College
A Chronicle of Higher Education article states that only 34 percent of high-achieving high-school seniors in the bottom quarter of family income went to one of the 238 most selective colleges, compared with 78 percent of students from the top quarter (Markell). Certainly, these numbers show that students that come from low income families aren’t getting the opportunities that they deserve. With college costs going nowhere but up, students from low-income families face tough decisions. Some students choose to attend community college while some make the decision to take out additional loans. There are also those who choose to drop out because they can no longer sustain the cost of college. Those who don’t have the money to go to a selective college are often not reaching their full potential. Therefore, college cost should be lowered so that more people can have the opportunity to get higher education.
Such a push is needed; firstly, due to the continuous rise in tuition, higher education is becoming less and less affordable for low-income students. According to the Journal of College Admission, from 1982 to 2007, college tuition and fees increased by 439 percent, while median family income increased by 147 percent. Last year, the net cost at four-year public universities amounted to 28 percent of median family income, while a four-year private college or university consumed 76 percent of median family income (Mahoney). These numbers show that college cost has risen at a rate that has consistently outpaced the median family income and also inflation. Patrick Callan, president of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, states, “If we go on this way for another 25 years, we won’t have an affordable system of higher education”(Callan). Essentially, if college cost doesn’t stop increasing it will become unaffordable and many will choose not to get higher education. Furthermore, there are many students who aren’t getting the opportunity that
Such a push is needed; firstly, due to the continuous rise in tuition, higher education is becoming less and less affordable for low-income students. According to the Journal of College Admission, from 1982 to 2007, college tuition and fees increased by 439 percent, while median family income increased by 147 percent. Last year, the net cost at four-year public universities amounted to 28 percent of median family income, while a four-year private college or university consumed 76 percent of median family income (Mahoney). These numbers show that college cost has risen at a rate that has consistently outpaced the median family income and also inflation. Patrick Callan, president of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, states, “If we go on this way for another 25 years, we won’t have an affordable system of higher education”(Callan). Essentially, if college cost doesn’t stop increasing it will become unaffordable and many will choose not to get higher education. Furthermore, there are many students who aren’t getting the opportunity that
Cited: Clark, Kim. “How much does college actually cost?” cnn.com. CNN. Web. 24 November 2013. Johnson, Jenna. “Majority of college dropouts cite financial struggles as main cause.” The Washington Post. The Washington Post, 8 December 2009. Web. 24 November 2013. Lewin, Tamar. “College Dropouts Cite Low Money and High Stress.” New York Times. New York Times, 9 December 2009. Web. 24 November 2013. Mahoney, John L. "Thoughts In Troubled Times." Journal Of College Admission 209 (2010): 4-6. Academic Search Complete. Web. 24 November 2013. Markell, Jack. "How To Give Low-Income Students The Chance They Deserve." Chronicle Of Higher Education 60.6 (2013): A27.Academic Search Complete. Web. 24 November 2013. Obama, Barack H. “President Obama on Early Childhood Education.” Remarks by the President on Early Childhood Education. Decatur Community Recreation Center, Decatur, Georgia. 14 February 2013. Perez-Pena, Richard. “Efforts to Recruit Poor Students Lag at Some Elite Colleges.” New York Times. New York Times, 30 July 2013. Web. 24 November 2013. Porter, Eduardo. “Dropping Out of College, and Paying the Price.” New York Times. New York Times, 25 June 2013. Web. 24 November 2013.