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Juleanna Nunez
Bevill
ENGL 1302-11
March 29, 2015
Paying More and More to Get Stressed Out
There has been a general increase in tuition costs for post-secondary schooling in the
United Stated of America. This alteration has impacted many current and future students, seeking
to further their education. Many students do not qualify for a lot of grants, or financial aid and
sometimes do not meet the requirements for certain scholarships, or other forms of /monetary
assistance, which means that a lot of a students college expense derive from the pockets of the
students themselves or from the students parents or guardians.
Many parents and guardians push their middle school and/or high school students to do
well in school, by staying out of trouble, keeping their Grade Point Average (GPA) up, and
participating in athletics or specific clubs to raise their students chances of receiving a
scholarship. To avoid student loans, or burdening their family with extra expenses many students
take on the responsibility of a job, on top of their school work, and what they do to help out at
home. These factors may cause a stressor in young adults trying to find a balance between work,
school, home, sports and whatever else they might enjoy doing in their spare time. That is, if they
have any left over.
Students are offered college preparatory classes as early as middle school to better ready
them for the transition into a post-secondary educational institution. The purpose of these classes
are to lessen the chance of young students being overwhelmed with this major step in their
education, as well as adulthood, and get them ready for what changes may come, and what

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challenges they may face during this adjustment. These classes inform students of what resources
they can utilize to help with paying for college, however, this knowledge cannot be put to good
use if the students are not accepted or do not qualify for that assistance.
According to Jung Cheol Shin, and Sande Milton, students with high-earning majors
such as engineering, for example, might be willing to pay higher tuition [than students with]
low-earning majors like humanities, (Springer 722) it has become a proven fact that college
majors have a positive correlation with the degree holders future earnings. The more a student
anticipates after graduating, and the longer he stays to achieve a higher degree, the more a
student will sacrifice in the beginning to attain that goal. The implication being that there is a
positive correlation between willingness to pay for a higher tuition and the expectancy of income
by the graduate after school is complete.
According to a College Community Week writer, Kimberly Hefling, college tuition did
increase in 2013, however, the increase was, by percentage, the smallest one year increase in
more than 30 years (Hefling, 10) which doesnt have that great of an impact considering that
actual percentages, and fractions increase along with the whole number, although, knowing that
tuition rates arent increasing exponentially can be soothing to current and future college goers.
Colleges and universities are increasing their tuition most likely due to a mixture of rapid
inflation, budget cuts, recession, financial aid, and other public funding. Since 1978 the
percentage that college tuition has increased is more than the percentage of food and medical
expenses combined. (Thompson) Federal and state funding have most likely contributed to this
the most, having Pell grants and other scholarships being used by approximately 85% of
students (National Center for Education Statistics), its no wonder why these educational
facilities are asking us for more money.

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College professors sometimes have a doctorate in their field of study, forcing their
attending schools to pay them a higher salary to persuade them to stay at that school, almost like
bribing, in a completely legal way. Because not only does the field of study determine expectant
income, the more time that was invested into that subject and attaining the degree also increases
with expectant income. It isnt many doctoral candidates passion to teach a bunch of awkward
into adulthood morphing kids, thus schools pay more, probably in chances that the more higher
the degree a professor has, will mean that students will have better chances of maintaining
worthy grades.
Colleges have experienced ridiculous budgets cuts since early 2000s, which just might be
another reason that these institutions are asking for more tuition from their students, to make up
for that funding that was withdrawn. If tuition continues to increase many future students will not
have a shoulder to lean on when it comes to paying for school, possibly driving their families, or
even themselves, into a deep dark abyss of debt and loans. Some families already have problems
paying for one or more college students at the same time, if this increase continues I hate to see
what happens to families with twins or triplets.
This problem may disperse if grants and scholarships were cut and contributed to the
general funding of public colleges and universities. However this solution could cause some
students to abuse the privilege of going to college. College isnt for everybody, some people have
managed to make their own way without a degree through connections, life learnings, or things
such as a family business. It is highly recommended that all students learn to try out and explore
many different electives, activities, and subjects to further help them in finding themselves and
whether or not continuing education would be something that they could benefit from in the long
run.

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Works Cited
Hefling, Kimberly. "College Tuition Increases Appear To Be Moderating." Community College
Week 26.7 (2013): 10. Academic Search Complete. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.
Jung Cheol, Shin, and Sande Milton. "Student Response To Tuition Increase By Academic
Majors: Empirical Grounds For A Cost-Related Tuition Policy." Higher Education 55.6
(2008): 719-734.Academic Search Complete. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.
National Center for Education Statistics. "Fast Facts: Financial Aid." Institute F Education
Sciences. IES, 2014. Web. 14 Apr. 2015.
Rust, Roland T. "The Real Effects of Rising College Tuition." Washington Post. The Washington
Post, 2 Feb. 2015. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.
Thompson, Van. "What Are the Causes & Effects of Rising College Costs?" Everyday Life.
Global Post, n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.