Higher Education: An Enormous Shift with

Broad Effects
The American society has moved from one of skilled laborers
who work industrial jobs to that of a society of highly educated
white collar professionals. In 1959 the percentage of those who
chose college over joining the workforce was a respectable 40
percent. In 2009 at its all-time high that number reached a
staggering 70 percent. In regards to this shift one must analyze
what economic, societal pressures, and government policies have
caused this shift. We must also recognize that this shift has very
far reaching effects. Every aspect of our society from our
economy to immigration and everything in between been affected
by this shift. America today is vastly different from America of the
50s and I believe that the amount of citizens with a higher
education has a lot to do with that. It partially stems from our
parental instincts that we want our children to be more successful
than ourselves. This shift resonates with me personally on many
levels. I do not necessarily need a degree for my future plans of
opening a pizza shop, in fact the founders of a very successful

pizza shop where I am from both dropped out of high school.

However, pressure from my family and financial institutions have
driven me to spend four years here and earn a very expensive
piece of wall dcor.
Economic pressures can both be a deterrent and motivator
to achieve higher education. Competition for jobs, college
acceptance, future wages, recessions, and student loans are all
economic factors that come into play when deciding to attend a
college institution. It is proven that those with a college degree
substantially out earn those who do not have one. However, one
cannot look at that fact alone. Students who choose to attend
college instead of immediately joining the work force give up a lot
of money due to opportunity costs. Instead of earning a
substantial paycheck immediately they spend upwards of four
years without a paycheck. Also, the amount of student loans that
graduates are achieving these days is astronomical.
Mathematically, with student loans and the opportunity costs
voided by the time spent in college, often times you arent
coming out ahead until close to retirement. Recessions also seem
to be a substantial predictor of college attendance rates. Recent

studies indicate attendance rates increase during times when the

market is struggling. Potential students return to universities in
hopes of netting a degree that will guarantee a higher salary.
Conversely once the economy starts to recover or show promise
universities see a slight decline. Potential students slightly prefer
a booming market over higher education.
I am an advocate for as many people earning college
degrees as possible, but this shift has adverse effects on our
economy and society. An oversaturated job market leads to
disappointment, our student loans are creating an unforgivable
bubble, and our prideful generation has created a need for
immigration. Recent graduates are flooding the job markets with
qualified applicants in a majority of fields. This creates a fierce
competition which leaves some severely underemployed. A study
in 2014 found that 500,000 college graduates were working
minimum wage jobs varying from fast food to janitorial services.
These jobs with low earnings put severe stress on graduates who
have to dedicate an increasing percentage of their paychecks to
unforgivable student loans. This increased financial stress often
drives them to require the help of additional federal programs

furthering the financial burden on society as a whole. Some

economists argue that the debt bubble created by these loans
with outrageous interest rates will burst and send us into another
crippling depression. Student loan debt has become so inflated
that in 2010 it passed credit card debt and is gaining on mortgage
debt with no plateau in sight. With graduates spending more and
more of their incomes on loan repayment it prevents them from
spending that capital in other parts of the market. The vast
competitiveness and deep pride our generation feels has created
a need for immigration. No one feels they should be subjected to
the lowest level of jobs. This creates job opportunities that fosters
illegal immigration. The promise of steady work lures people from
other countries creating an entirely new set of problems.
However, without this supply of cheap labor many menial labor
jobs would go underemployed.
Societal pressures could be said to be another main
proponent of attaining a degree. In recent years race, gender,
and social class have come to play a major role in the rate at
which our youth attend college institutions. I believe all three of
these derive off of the American ideal that we need to achieve

greater things than our parents did. Always improving is a mantra

of the American dream, we choose not to settle for the life we
were born in to, but to strive for greatness. Our parents
themselves along with the community we are developed in want
to see us go above and beyond. This is especially true if you are a
minority, or a female, or from a lower social class. The pressures
on these three groups to work hard and attend college above all
else is gargantuan. A steady incline from all three of these groups
has been seen in attendance rates. However, its all young adults
who feel this pressure. Parents in our society put more merit into
a child who goes to college and gets a high paying desk job than
of a child who works a blue collar highly physical job. We as a
people do not give those who work manual labor enough credit
and instead look down upon them no matter how necessary their
jobs are.
The government and current policies also play a major role in
determining whether or not students attend. Recent programs
such as no child left behind, Title IX, tax breaks, and equal
opportunity in admissions have really worked to boost college
attendance. No child left behind has increased high school

graduations which has helped open the door to college for people
who would not have considered it in the past. Title IX helped
create programs such as the Pell Grants and federally subsidized
loans which provide financial support for those who would not
have otherwise been able to afford to attend college. Personally I
know many veterans who attend college strictly because they
want to take advantage of the G. I. Bill, originally established in
1944 became expanded after 9/11 to help student veterans pay
rent. Also government intervention into the admissions process
has evened the playing field and encouraged minorities to apply. I
find it worthy to note that a current Presidential hopeful wishes to
make public universities free to all. Such a policy would yield
unprecedented results in the United States. However, it calls into
question what role the government should play in education and
whether or not access to education is a right rather than a
privilege.
Our societal shift from an industrialized nation of laborers to
an education driven people has implications far and wide. It has
been a major factor in shaping our culture and country. Expanded
access to higher education has led to major economic effects. I do

not believe that we should discourage or discredit those who have

other life plans. The latest studies hint that college attendance
may be on the decline and that should not necessarily be viewed
as explicitly negative. As stated before it could be viewed as a
sign of a strong economy or maybe the beginning of a new trend.
However, one could argue that the increased knowledge in our
society due to this shift has contributed to what currently makes
living in this day and age so great. Breakthroughs in the science
and medical field may be credited to students who might not
have been given the opportunity before. Our thirst for knowledge
is a part of what makes America great and I am proud to live in a
time and place where everyone is encouraged to achieve higher
levels of education.

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