En 102 - the Steady Increase in College Cost

Nashara Barlatier

En 102

10/27/11

The Steady Increase in college cost

College is an essential stage in ones future. Everyone in the world recognizes with a college degree you can get very far in your dream profession, nevertheless countless have fail to attend college because they simply cannot meet the expenses of a college education.

Talented, intelligent young students are struggling to pay for school. The high cost for a college education is on a steady increase. Students as well as their families are questioning if they are going to afford each year. An article on npr.org by Larry Abramson "Why Is College So Expensive?" states "Many of the protesters occupying Wall Street and other places say they are upset about the rising price of going to college. Tuition and other costs have been going up faster than inflation, and family incomes can't keep up. Despite public outrage about the problem, there's little sign these costs will drop anytime soon."

It's no secret that financing a college education is getting tougher. College costs have skyrocketed over the past decade or so, and there's no relief in sight. Average tuition at four-year colleges will increase 7 percent this school year, double the rate of inflation. Student aid is not increasing fast enough to plug the growing gap between tuition and family finances. In addition, there is a growing number of older students entering college today. An article on npr.org by Larry Abramson "Why Is College So Expensive?" states "If you are a veteran of a public university, the jump in tuition at your alma mater might be downright jaw-dropping. Tuition at the University of California, Berkeley, was about $700 a year back in the 1970s. Today, U.C. Berkeley students have to fork over around $15,000 per year. That's a 2,000 percent increase." He also goes on stating "The problem is compounded because people are less able to pay. Incomes are stagnant, some parents are unemployed, and many can no longer get low-interest home-equity loans because home values have fallen." There are several different kinds of government programs that are available that people are not aware of and should be knowledgeable about. Such as subside loans, scholarships, grants and etc... Many of these programs do not cover the cost of tuition or the other fees nor provide the adequate amount of money like they were before. A web article by Kim Clark "College Costs Climb, Yet Again Tuition, Fees Rising As Income Has Fallen For Many" states "Although more Americans are getting help from scholarships and tax breaks, the net cost of college is eating up a higher share of the typical family's income in 2011, according to a report released Wednesday." Another web article on College