Have you ever questioned the age-old belief that everyone should go to college? Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill advocate for increased access to higher education, while emphasizing the financial disadvantage that secondary education brings. Charles Fain Lehman's "The Student Loan Trap: When Debt Delays Life" offers a cautionary tale about the consequences of excessive student loan debt, prompting a more complex examination of the value of college education and the financial realities faced by graduates. The idea of the financial struggles brought along with college is structured by Owen and Sawhill, and is further detailed by Lehman. Reading Owen and Sawhill's essay, "Should Everyone Go to College," provided me with a critical framework for approaching Lehman's essay, "The Student Loan Trap: When Debt Delays Life." …show more content…
Society pushes the ideals of college on to the upcoming generations without taking into account the cost and return. Students neglect to look into apprenticeships, vocational courses, and other forms of skill-based training because of the pressure to attend college. Owen and Sawhill delve deeply into the widespread societal assumption that higher education is the optimal path for all individuals. The essay scrutinizes the notion that college is a one-size-fits-all solution to career and economic success, highlighting the consequences of this mindset on individuals and society as a whole. Moreover, Owen and Sawhill's discussion about the importance of considering alternative educational pathways, encouraged me to broaden my perspective on what makes a valuable and fulfilling educational experience. It challenged me to reassess the idea that college is the only pathway to a successful career and a meaningful
In “Actually, College Is Very Much Worth It” , Andrew J. Rotherham opens this piece addressing the issue of whether or not college is “worth it”. Rotherham effectively builds his case that college is essentially the better choice for us. Additionally, he acknowledges opposition of those who are anti-college. He allows us to have ‘free will” in the decision-making process, but presents the information in a way we cannot ignore the obvious facts. Rotherham conveys the idea that college does not guarantee a successful entry job, but it creates a path of opportunities for us.
Bruni begins by describing the golden promise of college as it appeared for baby boomers. In that time getting into college and completing a degree was enough to be successful. He acknowledges that this idealized vision of college may be inaccurate, however, he asserts that the issue is far more “complicated” than it once was. Bruni makes use of a recent (2012) debate over student loan interest rates in the U.S. to explore the issues surrounding college education today. While rising student debt is certainly part of the problem he suggests that the issue extends beyond that. College is now a “luxury item with newly uncertain returns” (Bruni). While rising costs make college a luxury item that not everyone will be able to afford, even those who can and do manage to go to college are not guaranteed success.
Martin and Lehren’s article “A Generation Hounded by the Soaring Cost of College” addresses the issue faced by current and former college students dealing with large amounts of debt due to student loans. The article presents the reader with stories of former college students who have either graduated or dropped out, and their struggle to pay off their student loans. The article also talks about issues such as students not being informed about high amounts of student loans and why student debts have increased. Martin and Lehren also make the issue of student debt more intimidating by giving examples of high amounts of student loans students have had. The article gives a very hard reality check to anyone reading as to how bad the problem of student debt is.
The second chapter of this book advocates students to attend college, even if they must take on a moderate amount of student loan debt. They give statistics showing the tremendous gap in wages between a college graduate and a non-college graduate. The third chapter of this book argues the opposite viewpoint of the second chapter. The author states that the cost of college today is too high and that there are too many college graduates flooding the job market causing many of them to go unemployed or seek low level jobs that do not pay enough to pay off their student loans. Both of these chapters will help me to show the two main ...
In the essays “College Debt: Necessary Evil or Ponzi Scheme?” by Dale Archer and “Forgive Student Loans?” by Richard Vedder, the authors show their varying viewpoints towards college debt. Archer’s essay focuses primarily on the correlation between higher education and college tuition, especially describing the upper education and its downsides for average graduates and average students. He also provides a simple alternative for financially burdened students to obtain certificates from trade schools as a better choice in today’s education that involves going into the workforce (Archer 402-04). Vedder’s essay, on the other hand, lists the numerous altercations about the student-loan industry. He rationalized his essay in a succinct manner that tells his general audience that forgiving student loans will bring financial burdens on the federal government (Vedder 405-07). Although, both writers addressed the issue
In this article Nemko is illuminating the issues that our modern society is facing involving higher education. Students are starting off college with bare minimum requirements for next level learning and feeling disappointed when they are not succeeding in their courses. The author acknowledges that the courses being taken by students are sometimes not beneficial to life after college. Nemko states, “A 2006 study supported by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that 50 percent of college seniors scored below ‘proficient’ levels on a test that required them to do such basic tasks…”(525). Students are specializing in areas of learning to in turn be denied to working in that field and stuck with unnecessary skills. “Many college graduates are forced to take some very nonprofessional positions, such as driving a truck or tending bar”( ...
Wilson, R. (2009). A lifetime of student debt? Not likely. In G. Graff, C. Birkenstein, & R. Durst (Eds.). “They say, I say”: The moves that matter in academic writing with readings. (2nd ed.). (pp. 256-272). New York: W. W. Norton. This article examines how much debt in loans students leave college with and if it is possible to pay it off without it causing extreme distress.
Everyone knows that going to college and getting a degree is the most effective and guaranteed route to ensure a prosperous financial future, right? College is considered by most to be the best investment you can make in life, but what happens when that investment leaves you drowning in thousands of dollars in debt right after graduation day. This is the situation that millions of college graduates are faced with in 2016. Rising college tuition perpetuates student debt and is on a sharp incline and it seems to have no ambition of ever slowing down. The effect of this catastrophe is felt by millions of families across the country who now question, “is college really worth it?”
In Caroline Bird’s “College is A Waste of Time and Money”, it’s argued that there are many college students who would be better off if they were to begin working after high school graduation. Colleges and universities can no longer ensure that one will go on to get a better job, getting paid more than they would have without a higher education. However, high school seniors still stress about where they will be attending college, how they’re going to pay for it and what they’re going to study for the next four years. Bird points out how college has changed over the past few decades and how, in turn, it has set many young adults up for disappointment, if nothing else.
Children of the twenty first century spend nearly 13 years in school, preparing for what is college, one of the only ways to achieve the so-called “American Dream”. College is the best way to start an advanced career and go further than one possibly could if college degrees were not available, allowing people to achieve their view of the American Dream; whether it be large houses, shiny cars, multiple kids, or financial comfort, college is the stepping stone to achieve the American Dream. But all great things come with a price, college dragging along debt. Students who attend college struggle to find ways to pay for it, leading to applying for student loans. These loans a great short term, paying for the schooling at the moment but eventually the money adds up
argue that college is not for everyone. Murray’s analysis of college as a whole can help us understand Owen and Sawhill’s observation about the importance of college education. In particular, this becomes clear through Murray’s discussions of college degrees, overemphasis on college education, and the mismatching between skills and jobs that he is more effective at encouraging the reader that college is not for everyone more than Owen and Sawhill’s essay. Charles Murray explores the issue of college degrees or B.A., which contributes to his argument that most employers value your B.A. more than they value your skills and experience. Murray states, “But for many other jobs, the economic premium for the B.A. is created by the brutal
With the ever-increasing tuition and ever-tighten federal student aid, the number of students relying on student loan to fund a college education hits a historical peak. According to a survey conducted by an independent and nonprofit organization, two-thirds of college seniors graduated with loans in 2010, and each of them carried an average of $25,250 in debt. (Reed et. al., par. 2). My research question will focus on the profound effect of education debt on American college graduates’ lives, and my thesis statement will concentrate on the view that the education policymakers should improve financial aid programs and minimize the risks and adverse consequences of student loan borrowing.
Charles Murray, the author of “What’s Wrong With Vocational School?” discusses how too many of today’s high school graduates wrongfully head off to a four-year college. For a large majority of the population, a college education is unnecessary. Murray says that a lot of students don’t even want an advanced education. Even if they do want an education, they aren’t qualified for it. Additionally, a large number of these students are striving for an education or experience that a four-year college isn’t meant to fulfill.
Is a four-year degree all it’s cracked up to be? Are colleges still a relevant cornerstone of our society? Are vocational schools the future of education? His college hit-piece "Are Too Many People Going to College? ", author Charles Murray attempts to persuade the reader that in fact the current educational system is outdated and becoming obsolete, that colleges are becoming irrelevant to society, and that vocational schools offer a better value for most students. In his examples, Murray overlooks the great variety of interests held by individuals, and diminishes the benefits colleges have to offer students.
In that year, the number of college graduates was only 432,058 (Sourmaidis) and ever since the demand continually increased as did price. This trend allowed for the student loan crisis to occur, which is a problem we face today. As of 2016, American students have accrued a massive 1.3 trillion in student loan debt. Just 10 years ago, the nation’s balance was only $447 billion (Clements). This ever-present cumulative burden has caused many post graduate Americans to delay important life events such as marriage, homeownership and children because of this substantial encumbrance (Clements).