Over the past decade we have witnessed a steady rise in the cost of college that is leading us to a fiscal cliff. Did you know that the cost of attending a four year college can range from $25,000 to $60,000 a year? It is a fiscal cliff that has too many parents and students worried about access to college. It appears that the United States is unwilling to face the fact that we are pricing students out of a college education. It’s amazing that we are creating barriers that prevent students from going to college when more education is required to find work. We need more students to have access to higher education not less. Many students realize that they need more education to gain employment. We cannot wait any longer the future college budgets are being decided right now.
Annually, college tuition continues to rise at private and public colleges. They are adversely affected by state governments that continue to cut state college support. The state legislatures are finding out that education as an alternative budget item that they can reduce. If the federal fiscal cliff is not resolved certain taxes will occur that have a negative impact on students. Families will no longer have the education tax credits and there may be more personal taxes. The states may feel more pressure because people are making less money and spending more to survive. This will add on additional hardship on parents who are struggling to pay for college.
Today parents realize that a college education is critical to their student’s success. The government acts like the middle class can take the brunt of the burden to correct the countries fiscal problems. A senate and congress who are responsible will work together to address the financial issues that affect students. When we help students to cover the financial cost of college we are making an investment bin our country’s future. If the United States support for education continues in the same direction then parents and students will suffer the most.
The time that we have in our hands is a wake-up call about our potential future. Are we only willing to educate a few who are already privileged? We need a workforce of highly skilled citizens from all backgrounds to get an education. States cannot talk on the burden of finding money because their budgets are very tight. Some students are already dropping out of college for a semester or two due to the cost. Why should we allow the country to go backwards because we do not have the political will to battle for the value of education? What makes the United States great is its’ educated workforce.
Allowing the fiscal cliff to contribute to the challenges that higher education is facing is a detriment to our society. If the fiscal cliff is not resolved some colleges may have to down size to meet their budget. It could affect the quality of education at all levels both K12 and college. There may be states wide Universities that are unable to provide a degree at a reasonable price. There are already many colleges that are charging more to make up for the money that they did not receive from their state. This boils down to additional costs that are laid upon the middle class.
It’s time for college presidents, politicians and corporations to get together to discuss solutions to higher education’s fiscal cliff. It is important for students, parents and educators to be at the table when important decisions are made regarding future of education. Too often the educators are the last one to give input to a process that will greatly affect them. Those who are making the policy decisions need to hear the real stories regarding the impact of current policies. The United States needs to move forward by demonstrating that they value providing everyone with access to higher education. This is our opportunity to continue to have a nation that invests in the future.
Dr. Stephen Jones is an educator, keynote speaker and author. He has written the Seven Secrets of How to Study, The Parent’s Ultimate Education Guide and the Ultimate Scholarship Guide. Visit him at
http://www.studyskills2u.com.
Posted By: Stephen Jones
Tuesday, October 16th 2012 at 2:40PM
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