1. Andrew Paladino
Unit 3 Assignment
Affordable Tuition Draft
Why is College so Expensive?
When an individual gained the ability to better his or her curriculum through
higher education, trends in the number of people that attended college changed
drastically. More importantly, however, trends in one’s ability to afford college
fluctuated at an incredible rate. In the beginning of the 19th century, institutes that
promoted higher education in America advocated strictly for those who were
wealthy enough to afford such learning. America was not yet ready to provide
education that was cheap enough or even suitable enough for those who belonged to
a lesser social class. In today’s society, one can simply look at the foundation of
education as an incredible basis for our nation. It is abnormal today to know of an
individual who has grown up on little to no education at all. Although we have taken
outstanding steps in promoting the availability of higher education, the cost of
college has risen, prompting conversations about how one affords it. College tuition
in America is rising at an incredibly fast rate. These increases have outpaced the
economic inflation rate as well as the increase in the median family income
(Bloomberg, 2014). It is urgent that tuition in America be lessened in cost in order
to accommodate for the current economic recession as well as for the minimization
of the gap between the rich and the poor.
2. As higher education in the early 20th century was only suitable for those who
were wealthy, the dawn of the World War Era is what ultimately changed the face of
higher learning in America. When men began to enter the war, the introduction of
the G. I Bill of Rights ultimately allowed them tuition advantages to institutions
across the nation. (Claudio Sanches, NPR, 2014) They would serve their time in the
military and also have the ability to get an incredible education when they got out.
This routine became very popular among the average male. As decades of war in
America followed the two World Wars, the G. I. Bill became an even greater resource
to the average American male. As the G.I. Bill allowed for the education of men, it
gave light to the war on equality for woman and minorities and in 1965; the Equality
Act was passed followed soon after by the higher education act. These documents
allowed women to finally have the access to higher education.
As a result of the increasing popularity of attending college, large numbers of
Americans flocked to campuses around the nation at a tremendous rate. The
booming economy that followed many wars allowed the government to spend an
enormous amount of money in order to expand higher education. According to John
Thelin, a history professor a the University of Kentucky, “the biggest problem that
was facing governors and legislators was, could we build campuses fast
enough?”(Claudio Sanchez, NPR, 2014). When it seemed that the promotion of
higher education was at it’s climax, many thought that not much would change to
the system itself. It wasn’t until around the 70’s or 80’s those trends in college
tuition allowed for the creation of a new type of conflict surrounding the rise in
tuition that even today has yet to wear itself out.
3. In an article written for the New York Times highlighting the trends
surrounding the increase in tuition, Tamar Lewin pinpointed the years 1982
through 2007. Throughout that span of time especially leading up to current times,
college tuition rose by an outstanding 439% (New York Times, 2008). What’s even
more astounding about the financial trend is that the average American income rate
throughout those years only rose by a trifling 147% (New York Times, 2008). As a
consequence to these results, Patrick M. Callan, president of an organization that
promotes an individual’s ability to receive higher education, articulated that if the
trend continues for the next 25 years, America would no longer be able to afford
college. In addition to the comparisons between the rise in tuition as opposed to the
rise in median income, there is also a link between tuition and inflation. In the past
several decades, the increasing rate of tuition has outstripped the inflation rate by
3%(LA Times, 1998).
With all the unfortunate statistics that have been related the issue of tuition
increase, many ask, “why does tuition still continue to rise?” This is one of the
money questions that have puzzled Americans for years. In a recent article written
by Ronald Ehrenberg of Cornell University, five key elements are proposed as to
why colleges cannot lower their tuition costs. The first element proposed by
Ehrenberg is “The Winner Take All Society” that discusses how Institutions around
America want to provide the best quality in education possible for it’s students
regardless of how much it will cost. The second element in Ehrenberg’s case is the
“Shared Governance” aspect of universities. This aspect discusses how private
college administrators, trustees, chancellors, and even faculty are all apart of one
4. large decision process when it comes time to implement new policies. As a result of
this shared governance, Ehrenberg states “selective private institutions will be slow
to react to cost pressures”(Ehrenberg, Tuition Rising).
The third factor proposed by Ehrenberg that has drastically affected tuition
costs is various “Federal Government Policies”. These policies have negatively
contributed to the issue in several ways. Ehrenburg exclaims, “The Justice
Department’s breakup of the collective agreement of several institutions to target
their financial aid students with the greatest need has led to the increased use of
merit and more expensive financial aid packages.” (Ehrenberg, Tuition Rising)
Another major factor through which the government has negatively influenced
tuition decrease is the current value of the Basic Education Opportunity Grant or the
(BEOG). The writer explains “maximum value” of the grant has not kept pace with
the rate of inflation (Ehrenberg, Tuition Rising). Finally the government has not
provided universities with the funding needed for research, which has become an
incredible expense in the past few decades.
The two final elements proposed by Ehrenburg that had negatively affected
tuition decrease are “Published Rankings of Institutions” and “How Universities
Organize Themselves”. Because college rankings are loosely based on how much
money each institution is willing to spend on any individual student, funding is often
maximized to ensure that a school is ranked as highly as possible. Finally, how a
university is organized in terms of how the schools budget is distributed in each
working part can greatly affect how a university lowers its tuition.
5. With all of the factors proposed by Ehrenburg that have played a significant
role in college affordability, what have students across the nation done as a result?
On campuses across the nation, there has been a prominent trend in activism and
protest that ultimately voices each student’s opinion on why college is too
expensive. In recent months, activism across the state of Oregon has become
popular. Complaints have arisen surrounding the fact that the average college
student in the state itself graduates with a debt of $25,000(Rolling Stone, 2013). In
addition to this proven fact, in accordance with the Oregon Student Association,
tuition awards distributed to students each year are lessening in cost. The Oregon
Opportunity Grant, a financial award distributed to only 20% of applicants across
the state, provides a student with $1,950 per year, only a quarter of what it costs
attend school (Rolling Stone, 2013).
In a recent article published last spring by the Daily Orange, a student-run
newspaper organization for Syracuse University, the “I Am Not a Loan” campaign is
introduced. The campaign’s goal is to get universities across the nation to commit to
the long-term goal of decreasing tuition for each and every student. Although many
universities have begun committing to this campaign, Syracuse University has not.
According to Kay DeVesty, the university’s director of financial aid, “Student loans
are the biggest problem.” DeVesty quotes, “about 75% of our students are on some
form of financial aid, and the majority of those students have a student loan.”
(Melina Martino, Daily Orange, 2012) It would only make sense, in accordance to
these statistics, that Syracuse takes part in the “I Am Not A Loan” campaign.
6. One final example of campus activism regarding the case of affordable tuition
is currently taking place across the state of California. Students of the University of
California (main campus), as well as students of many of the branch campuses, have
been participating in numerous strikes that have taken the form of sit-ins. At the
University of California, Berkeley, over hundreds of students have occupied Wheeler
Hall. The sit-in is primarily a result to a vote made by the UC Board of Regents to
raise tuition by a rate of 5% for the next 5 years (Lydia O’Conner, Huffington Post,
2014). According to the article, the increases have been the result of increased state
funding.
As a result to the growth in activism that has been directly related to increase
in tuition over the past few decades, President Obama has attempted to target
solutions. Throughout the past two years, “The Obama Administration had helped
college students by increasing Pell Grants and tweaking the structure of loan
repayments,” according to an article written by Joy Resmovitz of the Huffington
Post, that were enacted through the President’s creation of American Opportunity.
In January of 2012 however, it was clear that more needed to be done. Obama
decided to raise the price of the Perkins loan from 1 billion to 8 billion dollars
(Resmovitz, Huffington Post, 2014). The Perkins loan is a financial ward given out
each year to students who are qualified to receive it. In addition, the structure
system of the way students received “campus based” aid was reevaluated, and
further, re-distributed.
Although Obama attempted to solve the tuition crisis in 2012, Americans still
questioned how the President would put an end to increasing price of higher
7. education. Around August of 2013, Obama unveiled a new plan consisting of a three-
step model: Paying for Performance, Promoting Innovation and Competition, and
Ensuring That Student Debt Remains Affordable (Office of the Press Secretary, 2013).
Each step in the model, according to an article published by the White House, has a
distinct function. The first step consists of “tying financial aid to college
performance, challenging states to fund public colleges based on performance, and
holding students receiving financial aid responsible for making progress toward a
degree.” The second consists of “challenging colleges to offer students a great range
of affordable options, giving consumers college performance sheets that will ensure
they are making the right choice, and encouraging innovation by stripping away
unnecessary regulations.” Finally, the third step consists of “Helping ensure
borrowers that they can afford their Federal Loan and reaching out to struggling
borrowers to ensure they are away of various flexible options.” (Office of the Press
Secretary, 2013).
Although Obama’s extensive plan outlines a strong improvement to future
cost decreases, it does not suggest a plan for lower income families. The title, “Fact
Sheet on the President’s Plan to Make College More Affordable: A better Bargain for
the Middle Class” says it all. The model also promotes a plan to solve each family’s
current issues, instead of promoting a plan that will actually solve the increase of
tuition for decades to come.
Whether the plan proposed by Obama positively or negatively affects the
issue of rising tuition is a question that may not be answered for years to come. In
addition to his solutions, as well as solutions proposed by the government,
8. individuals across America have begun to express their own personal solutions.
Many Americans argue the other side of the topic. Some believe that college is made
for those who are privileged enough to afford it. They believe that institutions have
a right to be expensive, so that they favor the individuals who have the money and
knowledge to attend them. Each of these individuals and their phony beliefs are
ultimately in favor of class stratification, a process that might influence the downfall
of the American ideals of equal opportunity.
As a result of these beliefs and issues that have negatively impacted the
rising cost of tuition, America must do everything possible in order to maintain that
fact that every citizen has a right to higher education. Class stratification is the
downfall to society. When the gap between the rich and the poor is so wide that the
nation is only abiding to the wealthy, America will no longer be a nation founded on
its original principles. It will return to a nation that is promoted by early society
class systems. America will reverse in time. Affordable tuition is necessary for all in
order to promote what may be the future of mankind. How will we educate only the
rich when the middle class or the poor have carry ideals that may change the face of
the planet? Activism on each campus around the country must continue. The Obama
Administration as well as the U.S. Government cannot lay the issue to rest until
America sees that trends in rising tuition have come to an end.
