Money vs. College?

Question

I'm a senior in high school and I've always wondered:

Why does society make it hard to get a career without a college degree? Why make college so expensive if you want us to go so bad? I know there are scholarships out there and financial aid or whatever, but what about the people who can't get either? What are your thoughts?

Answer 1

Society doesn't want you to go so bad, you and your parents want you to go.

It costs money to run a college and pay professors. Why should anyone except the students pay for that? Should taxpayers (many of who never went to college) pay for people who aren't paying any taxes (students) to go to college?

I understand your frustration but reality is that college makes your life better for you -- you graduating college doesn't make my life better.

People who can get no financial aid haven't bothered to apply for any financial aid. I actually had a young student tell me this week that she can't get financial aid because her mom makes too much. On questioning, her mom makes $20K per year. Reality is that she can get plenty - $20K is poor. "someone" told her she didn't need to apply... hmmmmmm

So, here's the real deal. If you're poor then you qualify for need based loans. If you're rich then you don't need any loans. If you're in the middle then you qualify for unsub loans. That pretty much covers everyone. If you're really smart then you qualify for academic scholarships. If you're really dumb - not gonna make it in college anyway. If you're in the middle, you need to study more to get those scholarships or become an elite athlete. What about people who don't like sports or studying? Think about that a minute...

Then consider - let's say you go to YouState U at about $8000 per year. The difference in pay between your HS diploma and your degree is about $750,000 over your lifetime. Who should pay for that extra 3/4 of a million you get if you only have to pay $40K for it?

Bottom line - it's all on you. It's your responsibility to get your education (or not). Nobody else is responsible for your education but you. Why should they be?

I personally think that the people who appreciate college most are the people who have to pay for it themselves. People spending the state's dollars or mom and dad's money tend to waste the opportunity. I think everyone should have to work for their grants and scholarships.

Answer 2

"I know there are scholarships out there and financial aid or whatever, but what about the people who can't get either?"

Depending on what you major in, did you know that there are loan forgiveness programs out there. Lets just say that you decide to become a nurse, after you graduate college, you get a job at a hospital and some hospitals will pay off your loans just as long as you sign a contract stating that you will work with them for so many years.

So if you are not able to get scholarships or qualify for financial aid, do not be scared to get a loan.

Answer 3

Society wants teh best trained ppl possible for the high paying jobs. The reason college is so expensive... that's an excellent question. IMO, If college were cheap, it would become just as ineffectual in education as Mickey D's is in nutrition.

that said, I think we need more programs to help kids get financial aid, because often, the kids who appreciate college most are the ones who recognize it as a great opportunity to get a post-secondary education because they grew up in low-income homes... Poverty levels would decrease significantly if we had more scholarship and financial aid programs.

Answer 4

Anyone can go to college...that's what financial aid is FOR. It's for people who can't afford college. There are also grants, student loans, etc. If a person honestly believes they can't go to college, they are simply too lazy to do so.

Also, community colleges are fairly cheap...

And as far as high tuition goes...you'd be surprised at how much colleges have to spend on buying school supplies, remodeling dorms and classrooms, food, college books, equipment, paying all the staff can be.....it gets expensive...