Essay Example about Is College Worth the Cost?

Some people like to point out that college is and is not worth the hassle. Whether that may be the cost, quality of education, freedom of choice, affect on our economy, and the workforce.  Among these factors, choosing to go to college is a significant decision that affects the rest of your life.

College is necessary and without it we could be living in a world with people who do not like to explore different possibilities and are not open to new ideas. In the report from Pew Social & Demographic Trends, Americans value character, work ethic, and social skills more than college. But, there is a push for students to go to college straight out of high school , and this is a good thing. The Majority of college graduates, “-86%- say that college has been a good investment for them personally” (Pew Social). Students that go to college experience what it feels like to be independent. They take the weight and the responsibilities of being an adult. Students at college create a schedule that fits them best and use it later in life to deal with time management.  But more importantly they are able to develop into the person that they want to be.

Furthermore, college students get the privilege of having a well rounded education. These students can freely choose their path and be flexible when it comes to what career they want to explore. From the knowledge and resources that they are given, they may explore the possibilities for the future. Micheal Roth states, ¨The development of the capacities for  critical inquiry associated with liberal learning can be enormously practical because they become resources on which to draw for continual learning, for making decisions in one's life, and for making a difference in the world¨ (Par. 2). This further explains that students going to college are susceptible to new and relevant ideas and they are able to choose their life decisions based on education and previous experiences.

On the other hand, colleges make it difficult for our workforce. Many trade jobs are becoming available, and they are not being taken. Our workforce will diminish due to empty jobs and from college graduates who can’t do anything with their degree. Today there are too many people who have degrees and there are not enough jobs for those who have them.. Matthew Crawford reports that, “We praise people who do work that is straightforwardly useful, the praise often betrays an assumption that they had no other options. We idealize them as the salt of the earth and emphasize the sacrifice for others their work may entail” (Par. 2). We  put people who don’t have a college degree at a lower value than people who do. Overall, this hurts the amount of people who choose to go into a trade rather than go to college. Trade jobs do not have a lesser value than those jobs that require a degree.

But with this problem there are more jobs open in the workforce, and many will be better off with a degree than without one. Just by having a degree, in a job where a degree is not needed, you would get a job over someone that does not have one. With this being said, you would also make more money, and be recognized as educated and intellectual. David Leonhardt states, “Construction workers, police officers, plumbers, retail salespeople and secretaries, among others, make significantly more with a degree than without one… education helps people do higher-skilled work, get jobs with better paying companies or open their own businesses” (Par. 10). So just by earning a degree you are seen as more valuable. Many see education as a way to graph how people can think and how they can solve problems more efficiently, with a degree workers are able to be offered a better paying job.

The biggest factor why people decide not to go to college is because it is too expensive for them to afford. Many families can't give up large amounts of money to pay for education and to take out a loan. They fear that they will not be able to pay it back and that they will end up being too far in debt . According to Samantha Fields, “Today, roughly 70% of American students end up taking out loans to go to college. The average graduate leaves school with around $30,000 in debt … 45 million Americans owe $1.6 trillion in student loans — and counting” (Par. 5). Many think it's not worth taking the risk.  By taking out a loan they are signing a contract that they will be paying it back for a very long time. So by deciding to not go to college they believe they are making a better choice.

But in reality, college is not as expensive as people think. There are multiple ways that someone could pay for college. Apply for grants, look into FAFSA and apply for multiple scholarships. Also according to Judith Scott-Clayton, “sticker prices and net prices have diverged over the past several years… many students are actually paying less now to attend college than they would have five years ago…this is the result of a 40 percent increase in grant aid and a 78 percent increase in tax-based aid. The average full-time undergraduate now receives about $6,500 annually in grant aid and nearly $1,000 in tax-based aid to help defray tuition and fees.” (Par. 3). With aid, many students could pay off some of their college debt. Most students should not only rely on the help of financial aid, grant aid, or tax aid. They should also invest their time in applying for scholarships. By doing so they can scratch off a chunk of the costs. To pay for college it’s not that difficult, just apply yourself. 

Going to college and applying for all sorts of scholarships, aids, and grants can be challenging but in the end they are worth it. On top of that, if you are hoping to pay less for college, apply yourself in high school. Colleges will award students that have higher grades and high test scores. They take into consideration your academic successes and offer an amount based on your accomplishments. By applying yourself in high school, you can make it easier to reach your goals.

People agree and disagree on whether college is worth the cost . But we can agree that college brings some good ideas forward. Colleges have been more beneficial than they  have been detrimental. They bring higher pay for everyone, teach you time management, allow the population to think differently, provide a well-rounded education, generate experiences that last a lifetime, and allow people to choose their own path. Hopefully in our future we can be united as one and produce a workforce and a population that is able to think openly and willingly to accept changes and new ideas.