Is Higher Education Worth the Price?

 Is Higher Education Worth the Price?  

In American society, high school students are encouraged to attend a four-year college or university upon graduating. For most students, thinking about colleges begins in their sophomore year. They are beginning to think about what they want to study, taking the right courses in high school so it will look good for college applications, taking SAT prep courses, etc. Junior year they are refining their GPA’s because as we all have been told, junior year is the one that colleges look at the most. Senior year is when students are applying to the colleges, they have spent previous years visiting and researching. A higher education degree is something that is almost engrained in our society today. But there is one significant difference between college education now, and college education in years past, and that is the cost. I have read articles and viewed documentaries on the topic, is higher education worth the price? 

In the article Are Colleges Worth the Price of Admission, by Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus, the authors reveal that there are some changes that colleges and universities can make to decrease the prices of tuition for students and make it more accessible to receive a higher education. It seems that higher education has become almost business-like and like the authors mention, it is crucial to keep the reasons for higher education at the forefront, such as, engaging all students, encouraging students to use their minds, replacing tenure with multiyear contracts, fewer sabbaticals, ending exploitation of adjuncts, keeping up the changes in education, and even distribution of donations. The authors go on to list several colleges that they found to be doing their job “well”, such as, The University of Mississippi, Raritan Valley Community College, University of Notre Dame, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, Berea College, Arizona State University, University of Maryland-Baltimore County, University of Colorado at Boulder, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Western Oregon University, and Evergreen State College. “The institutions that we have cited are the exceptions to our premise that higher education has lost track of its original and enduring purpose. They reinforce our view that college should be a cultural journey, an intellectual expedition, a voyage confronting new ideas and information. Many colleges with national names and universities with imperial plans could learn a lot from them.” (Dreifus and Hacker, 2012. Pg. 188).

The New Liberal Arts, by Sanford J. Ungar, explains the misperceptions surrounding liberal arts education. Ungar explains the misperception that liberal arts degrees are a “luxury” that most families can no longer afford, and that students are focusing on “career education.” Meanwhile, college graduates with liberal arts degrees can obtain good jobs. Careers in STEM fields are needed and provide job security, but that does not discredit studying liberal arts. Immersion in liberal arts gives students the ability to communicate effectively in writing and orally and develop critical thinking skills along with analytical reasoning. These are skills and qualities that are valuable and can be applied to any job or career path. “The debate over liberal education will surely continue through the recession and beyond, but it would be helpful to put these misconceptions aside. Financial issues cannot be ignored, but neither can certain eternal verities: Through immersion in liberal arts, students learn not just to make a living, but also to live a life rich in values and character. They come to terms with complexity and diversity, and otherwise devise means to solve problems – rather than just complaining about them.” (Ungar, 2012. Pg. 196). 

David Foster Wallace gives a commencement speech to Kenyon’s graduating class of 2005. His speech is very inspiring in the way that it is realistic. Wallace explains the mundane actions of adult day to day life after graduating and working a 9-5 job, but as he is doing so, he is really explaining how having an education helps give you the power to decide how you want to think. Learning how to think is having control over your thoughts, being conscious and aware to choose what you pay attention to and choosing how to construct meaning from experience. Wallace uses a powerful example of being at the checkout line at a supermarket after a long day of work, and the way we take the time to perceive those moments is very telling of who we are. Being educated is understanding how to think, be aware, give attention, and care about other people. “It is unimaginably hard to do this, to stay conscious and alive in the adult world day in and day out. Which means yet another grand cliché turns out to be true: your education really is the job of a lifetime.” (Wallace, 2012. Pg. 209).  

The documentary “Ivory Tower” raises a lot of questions and shares many facts about the state of American higher education system. This film starts the conversation about why education is seen as a financial privilege, instead of a right for all who need it or are willing to work for it. The filmmaker's main point is that students graduate from college with more debt than they can pay off. With the way society is moving now, it is encouraged to have higher education degrees to gain employment. Some jobs prefer a Master's Degree for an entry level job, and new graduates are not getting paid an adequate salary after graduating with student loans. 

There is a lot to consider when pursuing a higher education degree, the cost being one of the main factors. I believe in the movement of higher education and placing value in it. However, I do not think it is necessary for absolutely everyone to attend a college. There is value placed in vocational education and learning trades, for those individuals who chose to pursue that route. That said, the cost of higher education does not need to be as high as it is now. There are ways to save on the costs of college. For example, attending a community college for two years to earn an Associate’s Degree is a fantastic way to start the academic journey. Going this route saves money and at a community college the cost of tuition is significantly less than that of a four-year school, while still earning credits and taking general education courses that would also have to be taken at a four-year school. Scholarships and financial aid are also available. With all that students do to try to lower the cost of their college experience, they will most likely still graduate with student loan debt. So, is higher education worth the cost? I believe that getting a higher education is an investment in yourself and giving yourself more knowledge and skills. I feel that if you work for a higher degree, then it will work for you when you apply it, and yourself in the workforce. For individuals who value education, they will find value in higher education degrees, my only hope for the future is that the cost will decrease from where it currently sits at.

References 

Hacker, Andrew. “Are Colleges Worth the Price of Admission?” They Say/I Say The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing , edited by Claudia Dreifus , Second ed., W.W. Norton & Company , New York, NY, 2012, pp. 179–188. 

Rossi, Andrew, director. Ivory Tower. Samuel Goldwyn Films , 2014. 

Ungar, Sanford J. “The New Liberal Arts .” They Say/I Say The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, Second ed., W.W. Norton & Company , New York, NY, 2012, pp. 190–196. 

Wallace, David. “Kenyon Commencement Speech .” They Say/I Say The Matters That Move in Academic Writing, Second ed., W.W. Norton & Company, New York, NY, 2012, pp. 198–209.