Pay Less, Save More

Would you like to spend the rest of your life paying for college?Of course not.All parents want their child or children to attend college, but will exorbitant tuition keep them from it?Tuition is so expensive it will cost parents an arm and a leg, and it is steadily rising.As colleges’ tuition increases, attendance drops and debt rises. Private college and out-of-state tuitions need to be reduced to allow students to save money, to reduce debt, and to allow more students the opportunity to attend. College students would pay less and end up with less college debt if out-of-state tuition was reduced.

The difference between out-of-state tuition and in-state tuition is immense, and it is rising.Author Andrew P. Kelly of the National Review believes, “The price of college should indeed be dramatically lower across the board” (Kelly).”Tuition at a private university is…

an average of $31,000 per year” (Davidson).At the same time, public tuitions average “$9,000 per year” (Davidson).These prices make the average difference a whopping $22,000 per year.However, these prices are only averages.Some “top tier schools can cost $50,000 per year or more” (Davidson).If colleges have such expensive price tags, students will have to pay large sums of money and use student loans which will lead to college loan debt.

National student loan debt is “surpassing the $1 trillion mark”(Hooper).Colleges with decreasing tuition could help lower this massive amount of debt.One college has begun to lower its tuition.Rasmussen College “lowered its tuition costs an average of 12% nationally in October of 2013” (Rasmussen).In August of 2015, the college also “highlighted another 13% reduction nationwide” on their tuition.The fact that some private and out-of-state tuitions cost so much is a big problem.

Students have to pay too much for college and could end up in major debt.Also, students that cannot afford such expensive colleges do not have to opportunity to attend them.Most colleges are like monopolies that only care about, cha-ching, the money.Some students are lucky that Rasmussen College already lowered it tuition, which will hopefully pave the way for more colleges to lower their tuition as well. On the other hand, lowering college tuition can affect the quality of education.Many people believe when the cost of a college is lowered, the quality of that college’s education is also lowered.

Andrew P. Kelly says that lowering college tuitions “will reduce quality without guaranteeing higher enrollment” (Kelly).Kelly addresses a problem with lower tuitions while adding that it may not solve another problem as well.This is a real, genuine concern, but colleges have already addressed it.Not only has Rasmussen College reduced its tuition, it has also maintained its level of education.By using its “Flex Choice Program” the college has maintained its degree options (Rasmussen).

With this revolutionary program, Rasmussen has continued to offer over thirteen different degree programs including, “Marketing, Finance, and Criminal Justice” (Rasmussen). “What if the cure for cancer is trapped in the mind of someone who can’t afford education” (Unknown)?This question seems unreasonable, but with tuition rising, its idea may be more relevant than ever.Tuitions need to be lowered.Eventually there may not be enough educated people to work.Also, debt will skyrocket even more than it already has.We need to hope colleges change their tuition before these things occur.