It has become quite prevalent that the price of college tuition has increased a great deal in the past couple of years. It has reached an all-time high and it shows no sign of slowing down. Today, it is common for young people, who have little experience with money, accrue high level of debt when investing in a school. Students who are seeking a higher education want to get the full college experience, no matter the cost. At a first glimpse, it does not seem like it would be that difficult to pay back. Unfortunately, students do not realize the responsibility of paying a college tuition. With the recession and the cost of living increasing, it is becoming more difficult for students to pay for tuition and therefore earn degrees.
For the student who decided to pursue a higher education at a college or university, only a select few receive scholarships or federal grants. This makes it more difficult for students to be able to pay for their tuition. In the article, “Is College Tuition Really Too High?” from The New York Times Magazine, it states that, “great national crisis is the fact that too many other young adults are not going to college or, if they do, don’t graduate, in large part because they can’t afford it.” Although former President Obama wanted to decrease the cap on student loans, the cost of tuition should be addressed with equal urgency. If this does not happen, fewer students will want to attend college. According to the article “Out-of-control college tuition” from The Washington Times, “In 10 years, tuition at public four-year universities has more than doubled. At the average private four-year institution, tuition, room and board, books, transportation and other expenses total $42,224 a year. That’s about equal to the declining median family income.
As time progressed, the value of a dollar certainly increased. Annual incomes of people began to rise which caused the cost of living to rise as well. This sadly includes the price of college tuition. Forty years ago, attending a public four year university was a steal. According to “Is College Tuition Really Too High?” from The New York Times Magazine, “Attending a four-year private college cost around $2,000 a year: affordable, with some scrimping, to even median earners. As for public university, it was a bargain at $510 a year.” Clearly today this is not the case. In fact the article explains, “Tuition at a private university is now roughly three times as expensive as it was in 1974, costing an average of $31,000 a year; public tuition, at $9,000, has risen by nearly four times.” These staggering numbers dissuade many students from wanting to attend college. Students who will not receive financial support from their families will think twice about attending college. If you add up the cost of room, board, and books, the total cost of tuition will increase.
Another An issue that has also become common is that the students have a hard time trying to find a job in their field after graduation. This will make it harder for students to pay back their student loans. The average loan allows a six-month grace period before interest hits, with the assumption that the graduate will have found work in that time. In today’s job market, there is no guarantee that the student will have found a job. The expensive tuition the student needed loans for will become even more expensive once interest is tacked on. If the cost of tuition continues to rise, the number of students enrolling in large universities will decrease. When students do enroll, the financial burden may force them to drop out before receiving a college degree.
As a prospective college student, I will soon have to face the brunt of the financial burden that is college. I understand that money is a huge factor in choosing a school and some schools on my list I had to automatically rule out due to their high tuition. If it was not for scholarship money and my parents, attending college would not be in the cards for me.

Editorials do not reflect the views of Smoke Signals or the views of the Wayne School District.