Is College Worth the Costs? Essay

Higher gentility cant be a luxury, its an economic imperative that every family in America should be sufficient to afford. These be the words spoken on the 2012 campaign haul by president Barack Obama, on the importance of high education. The hail for a college education is a self-aggrandising conversation in umpteen American homes, as well as in Washington. Families atomic number 18 deciding if they pull up s asks be able to send their children to college due the high and rising equal of a college percentage point. Sadly, close to of them be choosing to bypass college because they confide that the price is besides high. Those who believe college is no longer worthy the m geniusy think the adventure of non bechanceing a task is too high, the achieve out of debt incurred is ridiculous, and the financial effects on the thriftiness be devastating. Although many of these points atomic number 18 true, college graduates die hard to live longer, happier lives, a re in better financial standing, and fill the slender demands of skilled professions.College guardianship prices have change magnitude rapidly over the past(a) few decades, putting a damper on the idea of attending. In the pass away decade alone, tuition and room and board prices have increased by 23% at private institutions, and 36% at macrocosm ones (Mandel 1). Its to be expected that since the price of al well-nigh(prenominal) of everything has increased the last decade due to the economy, that education would too. alone, the hike in the price of college tuition has surpassed inflation, making it difficult for almost all middle class Americans to pay a higher education. The argument, though, is non if families can afford to send their children to college its if they believe that a college education is inactive worth the high cost it entails. Despite the increases in education costs, higher education is tacit important, though it may be harder to obtain.The findy com mercial enterprise commercialise is a discernment students are choosing to bypass college. Along with high tuition prices, the job market for recent graduates is unstable. In the previous 2012 presidential election, a big report in the live debates were that recent college graduates were unable to find jobs in their field, and if they did, most of the time they were most of the time,underp attending. This is a scary situation that graduates hope they neer have to chain reactor with. New graduates are hoping for a solid job upon graduating from college to pay for their previous iv years, and to start their careers and lives. The problem can be summarized by the statement, Indeed, 60 percent of the increased college graduate population mingled with 1992 and 2008 ended up in these lower skilled jobs, raising significant questions nearly the desirability of pushing to increase the proportion of Americans attending and graduating from four year colleges and universities (Duke 3) .If graduating from college means spending thousands of dollars to end up with the same job you would have if you didnt go to college, the great unwashed are asking, what is the point? to a greater extent people are starting to realize this, and though students are still attending college, they are thinking hard about the possible risk of not getting the job of their choice after graduating. Sadly, some of them are turning down college because of the worry of not being able to find a job.Of course there are risks with every decision soul makes, and by attending college one is at risk of not conclusion a open position in their field and having to settle for something less. But there are also risks of not attending college. These risk impinge on on the health and well-being of ones self. Whether or not one finds the right job after graduating, the education and skills acquired still stays throughout their life. This involves learning and practicing vigorous habits. Studies have s hown that those who earn college degrees are such(prenominal)(prenominal) plausibly to live happier healthier lives than those who dont. A report done by the Commission on Heath say that those with more(prenominal) education are akinly to live longer, experience better health outcomes, and practice healthy behaviors like exercise, avoiding smoking, and getting regular checkups (The adroit State 7).Those who are exceedingly educated, have learned the importance of health and wellness, and usually live lives that ruminate that. Living a healthier life includes living longer, seeking more prosperous relationships, and having better community connections. Pew Research on amicable and Demographic Trends, found that those who have graduated college are significantly happier than those depart a high school diploma or less (argon We Happy Yet?). So although the risk of not finding a job after graduating is very real, one should consider therisk of not attending school.Unfortunat ely, people tend to think more about wealthiness and not health when deciding whether or not to pursue a college degree. Students are accumulating massive debt, causing some to believe a higher education is not worth the large loans they are crashd to take out. With higher tuition bills, students are have to take out more loans, leaving them with a large debt to pay after graduating. In 2012, the number loan debt for college graduates was $27,000, which is more than double from five years ago (Ross 7).No one wants to start their careers with an overwhelming amount of loan debt. Therefore, many students are justified in skipping college to jump straight into a job where the property they will be making will not have to go toward paid off school debt. A $27,000 debt upon graduating is not usually a selling point for prospective students deciding if attending college is a new decision.To help cut down on the amount of loans one has to take out, universities are generous with fina ncial aid. A majority of students earn some sort of financial aid, whether it be academic or need based. These financial grants and scholarships can significantly number the amount of bullion needed to pay a college education. In a study done on Dickinson College, in 2007 the average discount rate for first-years was 30 percent. It was also states that the average at liberal arts colleges is 40 percent (Massa and Parker 94). So, even though the students are forced to take out more loans to pay for college, obtaining financial aid by doing well in high school can reduce the amount needed to pay for college.Along with cutting down on expenses by taking advantage of financial aid awards, earning more cash in a lifetime is a smart reason to go to college. College graduates make significantly more money in their lifetime. Though many high school graduates are eager to start making money, investment time and money into a college degree will end up being a bigger pay out in the end. T he amount of money earned in a lifetime with a degree exceeds the amount of loans that one owes. According to the research done, college graduates earn, on average, about $20,000 a year more than those whofinished their educations at high school.Add that up over a 40-year working life and the total differential is about $800,000 (Clark 3). Even though there are rare cases where students end up making a large amount of money without a college degree, like Microsoft founder Bill Gates, the chances of one finding a high paying job without a college education is slim. So even though incur debt is unattractive, the amount of money earned by obtaining a college degree is worth having to pay hold up down college loans.An effect of borrowing so much money from the government and not finding a decent job, students are not able to make loan payments. This not save hurts the students but the economy as a whole. When graduates are not able to pay back the money they owe, the federal governme nt suffers and loses money. The delinquencies of student loans is now higher than credit entry cards, mortgages, and all other kinds of consumer loans. The federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has stated that student debt has surpassed $1 trillion (Coy 1). As the economy incurs more of this debt, taxpayers are forced to pay more. This issue has greatly impacted not only students and their families, but the older generations. Other generations now believe that students are not able to pay their school debt, convincing them that college is not worth the ample amount of debt that affects not only the graduates.Although it is true that defaulted loans hurt the economy, the nation still needs skilled employees with college degrees to fill critical professions. These graduates play a big role in the furthering of society. It is no new information most people believe a college education is the first step in become successful. Many believe an education opens doors and opportuniti es in the world to become prosperous. In fact, President Obama has greatly promoted higher education during his terms. He even donated most of his $1.4 million Nobel Peace Prize Award to support those who cannot afford a college education (Beaver 21). America needs higher educated people to make advancements in technology, medicine, and relations. Imagine for a moment that everyone decided that a college education was not worth it.Yes, the economy would not acquire as much debt, but who would continue to makeadvancements in science, treat the sick, or deal with foreign nations? Nations around the world are competing with the United States academically as a result of this, countries like China, are making strides economically and technologically, competing with the U.S. as the worlds largest super power. A economic crisis like the one the United States is in now requires highly skilled professionals and leaders to make smart and hard-hitting decisions to better the country. These pr ofessionals are produced through higher education and association. Without college graduates, there is no hope for bettering society.So, is college worth the costs? Many skeptical people believe that today it isnt. Because of the risky job market, where recent college graduates are not able to find a job, or at least one in their field of study, students have chosen to skip college. Also, students are finding themselves fight to afford the high tuition prices of most universities. The high tuition bills force students to rely on loans to pay for a degree, and when they cannot find jobs to pay back those loans, they default on those loans hurting themselves and the economy.These reasons have caused families to rethink attending college, and although they are legitimate reasons, there are still important reasons as to why college is worth the investment. It has been shown that those with a college education live happier, healthier lives. Graduates make significantly more money in a l ifetime and are more financially stable. Lastly, people with higher education are essential for the country. Their knowledge makes the advancements needed to maintain a prosperous nation. Health, money, and social progression is why investment of a college education is worth the cost, even if the price is high. workings CitedBeaver, William. Do We Need More College Graduates?. Society 47.4 (2010) 308-311. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013. Clark, Kim. How Much Is That College Degree Really Worth? US News. U.S.News & World Report, 30 Oct. 2008. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. College Grads Happier.Pew Social Demographic Trends RSS. Pew Research Center, 3 Nov. 2010. Web. 02 Dec. 2013. Coy, Peter. The Needless Tragedy Of Student Loan Defaults. Businessweek.Com (2012) 3. Business Source Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013. Duke, Selwyn. DIPLOMADISASTER? (Cover Story). New American (08856540) 29.15 (2013) 10-15. Academic Search Complete. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. Mandel, Michael. College Rising Costs, Dimin ishing Returns. Businessweek 4148 (2009) 20. Business Source Complete. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. Massa, Robert J., and Annette S. Parker. Fixing the can Tuition Revenue Dilemma The Dickinson College Story.Strategic Financial Challenges for Higher teaching method How to Achieve Quality, Accountability, and Innovation. By Donna Klinger and Lucie Lapovsky. San Francisco, CA Jossey-Bass, 2008. 93-94. Print. Ross, Andrew. 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