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Is Higher Education Really Worth It in The U
Is Higher Education Really Worth It in The U
U.S.?
Abstract
The following paper will present information acquired through
primary and secondary research about the effects of rising costs in
colleges and universities. The questions upon which I based my
research included: Is the cost of attending college continuously on the
rise? Will the rising cost of higher education decrease student
enrollment in universities/colleges? How would reducing tuition costs or
making higher education free benefit students academic success?
Should higher education be at no financial cost for students, like in
Europe institutions? Upon interviewing Mr. Anthony Turrietta who is the
Associate Vice President for Business Affairs and Comptroller at The
University of Texas at El Paso, I learned that college tuition increases
can be attributed to many factors, including that of the money that is
required to pay professors and the maintenance of the buildings on
campus. I also looked into the higher education systems in European
countries which grant education to students at no cost. Through books
and graphic representations, I discussed the notable differences
between higher education in European countries and that of in the
United States.
Introduction
Truly, one never really realizes the serious implications of
attending collegeinstead, one envisions that the long-lasting impacts
will be positive. It is not until we find ourselves actually attending
college and funding for our own education that we actually realize
other long-lasting effects that acquiring a higher education will leave
us with; and for a lot of us, thats debt. Considering that I truly desire
and am planning to attend graduate school, I was prompted to
research the implications that will be establish upon my life once I
graduate. It also made me ponder whether or not I will be able to pay
for a graduate program without taking out a loanprobably not
possible. Therefore, I am sure that most college students such as me,
are also greatly concerned with whether or not they will be able to
complete their education and if they will be left with a career that will
be able to provide them with money to pay back their debts as well as
support them financially with their daily expenses. This also led me to
wonder the following: Why is college tuition continuously on the rise in
the U.S.? Why can we not acquire a higher education at no financial
cost, such as students in Europe? I decided to conduct research on this
matter, and in order to amplify it I decided to formulate the following
questions of inquiry:
in Europe institutions?
College tuition prices increasing over time affect our country and
the people living in it in many different waysit affects our health,
economy, and intellectual abilities. The fact that some people cannot
afford to attend college because it has become too expensive truly
limits the potential in so many individuals. Thus, I have conducted
primary and secondary research in order to answer my research
questions about the effects of rising college tuition prices on college
students and our country, as well as in comparison to other countries
such as Europe.
Review of Literature
Through conducting an interview with the Associate Vice
President for Business Affairs and Comptroller at The University of
Texas at El Paso, Mr. Anthony Turrietta, I was able to acquire
information in regards to the cost of attending college. According to Mr.
Turrietta, In the last two years, tuition has not increased at The
University of Texas at El Paso. Only some small fees, such as of those
for identification cards have increased at UTEP but Dr. Natalicio has
made it an effort to maintain UTEPs tuition at a flat rate. However,
Mr. Turrietta informed me that there are several reasons college tuition
is continuously on the rise in other states in our country and they can
NTHSCounselingBlogandNewsOutlet.(August29.2013).RetrievedApril8,2015.
Phillips,M.(2013,May31).TheHighPriceofaFreeCollegeEducationinSweden.RetrievedApril15,
2015.
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students, however, might feel the complete opposite; they must feel a
sense of relief (that education is free or affordable), happiness, and
might even feel more motivated to attain a higher education.
The documentary film found on YouTube, called Scholarslip: A
documentary about the student debt crisis, focuses on discussing the
increasing college tuition for students and how students continue to
struggle to pay for college tuition with minimum-wage jobs and loans,
leaving them with great amounts of debt. This documentary film
presents 3 anecdotes from college students who struggle to pay their
way through college and still manage to succeed, but will be left with
great amounts of debt. The film provides statistics displaying that
students who come from families that make an annual income of
$150,000 have a 75% chance of graduating with a higher education
degree versus those students who come from a family with an annual
income of $30,000 or less which have a 25% chance of graduating with
that same higher education degree. Thus, income plays a great part in
determining an individuals career and future.
Conclusion
Through the primary and secondary research that I conducted, I
have come to the conclusion that acquiring a higher education degree
should not demand the individual to give up so much, for such a long
time, in exchange for something that in the long run will be less. If we
have the will, motivation, and enthusiasm to pursue something
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References
Boehner, J. A., & McKeon, H. P. (2003). The College Cost Crisis: A
Congressional Analysis of College Costs and Implications for
America's Higher Education System.
Corazzini, A. J., Dugan, D. J., & Grabowski, H. G. (1972). Determinants
and distributional aspects of enrollment in US higher education.
Journal of Human Resources, 39-59.
Eicher, J. C. (1998). The costs and financing of higher education in
Europe.European Journal of Education, 31-39.
Guy, H., & Jette, K. (2000). Trends and issues in learning structures in
higher education in Europe. Bonn, HRK.
Hauptman, A. M., & Merisotis, J. P. (1990). The College Tuition Spiral: An
Examination of Why Charges Are Increasing. Macmillan
Publishing Co., 866 Third Ave., New York, NY 10022.
NTHS Counseling Blog and News Outlet. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://nthscounseling.blogspot.com/2013_08_01_archive.html
Phillips, M. (2013, May 31). The High Price of a Free College Education
in Sweden. Retrieved from
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/05/thehigh-price-of-a-free-college-education-in-sweden/276428/
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