Burgos 1

Pasadena City College

College Tuition Expenses and Debt

Stacie Burgos
STACC English 1A T/R 30452
Professor Ogden

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27 April 2016

Abstract
In this research paper it examines why college tuition in the United States should have the prices
reduced because it has been a problem for many college students throughout the nation to be able
to afford the tuition price. In the first part of the essay it is explained how the cost of tuition is
affecting many college students by leaving the majority of them in debt because they needed to
take out loans. It later explains about situations in the community of Los Angeles. Many students
have to pay other personal supplies like transportation, housing, food, and books; all of which are
as well expensive. College tuition is leaving many students in debt for several years because the
cost is expensive, so the prices should be lowered because people should have the opportunity to
continue to grow their knowledge without having to pay so much for their education. Paying for
college tuition and the loans is a struggle for a majority of the students, although some try to find
other methods to help pay for the tuition it usually isnt always enough to pay the whole cost for
both tuition and loans.
Keywords: college tuition, united states students, tuition loan

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Outline
Students Name: Stacie Burgos
Date: 10 April 2016
Thesis: The tuition prices should be lowered because people should have the opportunity to
continue to grow their educational knowledge without having to pay so much..
I.

Introduction
A. Small description of the situation.
B. Tuition is affecting many students because of loans.
C. Thesis.

II. Community in Los Angeles.

A. Percentage of students who go to college after high school.
B. Different situations for students on how they pay for tuition.
III. First student.
A. Information on the students debt.
B. How the student is paying for tuition.
C. Why the student is in debt.
IV. Second Student.
A. Information on how the student is paying tuition.
B. How the cost of tuition affects the student.
V. Debt after receiving degree.
A. Some students have to pay their debts after they finish school.
B. Some students need to pay their debts while still in school.
C. Examples of how situations can be different without student debt.

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VI. Types of expenses that need to be paid while in college.
A. Personal expenses.
B. Textbooks.
C. Transportation.
D. Being in debt after graduating.

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Stacie Burgos
Professor Ogden
English 1A TR
27 April 2016
College Tuition Expenses and Debt
Being able to afford college tuition has been a struggle for many people throughout the
nation. Although community college is a more affordable option, when people want a higher
degree and plan to transfer out it usually forces them to take out loans which leads to people
being in debt. Many students have to take out loans almost every semester to be able to continue
their education; it most likely leads to them being in debt for several years, even after they finish
their education. The tuition prices should be lowered because people should have the opportunity
to continue to grow their educational knowledge without having to pay so much.
In Los Angeles community I have noticed that everyones life choices vary. Some
students chose not to continue having an education after high school because they dont think it
is worth paying so much money, other students that do chose to continue their education have
been forced to take out loans almost each semester as well as the help of the parents, then there
are the people who as well continue their education but do not take out loans and are paying full
tuition as they go. Both situations are very different but yet are both struggling to pay tuition.
Even with the struggle to pay for their education many students still try to increase their
education as stated from an LA Times article; In Los Angeles Unified, nearly 63% of 2009
graduates went to postsecondary education, the department reported (Rojas). Although this is
not a recent percentage, the percentage is most likely on average the same amount since most
people prefer not to pay so much for their education.

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The first student is the one whom took out loans to help pay for tuition, the students still
plan to be taking out loans each semester to help pay for tuition as well as housing. For the
students it seemed easier to them to be living on campus dorms throughout the semester.
Although the cost of living in the dorms will increase each year, it seemed easier because then
transportation wont be as difficult and there will be less to pay rather than ordinary housing
outside of campus. Since each year the cost of tuition and dorms is mostly likely to increase it is
still more convenient for students to live on campus even though the cost will most likely leave
them in a bigger cost.
The second student, which is whom is paying the full tuition cost as the semester goes
without any loans. This student did not want to take out loans because they did not want to be in
debt after so many years. Since the student is paying tuition on their own it is as well still nearly
impossible to pay each month. Although the student does have a job to help pay for expenses like
transportation and housing it is still a big cost for the student.
College tuition usually leaves a majority of the students in debt even after finishing their
degree. Some students begin to pay their loans right after finishing their degree, others are in
debt while being in school yet the cost for all students is still expensive. College tuition should
be decreased for students because there is a lot more things student need to pay but are struggling
because of how high the cost is. If tuition wasnt so expensive many people would be able to
finish getting their degree instead of having to drop-out halfway through their education. Many
students are paying the debt years after they finished their degree but it they didnt have to pay as
much then a lot of the students would be able to buy themselves a car or a house without the
need of paying many of their debt all at once.

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College tuition in the United States can be really expensive. Although there are tuitions
that are less expensive for example in easier financial options such as community college, yet its
still difficult for some students to be able to pay. In Writing to Change the World by Mary
Pipher, she uses a quote by Alex Haley that says Every death is like burning of a library. (Otd.
in Pipher 45). In the quote is says how a persons brain is like a library because of their
knowledge and information they know; if a student is forced to drop out because of the tuition it
is like not letting a library add another book with information since students are not able to
expand their learning.
Paying for college tuition is usually paid differently, depending on the student; some
students receive scholarships others, receive financial aid, or others have to pay with their own
money. In college there are students of all ages; each student is usually at different level in their
education, some might have been there for awhile now and others might be new or they are
going back to school to have a higher degree. For some students it might be a little easier to pay
for their tuition or for others it can be more difficult. The majority of students take out loans to
help pay for their tuition but it leads to them having a debt for years. Since everyone's experience
is unique, financial help can not be accessed by everyone this causes students to base their school
on affordability instead of academics. Students often lose the opportunity to go to universities
because they can't afford it.
Students not only need to pay tuition that is so expensive itself but they need to pay for
other expenses like transportation, housing, food, and other personal stuff that usually is also
expensive as well. In the article, Bernie Sanders is right: College Should be Free for Everyone it
is able to give information about how students in America are in debt of their loans even after
finishing their education. It states, American students, especially those from the lower rungs of

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the economic ladder, frequently end up in debt after they graduate college not only because
tuition is so high, but because of additional expenses like housing, transportation, and supplies
(Osterndorf). Many people go to college even after several years of either not being in school or
several years after they finished their degree which usually increases the amount of the debt they
have to pay. Tuition cost becomes such a burden that students feel forced to drop out of school.
Some students arent able to even finish their degrees because of how expensive the
tuition is for just one semester. But they are still forced to pay the loan that they received even if
a student did not finish their degree. The article For Millions of Millennials: Some College, No
Degree, Lots of Debts, it explains how Noelle Johnson isnt able to make enough money to be
able to have a vacation trip for two people because she does not have a degree yet, she still has to
pay her loan from one semester. And after nine years of changing schools, trying to choose a
major, dealing with an illness and managing tuition costs, Johnson has about $20,000 in student
loan debt and no degree to show for it (Simmons-Duffin). Johnson had to quit school to be able
to pay that debt from her first semester, she plans to later go back to school but repeat the same
situation because that is the only way she will be able to pay the debt.
A freshman student at the California State University of Northridge recently told me
about her experience as a college student and how much she has to be paying for her college
tuition even with financial support. This student wanted to live in the dorms her first year, since
the school was far from her house and people always told her it was a good experience living
there. Although she does receive help from her parents, FAFSA and scholarship, it still wasnt
enough to pay for all of her expenses. She was forced to take out loans to help pay for the
expenses. The next semester, she had to do the same thing because it still wasnt enough to pay
for everything.

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In the community I have seen that people go to community college first and then transfer
to the school they would like but in the meantime they are saving money to pay for the other
schools tuition. That is usually a good strategy because then it helps pay a semester or more
easily but even then the cost for tuition is still yet really expensive for many students. Especially
for the students who dont receive any financial help. Even though some students do not receive
any financial help, the majority of the student actually need the help just as much as the people
who do receive financial help to be able to pay for books or other materials. Although, not all of
the books are expensive (since some are able to be rent), there are still some books that students
are forced to buy because you need a specific code or a certain edition. Depending on the class,
the materials required can sometimes also be expensive.
Paying for college tuition and the loans is struggle for a majority of the students, although
some try to find methods to help pay for the tuition it usually isnt enough to pay the whole cost
of the tuition as well as paying of their loans. Students can be paying their debt for several years,
which many of them feel like it limits them from being able to do other things like travel or
buying a house since they have so much to pay in their debt. In an interview with David Greene
he states, We spoke to three young women, and they told us that they're thinking about, as you
just heard on your program, big life decisions - can I buy a house? Can I get married? I mean, am
I in the financial position to do that? You know, how much money can I put into my retirement?
And so it's - you know, it's these big decisions, all with this backdrop of this money that people
owe (Martin). People then begin to question if it was really worth it because of how much they
need to pay. College students are always struggling to pay tuition especially since there is much
more that needs to be paid other than tuition which is why it should be free or at least the price
should be reduced.

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Many college students in the United States have to rely on loans to be able to help pay for
their college tuition. The problem with college tuition is that it is so expensive in the United
States and yet students also need to pay for other expenses which makes it very difficult for a
student to pay for everything. Students also take on other responsibilities outside of school such
as for food, clothes, or any other personal expense. This problem affects majority of college
students all around the nation, each state has their own price on how much college tuition is but
they all similar since the majority of the schools are expensive.
A counter argument can be that if college tuition is free or at least if prices were to
decrease then the Universities would be very impacted. Most colleges and universities are
impacted enough so if the more people are attending then more students would not be able to get
the classes necessary. A solution for this argument can be that there could be more classes offered
which can help many people since that is a problem for many students.
College tuition in the United States has been a problem for many students because the
majority of the students need to be paying their loans from the cost of tuition. As well, students
have personal expenses that as well need to get paid. An argument for tuition being expensive is
that then the classrooms wont be as impacted if tuition is cheaper. A solution can be to have
more classes offered especially since it can help many students. Another solution can be that the
Universities are more strict on their requirements to be accepted into the school. If schools have
stricter requirements for when applying then many students wouldnt take the education for
granted if the tuition were to be at an affordable price.

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Work Cited
Martin, Michel. Tough Lessons On Debt For College Students. NPR. NPR, 2 May 2014. Web.
22 Mar. 2016.
Osterndorf, Chris. Bernie Sanders Is Right: College Should Be Free for Everyone. The Daily
Dot. 12 June 2015. Web.
Pipher, Mary. Writing to Change the World. New York: Riverhead, 2008. Print.
Rojas, Rick. Nearly 75% of California High School Grads Go to College, State Finds. Nearly
75% of California High School Grads Go to College, State Finds. 11 Oct. 2011. Web.
Simmons-Duffin, Selena. For Millions Of Millennials: Some College, No Degree, Lots Of
Debt. NPR. NPR, 19 Nov. 2014. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
Taibbi, Matt. "The College Loan Scandal." Rolling Stone 1190 (2013): 34-39. Academic Search
Premier. Web.

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English 1A: Annotated Bibliography

Anzalda, Gloria. How to Tame a Wild Tongue. Readings for Revolutionary Writing.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2013. 22-32. Print.
How to Tame A Wild Tongue is about a Anzaldua speaking about her struggles from a young a
about being judged about her language being wrong. She was told that she needed to speak
english and not spanish. Anzaldua felt ashamed of her language. She later had to learn how to
speak each language to because with some people she was able to speak freely while with other
people she had to speak a certain way. She learned how to appreciate her language and that her
language is her authentic voice. She wrote this essay in two languages mixed to prove to people
that it is not wrong to write in two different languages.
Baca, Jimmy Santiago. Immigrants in Our Own Land: Poems. Baton Rouge: Louisiana
State UP, 1979. Print.
Baca, Jimmy Santiago. Poem Hunter. "As Life Was Five Poem." Poemhunter.com. 3 Jan.
2003. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.
Chang, Candy. Before I Die I Want To TED. July 2012. Lecture. Web.
The speaker in the video is Candy Chang. She has tried to communicate with her community in
New Orleans by using stickers, chalk, and stencils. In the video she talks about someone close to
her named Joan who died so unexpected. She began to think about how many people get caught
up with their day-to-day life and dont remember to live their life. So she came up with an idea to
create a wall in an abandoned property near her home and make it look nicer. It had the words
before I die I want to on the wall in stencil so that the community can write their own goals
with chalk. People were able to understand their neighbors in a new way.
Davis, Dr. Sampson. et al. The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream.
New York: Riverhead, 2002. Print.
The Pact is about three young boys who grow up in a bad neighborhood and come from bad
backgrounds but set goals for themselves to accomplish their education. They each help each
other when they want to give up or when they need someone to study with. They created a pact
to make a promise that they will each get a better education and succeed together. One of the
three men grew up with mostly only his brother. His father was never around and his brothers
father left them later on but they didnt have a relationship either way. One of his friends father
believed in him that he was capable of becoming a doctor which gave him the hope to continue
school.
Elbow, Peter. Freewriting. Readings for Revolutionary Writing. Boston: Bedford/
St.Martin's, 2013. 134-137. Print.

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The author explains the effectiveness of freewriting. He says that it it simply like jabbering.
Writing without thinking and letting all your ideas just flow out of you without a filter.
Freewriting was not meant to be corrected or evaluated. We always feel obligated to go back and
correct our work. When we go back we change what we write and that makes it become
unauthentic.Peter Elbow encourages writers practice free writing because it undoes the ingrained
idea of editing while writing. This technique will enhance our writing and save it from being
dead. He provides examples of freewriting. By practicing freewriting on a regular basis we learn
to express our ideas without being corrected or criticized.
Finley, Ron. A Guerilla Garden In South Central LA TED. Feb 2013. Lecture. Web.
Ron Finley is a resident in South Central Los Angeles. He doesnt like that in almost every
corner there is a fast food place. He believes that it is so unhealthy for children as well as for
other people. He begins to plant vegetables on the sidewalk of his house. The county then warns
him that he needs to get rid of it because it is not a place to grow vegetables. He ignores the
warning and continues to grow his healthy food. He begins to share the vegetables with the
community since that was his plan the whole time for the community to eat healthy.
Frank, Anne. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. New York: Bantam, 1993. Print.
Goldberg, Natalie. First Thoughts. Writing Down the Bones. Boston: Shambhala
publications, 2005. 8-10. Print.
Goldberg gives an instructional approach to freewriting. It is a good tool to use when you want to
get your ideas out. It is important to get your first thoughts out because those are what obstructs
your other thoughts that are held back do to social politeness. Your first thoughts are like your
first reactions. Your internal sensor is what usually tells you that you are wrong so most people
live applying their first or second thoughts. When you are writing it is important to write based
on your first thoughts. Your first thoughts are powerful and filled with emotions. All the heart
that you put into your book is what makes it interesting.
hooks, bell. Where We Stand: Class Matters. New York: Routledge, 2000. Web. Pdf.
King, Dr. Martin L. I Have a Dream. Readings for Revolutionary Writing. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martins, 2013. 189-192. Print.
Martin, Michel. Tough Lessons On Debt For College Students. NPR. NPR, 2 May 2014.
Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
Osterndorf, Chris. Bernie Sanders Is Right: College Should Be Free for Everyone. The
Daily Dot. 12 June 2015. Web.
Pipher, Mary. Writing to Change the World. New York: Riverhead, 2008. Print.

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Mary Piphers book talks about how writing can help with so many things. She begins her book
talking about how this world is messed up because it can be so cruel and such a dark place. She
uses variety of authors throughout her chapters to help support her ideas. She explains in one of
her chapters how each person in the world is individual so they have their own story to tell. Only
you are able to give the details from a moment you witnessed. She also explains how when a
person dies, a library closes. It means that a persons brain is like a library since people have so
much knowledge.
Rojas, Rick. Nearly 75% of California High School Grads Go to College, State Finds.
Nearly 75% of California High School Grads Go to College, State Finds. 11 Oct. 2011.
Web.
Snchez-Flavian, Patricia. "Language And Politicized Spaces In U.S. Latino Prison Poetry:
1970-1990." Bilingual Review 27.2 (2003): 114-124. Academic Search Premier. Web.
6 Apr. 2016.
Simmons-Duffin, Selena. For Millions Of Millennials: Some College, No Degree, Lots Of
Debt. NPR. NPR, 19 Nov. 2014. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
Swales, John. The Concept of a Discourse Community. Feb. 2016. PDF File.
Taibbi, Matt. "The College Loan Scandal." Rolling Stone 1190 (2013): 34-39. Academic
Search Premier. Web.
Warner, Natalie. Being young and making an impact TED. April 2011. Lecture. Web.
Natalie Warner is twenty-years-old when she made this video. She talks about her
accomplishments even at such a young age. When she was younger she was shown a video that
motivated her to be a part of an organization to help stop the killing of young children and
having them as soldiers in Africa. While being a part of this organization they used their own
money to travel and protest to help stop the cruelty. Many of the protests were successful but
some werent. She was able to get Oprah Winfrey to listen to them and help protest to get a bill
passed. But having Oprahs help wasnt her accomplishment, her accomplishment was that she
was able to achieve what she wanted as such a young age and make a difference.