuition prices. Basically, the universities have to make up for the money they lost by awarding the scholarships so the majority of the student population who did not qualify feel it in their pocketbooks. A final cause of this ludicrous tuition spike is the shift in university budgets to cater to the administration departments of the schools. Jobs in this department are non-teaching jobs that provide student services ranging from student safety to counseling and wellness programs. These jobs are definitely
The skyrocketing price of college tuition is causing a tremendous concern over whether higher education will be a viable financial concept to the average citizen over the next decades. Some families have opted to explore different means of obtaining a higher education for their children as these costs escalate. There is overwhelming evidence that colleges need to restructure the way they are run because tuition prices are increasing at a rapid rate causing changes in the way students fund their education and in the way the government provides educational subsidies.
For the past decade, The United States has stressed the importance of college education, to those seeking employment, and better careers. For most people, college is the logical next step in education, as it provides a working knowledge of a desired field and opens the door to many opportunities, but college has become increasingly more expensive as time goes on. Many people feel that college is no longer an option financially. Even with financial aid and scholarships, the cost of a college education can still be very taxing. This is due to massive price increase across the boards, but the main issue on most people’s minds is the debt that will be acquired from higher education.
...& Hart, M. (2013). Considering class: College access and diversity. Harvard Law & Policy Review, 7(2), 367–403.
As the high school chapter is coming to a close, many students have to make a decision that will affect the rest of their lives. Hopefully, for many that decision is to enroll in a college and attain a higher education. However, as tuition costs rise, students have to take a second look at their options for a better future. A community college is that second look for many because it is the less expensive option. From 2007-2009, enrollment for community colleges has increased by 24 percent (“College costs and the CPI”). Students aren’t choosing a college for educational purposes because they are overwhelmed by financial issues. They are attending community colleges so they will be able to graduate with a lower debt. Some seniors have wanted to attend a certain university all their life and they work toward that goal through grade school; however, they are hindered by soaring tuition for that college. Students should be able to attend a private university if they mee...
Discounted Dreams: High Hopes and Harsh Realities at America’s Community College. Prod. John Merrow. PBS Home Video 2007. DVD.
Higher education debate is a controversial and hot topic for politicians in the United States due to the price associated with higher education in the country. State lawmakers regularly worry about the rising cost of attaining a college degree, and lowering the debt burden to the student. Consequently these issues have been turned into a talking point during the presidential campaign trail. The pressure on the amount of tuition paid has not only been seen from the government but also from the families, which have shown reluctance in paying the high tuition fees. Public universities 'which have attempted to increase the fee' have come under heavy scrutiny despite the reluctance of the state to invest in higher education (Holmwood, 2011).