‘Mooh-lah’, ‘Benjamins’, ‘Greenbacks’, ‘Cash’, ‘Dough’, ‘Money’- Whatever name it may be called, money is something on the mind of almost any adult, and more recently, any high school senior.
While that might sound trivial- of course everyone wants money, spends money, and earns money- this is not a discussion of spending comfortably or learning how to spend responsibly. This is about the possibility of becoming trapped in unavoidable debt.
I can’t speak for my readers, but I know for me, as a high school senior, I don’t want to start out my young adult life trapped in a mountain of debt from student loans.
Unfortunately, this is something becoming all too common due to the skyrocketing price of college tuition.
According to The Project for Student Debt, the most recent data from the graduating class of 2011 shows that two-thirds of students have student loan debt, with an average of 26,600 dollars borrowed.
Why is this happening? College is supposed to be standard now. It’s uncommon to find an employer outside the retail or food service industry that will hire someone without a college education.
If the demands for college-educated students are higher than ever, why are colleges making it harder to get through and survive life after a student’s education?
When all the dots are connected, the issue comes back to two things: widespread decreases in state funding and the recession.
The recession seems to be the catch-all phrase for the past few years. Got a problem? Blame it on the recession. The recession should not be an excuse for states having their priorities out of line. Why decrease funding on college education when it gives students the tools and knowledge to go out into the world and do something that could stimulate the economy, like start a small business?
Instead, this decrease in funding is causing schools to cut down on money that they use to buy better equipment for students to use in classrooms and money that they offer for scholarships.
Yes, schools can still offer a 20,000 dollar scholarship over four years- but that makes a small dent when it’s 20,000 dollars for just one year of college. That minimum wage job that was supposed to help– it’s something, but it still won’t bypass the loan.
High profile people in education are starting to notice this issue as well. Education secretary Arne Duncan said in June 2012, “If the costs [of tuition] keep on rising, especially at a time when family incomes are hurting, college will become increasingly unaffordable for the middle class.”
Yep, I would say that’s about right.
This type of information is enough to make any one turn that lovely color of money-green, when thinking about this issue.
But know this: there is light at the end of the tunnel.
With the right amount of research, taking into consideration in-state versus out-of-state school and under-represented majors, it is possible to find a school that will offer a deal that won’t break the bank. It requires time, but it will literally pay off. So, choose wisely.
