What Does College Really Cost?

Submitted By kelsiecolonpena
Words: 747
Pages: 3

What Does College Really Cost? Each year, more and more students are taking the advice of teachers and parents and attending four-year universities to earn their degrees. Going to college, much less finishing a degree used to be very sparse and few between; however, nowadays, more students are deciding on the track of a four-year university. However, the price tag on the schools may not seem as clear and straightforward as it seems. To add to this problem, across the nation, “the price of college keeps rising” (Smith 13-14). It is true that more and more students are choosing the right path and going to college upon graduation; however, the cost for the education they will receive may shock them when they are handed their diploma. When colleges come to high schools on hopes of getting seniors to be interested in attending there schools, they usually only reveal the good. Every college in America is “increasingly competing for students”and will do whatever it takes to get them to attend at their campus (WANG 96). They will make sure to highlight the extracurricular activities they offer, the exclusive clubs and the all you can eat dining plans, but what they might not be too quick to make known is the price of tuition. While some public colleges in particular can be quite affordable, some other colleges such as private schools can create an extreme amount of debt for college graduates. In fact, “over the past 10 years, the cost of private college has jumped more than 60%” (Clark, and Wang). However, public colleges are not exempt from the rising prices; “prices at public colleges have shot up even more, nearly doubling to $21,000 for in-state students” (Clark, and Wang). Many families are having to deal with the fact that “higher education is a classic example of an industry that has grown bloated
Colon-Pena 2 and inefficient over many decades” and it will most likely continue to swell (Butler). In addition to the large amount of tuition many schools are charging nowadays, the extra dollars that come along with it are quickly adding up. First, a student may be drawn to a particular school because of the low tuition prices; however, the numbers that are not displayed in the brightly colored pamphlets at eye extra fees that a student is required to pay. Another problem with the price of tuition is that until a student is accepted, “colleges don't reveal financial aid packages” (Clark, and Wang). This can cause some worry for families; however, the financial aid packages can be quite helpful as they can uncover additional grants and loans that will help fiance a college education. Although college can quickly rise on numbers, there are almost always opportunities for scholarships. These may not be available to everybody, but if a person is willing to apply and search for scholarships, they may not have such a large bill when they receive that degree. Upon receiving scholarship help, the “soaring cost of a college education in America” could be decreased substantially (Butler). As an added bonus, many private colleges