Is College Worth The Cost?

As college prices continue to rise, students, teachers and upcoming graduates share their concerns about affordability and the future of higher education.

 By Keith Richardson and Toba Taiwo

For many students, college is seen as the right path and steppingstone for a successful future. But as tuition, fees and other college expenses continue to rise, students and upcoming graduates are starting to question whether obtaining a degree is worth the financial load. Second thoughts are forming about the rising cost of college and how it can affect future generations.

The rising cost of college has become an immense problem for students preparing for life after high school. Tuition is not the only expense students have to consider; housing, textbooks, food, transportation and other fees can make earning a degree even more expensive. For students, teachers, and upcoming graduates, these rising costs raise an important question: Is a college degree worth the financial investment?

As college costs rise, many students are worried about how these rising prices could affect future generations. Coach Terrence Johnson believes that the growing cost of higher education could make college less accessible to many people.

“I believe that future generations will be in jeopardy because most people nowadays have a difficult time affording the high price of college, because the higher the prices go, people are more likely not to be able to afford it,” Johnson said.

IB Inquiry Skills teacher Gabriela Farhat believes that the lack of affordable college options and funding could leave many students struggling with debt as they begin their careers.

“It could limit access to colleges for many students and also cause a lot of debt going into their career, unfortunately due to limited access and funding,” Farhat said.

For some students, the rise in college costs is especially concerning because not everyone may have the financial resources or academic success needed to receive scholarships. Junior Annalisa Alexiades believes these challenges could make college less accessible for future generations.

“I think the best thing that a college or a high school student can do would be looking at all the different scholarships that they have,” volleyball coach Leeza Patton said. “Different companies have smaller scholarships, and even $100 and $500 scholarships add up to where you don’t have to take out those loans that you end up paying for a long time; little scholarships will help in the end.”