The Rising Cost Of College Tuition

How long do you expect it to take to pay off your student loans? For all of us tangled in the extensive accumulation of college debt, we hope to exterminate the dues as soon as possible. College provides the opportunity for young adults to expand their intellectual capacities and discover what they can do to contribute to the world. This opportunity does not come free, however. The overall cost of attending college has increased to a point that makes paying for college extremely difficult and appear to be nearly impossible. Graduating high school students are pushed away from the idea of going to college, simply due to fact that it is tremendously expensive. The financial barriers that accompany a college education create a challenging obstacle
The cost of tuition varies between institutions, but no matter where you go, the price is always increasing. It is an issue that occurs nationwide. According to the United State Department of Education, public higher education costs rose by 30% and private higher education costs increased 21% from 1995 to 2005 (qtd. in Raikes 310). There are several factors that contribute to the rising cost of tuition. Vice President Tamara Draut of Demos, a national public policy and research organization based in New York City, describes paying for college as a “debt-for-diploma
Some colleges and universities make it mandatory to room on campus the first year for non-commuters. With a dorm room, it is almost always mandatory that a student purchases a very pricey meal plan. William Zinsser, author of “College Pressures,” declares, “Everything is up. Deficits are up. We are witnessing in America the creation of a brotherhood of paupers-colleges, parents, and students, joined by the common bond of debt” (211). In addition to tuition, room, board, and textbook costs, the necessary expenditures for everyday functioning are going up and worsening student debt situations. An example of this would be the fluctuating gasoline prices. Students who commute to college will find themselves spending a great deal of money each week on gas. Colleges resort to increasing their prices to deal with the issue of rising costs, which creates a chain reaction afflicting students and parents: students are becoming deeper into debt and parents are losing money attempting to support their money-deprived children. This formulates a common struggle between colleges, students and