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Hayden Rice
MCOM 202
Dr. Finney
February 11, 2016
College Tuition in the U.S.
Many college students and citizens in general argue that the college tuition rate is too
high. College tuition in the U.S. causes troubles for students in many ways. There are theories of
how to fix this problem and make college more affordable for everyone willing to learn.
College tuition in the United States has been criticized for being too expensive for
students to afford. For the average American household that doesnt receive a lot of financial
aid, higher education is simply out of the question (Davidson). If this is true, then why have the
tuition rates for college education not decreased? Marc Joseph writes that CNN reports that the
average college student in the class of 2013 faces $32,200 in debt. This shows that it is not easy
being a college student.
What is the view on college tuition from a current college
student? Emory & Henry junior Addison Morgan says that he
agrees that college tuition is too high. When asked what tuition
rates should be, Morgan said The max price of tuition, before
scholarships or student loans are added, should be $20,000. He
feels that this rate would be affordable for all who want to learn at a
college level. Morgan also discussed friends he grew up with who could not attend college due to

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the affordability of it. When I asked him what the effects college had on him as he looks to the
future, the one word that he used a lot was debt. He says when he graduates, he will be starting
out in student loan debt, just as many college students are. With tuition being so expensive, the
long term effects on students could be harmful.
Many wonder why this is such an important topic in politics, especially in the presidential
race. It is simple, college students will pay close attention to what candidate says what when it
pertains to tuition rates. Bernie Sanders, a democratic presidential candidate, want to make
college free for all. Sanders says that We need to ensure that every young person in this country
who wishes to go to college can get the education that he or she desires, without going into debt
and regardless of his or her familys income. He argues that other countries, such as Germany,
Denmark, Norway, and many more are tuition free, so why cant the U.S. be tuition free as well?
Republican candidate Ben Carson says that the college should pay the interest rates on student
loans. Donald Trump said I think it's terrible that one of the only profit centers we have is
student loans." All of the candidates agree that there is one problem or another with college
tuition and student loans.
The biggest difference in this topic is the difference between public and private colleges.
Private colleges are not state funded, so lowering the tuition rate there would be more
challenging. Since public schools are state funded, it makes more sense to make public schools
tuition much cheaper. According to the Department of Education, the average annual tuition rate
in 2013 for a 4 year public school was $17,474. The average annual rate in 2013 for a 4 year
private school was $35,074. That is a pretty large difference.
There is a clear problem in the United States when it comes to college tuition rates and
student loans. There is progress being made with political figures creating plans to solve this

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problem. In the future, all students may be able to attend college. As of now, tuition and student
loans cause problems for young adults.

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Works Cited

Davidson, Adam. "Is College Tuition Really Too High?" The New York Times. The New
York Times, 8 Sept. 2015. Web. 03 Feb. 2016.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/13/magazine/is-college-tuition-too-high.html?_r=1
Debt." U.S. News. N.p., 28 Oct. 2015. Web. 03 Feb. 2016.

http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/student-loan-ranger/2015/10/28/explore-howpresidential-candidates-stand-on-student-loan-debt
"Fast Facts." Fast Facts. Institute of Education Sciences, n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2016.
https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=76
Joseph, Marc. "It's Too Expensive to Go to College Anymore." The Huffington Post.
The Huffington Post, 17 Nov. 2013. Web. 03 Feb. 2016.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/its-too-expensive-to-go-t_b_3935231.html
Sanders, Bernie. "Bernie Sanders: Make College Free for All." Washington Post. The
Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2015. Web. 03 Feb. 2016.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/bernie-sanders-america-needs-free-collegenow/2015/10/22/a3d05512-7685-11e5-bc80-9091021aeb69_story.html

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