Position / Proposal Paper
Ryan Hermansen
4/15/2011
Dr. Frank
Should we legally limit the rate of grown in college tuition?
Take a moment and imagine yourself in this situation. You have received an invitation to something that could completely change your life, get you out of your old job, and start you off on a new path to a brighter future. You find out, this great reward lies at the bottom of a pit, and the only requirement is you have to shovel your way down to get it; sounds simple enough so you accept. You are taken to a hot, dry, shade-stricken dessert and told that these would be your working conditions, with a menacing grin flaunted, they hand you a shovel and say ‘good luck’. For months and slowly into years, your life turns into a repetitious cycle of a sweaty brow, raw-blistered palms gripping a cracked wood handled shovel trying to dig this promising pit in the hot vindictive sun. Tirelessly and aimlessly in an attempt to get another section removed you push yourself to shovel; but you soon realize there’s a catch to this so called ‘life changing treasure’. By the time you have taken five sections out, ten more scoops have already been added in by the same individuals who handed you the shovel and recruited you for this journey.
is not one of a kind however, with the rise of students, has come the unwanted friend in the group, rise in tuition. In some respects, this is an inevitable consequence and must rightfully happen, but an agreement must be made, to what extent do we tolerate that schools are being compensated fairly for their services? So far, no one in an elevated or liable position has come out of the bullpen to step up to the plate to answer these ‘daunting’ questions. As citizens, tax payers, and those who fund the tuition in the first place (students), we have the right to answers regarding public frustration and concern on the matter, especially to that of students whose opinions seem a mere side note during the few times this discussion takes place.
For the past two decades, it has been an understanding that education simply comes with a price tag, and a little hard work along the way to pay for it. There is no argument in this, however, what students and their supportive parents are expected to give in the process of bettering themselves, needs to sustain reason. “College tuition continues to outpace family income and the price of other necessities, such as medical care, food and housing," the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education said. In other words, students and families are having to dig those same pits, but compensate for the larger amounts being thrown back in from those at the top. In a CNN article:
"The nation's colleges and universities have become less affordable for students and their families since the early 1990s," it said. "This year continues the trend in deteriorating college affordability in the majority of states."In most states, the percentage of an average family's income used for a public four-year college -- after financial aid -- has increased, the report said. "On average, students from working and poor families must pay 40 percent of family income to enroll in public four-year colleges. Students from middle-income families and upper-income families must pay 25 percent and 13 percent of family income, respectively."
The disturbing reality of, expectations to stretch those already paper thin pennies farther than ever before, however is nothing new to the many American students, present and past. For years, Utah has been pure to this problem and known as a low-tuition state, but with the considerate aid of law makers and administrative bloat at many of our neighboring universities, consistent tuition increases have quickly caught us up with the rest of the nation. In a recent Deseret News report, Utah's tuition for higher education has grown at a rapid rate of 8 and 9 percent per year in the past five years alone, compared to a moderate 4% seen by the rest of the nation, and is expected to increase by the same rate for the next five.
The effects that these problems pose to students are endless in number, and truthfully unreasonable. According to a 2008 report by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, “One in five college students will drop out due to the high cost of tuition”. With the state budget becoming tighter and cutting costs at the top of everyone’s mind, the stated figures are sure to rise and do so at the cost of the average 18-25 year old students. This shift in support is changing the whole infrastructure on the idea of school being “affordable” and “achievable”. Rising tuition costs are not something that can be thrown onto the backs our youth, especially when the value of the end product is not yielding better results than were being earned five years ago at a lower pay-in cost. When interviewing 22 year old Cassandra Smith, a Salt Lake Community College student, “Although I work thirty plus hours per week, it wouldn’t be enough, on top of rent, a car payment etc.. to pay for college if it weren’t for the help of scholarships and other means. In fact, I probably wouldn’t be able to go if that were the case.” These circumstances are very relatable to most students in the transition between high school graduate to adulthood, living pay check to paycheck simply trying to get by.
There are several steps we can take to, at the very minimum, slow down this runaway freight train known as college tuition. One proposal that has been anxiously anticipated by students young and old is the accessibility of better priced student loans. Owing more money with accumulated interest in the end, these financial chains have haunted individuals for many years after their graduation day; along with their college diploma, student loans are one of the only other souvenirs from college that stay around. Another impact that could shake the world of university establishment could be in the minds of the future students they will host. Informing high school and junior high students, of the benefits of Advanced Placement (AP) and concurrent enrollment classes, could accelerate their academic status by two or three semesters, a savings of close to $6000 and an invaluable edge to stay competitive in the market. Thirdly, federal aid in the form of grants and scholarships has seen no increase in revenue for the past ten years. With more and more students applying for this funding, this money, like a person carrying a pack too heavy, is expected to go much farther than its capabilities allow.
In conclusion, action must be taken to devise appropriate and balanced guidelines by which tuition at our various institutions should be tolerated. By 2025, the middle class and below is expected to be priced out of this opportunity. With technology moving forward, everyone should have an opportunity to advance their educational background and enhance their intellectual interests. From your wallet now or down the road, the weight of this issue will in the end catch up with every American by means of tax dollars and private support of children we might have. If economic inflation continues at its current pace, the price of tuition may skyrocket to further heights, leading to a problem that ‘could affect the United States' global competitiveness’. So ask yourself, do your children or future grandkids deserve the chance to attend college when it comes their time? I believe that they do, and we must prepare the way now, so the door of education will be a reality and not a mere children’s fantasy.