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Spencer Fritz

Professor Stalbird

ENG 1201.227

2 April 2019

Lowered Public College Tuition in the United States

‘Student debt,’ ‘college tuition,’ ‘loans,’ ‘crisis,’ and other such terms are often used in

relation to post-secondary education in the United States. In a country with a government that

does not cover at least most of its public tuition costs, college students have to be wary of

incurring thousands of dollars in debt. In some other countries, this is not the case. Students do

not have to worry about debt and can pursue their goals with little financial worries. A system

such as this would greatly benefit a large country such as the United States, as many Americans

can be hindered from pursuing their dreams due to the expense of college. Debt from student

loans as a result of high tuition rates can be stressful, scare some people away from attaining an

education, and negatively affect society in a number of ways. There are arguments against

implementing affordable or even completely tuition-free post-secondary education, but

the benefits of an affordable or debt-free education would certainly be greater. Public college

tuition in the United States should be more affordable for all students who desire to seek a higher

education.

When searching ‘student debt’ on a browser, there are numerous results. Many search

results may also refer to rising tuition and a “student debt crisis.” So, why are rising tuition rates

and student debt bad? To begin, tuition rates are the fees that students pay to attend a university

and take courses. Tuition rates can include housing costs where students are required to live on

campuses, and sometimes include textbooks for classes. College tuition has been around for a
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long time, but the cost has not always been the same. In fact, tuition rates have increased by large

amounts, even in recent years.

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In its article titled, “Tuition and Fees over Time,” Collegeboard.org states that, “Between 2008-

09 and 2018-19, average published tuition and fee prices rose by $930 (in 2018 dollars) at public

two-year colleges, by $2,670 at public four-year institutions, and by $7,390 at private nonprofit

four-year colleges and universities.” Graduate students pay even more money to pursue higher

education. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in its website titled, “The NCES

Fast Facts Tool Provides Quick Answers to Many Education Questions (National Center for

Education Statistics)” states that, “Between 1999–2000 and 2015–16, average student loan

balances for graduate school completers increased for all degree types (in constant 2016–17

dollars). Average student loan balances for those who completed research doctorate degrees

roughly doubled during this time period, from $53,500 to $108,400 (an increase of 103
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percent).” Student loan debt accounts for more than 1.5 trillion dollars in debt in the United

States today. Most college students in the United States, need to take out loans in order to pay for

high college tuition rates. In its web article, “A Look at the Shocking Student Loan Debt

Statistics for 2019,” Studentloanhero.com states that, “Among the Class of 2018, 69% of college

students took out student loans, and they graduated with an average debt of $29,800, including

both private and federal debt.”

Today, Americans pay a significant amount of money for post-secondary education. The

United States has one of the highest tuition rates among the developed world, particularly among

countries that are part of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development

(OECD).
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Many other countries had lower tuition rates, and others did not charge tuition fees for their

public college and universities. In a 2017 Business Insider article, written by Abby Jackson and

Mike Nudelman, they refer to a 2017 OECD report on college tuition rates among its 35

countries. The authors state that, “About one-third of countries do not charge tuition for public

institutions, and in 10 countries, tuition fees are less than $4,000, according to the report.”

Unfortunately, public universities are nowhere near as expensive as private ones. Tuition fees for

private colleges are also significantly higher in the United States. Jackson and Nudelman also

state, “At private colleges, the gap between US and other OECD tuition fees was even starker.

America's average of $21,189 was much higher than the rest.” The United States is really an

outlier when it comes to the cost of college education.

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The problem with these rising high tuition rates, which can cause student debt, is the fact

that wages have not kept up. Katrina Vanden Heuvel, author of the Washington Post article titled

“Americans Are Drowning in Student-Loan Debt. The U.S. Should Forgive All of It.” states,

“The reason for the debt crisis is clear: The cost of college has exploded in recent decades while

median household-income growth has been relatively flat.” If wages kept up with the cost of

going to college, there might not even be an actual student debt crisis. College would be more

affordable for the average American, and incurring debt from getting a post-secondary education

would be much less common and perhaps less problematic, as debt may be less severe.

Obtaining a college education is much harder for low income students, many of which can be

minority groups that are less economically privileged, who are no less affected by high tuition

rates and debt in the United States. Unfortunately, since income growth has remained relatively

flat over the past few decades, in order for college tuition to become affordable, rates must be

reduced.
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Why are tuition rates rising, resulting in student loan debt in the United States? There are

many arguments as to why this is happening. The cost of college is not the same as it was a few

decades ago when adjusting for inflation. The statistics indicate that going to college truly is

significantly more expensive today than it was twenty or thirty years ago. It could be argued that

it has become more expensive for universities and colleges to be maintained today than a few

decades ago. This is not necessarily the case, as tuition rates didn’t just rise at a gradual level, but

dramatically and consistently. If college tuition was based solely on the costs of maintaining

universities and colleges, rates would be more likely to fluctuate up and down instead of
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consistently go up when adjusted for inflation. The problem is that there isn't one root cause for

increasing tuition rates. Many people would immediately assume that student debt is caused

simply by high tuition rates alone. Intrinsically, tuition rates are not the source of the student debt

crisis as they are also a symptom of deeper problems that may have led to this “crisis.” It would

be highly illogical for tuition rates to rise without any particular reason.

One possible and quite probable reason for rising tuition rates in the nation is tuition

discounting. In their article titled, “A Hidden Cause of Rising Tuition: Tuition Discounting in

Public Colleges and Universities. The Progress of Education Reform.” Matt Gianneschi and

Sarah Pingel discuss the matter of tuition discounts and the fact that they can be seen as a hidden

cause for why tuition keeps rising even when governments are investing more into their colleges

and universities. The intention for tuition discounts may be to diversify the student body or

attract more students from a wider range of incomes, but this process doesn’t stop tuition from

rising. The more tuition discounts are given, the higher full-price tuition gets. Some states

introduced measures to slow tuition increase such as capping or limiting how much tuition can

be discounted for a student. The actual published tuition rates at both public and private

universities are certainly not paid by everyone. For varying reasons which may include income,

race, gender, etc., some students will receive a discounted rate. In their article, Gianneschi and

Pingel state that, “Though discounting can help institutions achieve a variety of important goals,

its long-term sustainability is unknown. Ever escalating tuition rates are a concern to many

people. However, due to the prevalence of tuition discounting, fewer and fewer students actually

pay the published tuition rate.” (4) If there are more tuition discounts, a university, whether

private or public, would have to raise its published tuition rates to compensate for the cost of

covering the tuition of students having received a discount. Not only do tuition discounts raise
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the actual tuition rates, but scholarships may be a factor as well. Depending on the type,

scholarships may cover a range of costs for going to college, from providing a small grant of a

few thousand dollars or covering all of the costs. When too many discounts or scholarships are

given, the result is raising full tuition rates to compensate.

There are a number of arguments against tuition free or debt free college. Some suggest

that student debt is not severe for most Americans and can be paid off easily. It is also argued that

those with student debt, especially from obtaining bachelor’s degrees, are not struggling the most

and are not in poor financial situations. Since education is really a personal investment, a student

should be prepared for large amounts of debt. Private investments like post-secondary education,

resulting in student debt are the student’s problem, not the universities. Jonathan Glater, author of

“THE NARRATIVE AND RHETORIC OF STUDENT DEBT,” states in his article, “If

education is an investment like any other, the higher the price, the higher the return necessary to

justify the initial outlay.” If the price of college is expensive, then incurring debt because of high

tuition rates must be worth the risk. One of the major arguments against free college is that the

value of degrees would decline and higher education would not bring the amount of success if it

were free or even affordable for the masses.

Other arguments such as in Sandra Baum’s book titled, “Student debt : rhetoric and

realities of higher education financing / Sandy Baum,” talk about how those who oppose student

loan debt and those in favor of free college often use rhetoric which misconstrues the realities of

student debt. Baum argues that the severity of student debt does not typically affect lower

income students. She also mentions that the majority of students do not incur a significant

amount of debt. The stories told about student debt imply that it is worse than it is in reality.

Although student loan debt is real for many students, whether it is a little or a lot, the point of
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these arguments is that the rhetoric should not be tampered to give the wrong message. Baum

argues that those who have received college degrees are not necessarily struggling the most. With

the current economy, a college degree can take you a long way and lead to success. Based on her

arguments, it is possible for it to be worth it to have debt as a result of pursuing a college degree.

She also states that borrowing money for college isn’t actually negatively affecting Americans.

Baum states in her book, “The idea of a student loan crisis has taken hold in the media, in the

blogosphere, and in the political arena. But the reality is that borrowing for college is opening

doors for many students. It is helping far more people than it is hurting.” (4-5)

It would be logical to reduce the tuition rates for college and significantly reduce the

severity of student debt in the United States. Whether those with student debt are struggling the

most or least is not as relevant as the fact that student debt is something that nobody wants or

should have, when obtaining an education. Even canceling the student loan debt in our country

would benefit our country. Richard Eskow and Sean McElwee, authors of The Nation article

“Canceling Student Debt Would Stimulate the Economy-and Voter Turnout.” claim, “The

economic case is also powerful. A recent study by the Levy Institute found that student-debt

cancellation—that is, the cancellation of all $1.4 trillion in currently outstanding student loans—

would spur economic growth and create between 1.2 and 1.5 million jobs per year in the first few

years.” Perhaps the United States could benefit from the burden of student debt being lifted.

The idea that the abundance of highly educated and qualified college graduates would

make degrees less valuable is without a doubt a valid argument. Yet Marshall Steinbaum, author

of the Boston Review article, “Free College for All,” sees it differently. He refutes the question,

“Wouldn’t making higher education free also make it more abundant—and hence even less

valuable than it already is?” He then states, “This interpretation, however, fails to understand the
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actual role higher education is currently playing in the labor market: as a tollbooth to decent jobs.

That tollbooth is currently expensive and discriminatory, whereas free college would be much

cheaper and reduce racial inequalities in access to high-quality institutions.” Therefore, the

United States government should be open to reducing the cost of post-secondary education in

this country. Making it easily accessible and affordable for all Americans who want to pursue a

college education would greatly benefit our society.

There are already examples of government taking the issue with post-secondary

education seriously. The Executive Office of the President, Council of Economic Advisers,

having wrote the book, “Making College More Affordable [Electronic Resource] : Implications

of New Data.” state that, “Providing Americans the opportunity to obtain post-secondary

education is critical to our nation’s continued economic success and to the well-being of

American families. With state budgets suffering and Americans’ incomes stagnating, investments

in the education and skills of our future workforce could have been in danger.” Simply

discussing the issue is a great way to reaching toward solutions, but currently it is not enough.

Therefore, it is necessary to adopt a model similar to many other countries where college

education is more affordable and accessible for all citizens across all socioeconomic, racial,

religious, and other groups of people.

If the majority of American people support affordable tuition rates and reduce student

loan debt, our society can improve in terms of our economy and education. Americans of every

background will be able to pursue the education and career that they want without the burden of

student debt. Thus, it is necessary to take action from voting in a general election to contacting a

representative in congress. A conversation needs to be started on student loan debt and college

tuition. People, especially in government, need to be concerned with this issue. No effective
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legislation can be passed if most Americans remain apathetic or oblivious to this problem. More

Americans should be made aware of this problem in our country and be willing to take whatever

steps that are necessary to put an end to the “student debt crisis.” If actions like these are taken,

then our country can benefit in many ways, and millions of Americans will have more viable

opportunities for success, academically, economically, career wise, and in many other ways,

providing them with a brighter future. The United States will truly be a land of opportunity if

higher education were affordable for all Americans from all backgrounds, especially those from

lower income backgrounds.

Student debt, a common concern that many college students and recent graduates face,

has not improved in the United States. Over the past few decades, the problem has only

worsened due to the increase in tuition rates. In fact, tuition rates in the United States are among

the highest in the world. Among OECD countries, the United States by far, has the highest tuition

rates for both private and public universities. In the past few decades, the rates have not risen

slightly, but dramatically. Many young people in the United States have less opportunity to

pursue the degree of their choice because of the expense of college. Therefore, it is important for

changes to be made. Public colleges and universities in the United States need to be less

expensive. If public universities were inexpensive, resulting in little to no debt, many young

Americans could benefit. More people would be able to pursue the type of education that they

are interested in without dealing with high tuition and debt. Lower income Americans would

then be able to attend public colleges and universities in greater numbers without the hindrance

of high tuition rates. Therefore, it makes sense that this model for education should be adopted in

the US as it is not only necessary, but greatly beneficial. Public college tuition in the United

States should be affordable and debt-free—our country needs it and students dese
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Works Cited

Baum, Sandra R. “Student debt : rhetoric and realities of higher education financing / Sandy

Baum.” New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2016. Sinclair Library Accessed: March 11,

2019

Berman, Jillian. “Did you work your way through college? Here’s why your kids can’t.”

MarketWatch, Marketwatch.com Nov 26, 2017. Accessed: April 2, 2019

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/did-you-work-your-way-through-college-heres-why-

your-kids-cant-2017-11-21
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College board. “Tuition and Fees over Time.” Trends in Higher Education - The College Board,

trends.collegeboard.org/college-pricing/figures-tables/tuition-fees-room-board-over-

time.Date Accessed: Feb 27, 2019

Eskow, Richard, and Sean McElwee. “Canceling Student Debt Would Stimulate the Economy-

and Voter Turnout.” The Nation, 5 Oct. 2018, Date Accessed: Feb 27, 2019

www.thenation.com/article/canceling-student-debt-would-stimulate-the-economy-and-

voter-turnout/.

Executive office. “Making College More Affordable [Electronic Resource] : Implications of New

Data.” [Washington, D.C.] : Executive Office of the President, Council of Economic

Advisers, 2011, 2011. Government Printing Office Catalog, Date Accessed: Feb 28, 2019

Gianneschi, Matt; Pingel, Sarah; Education Commision of the States. “A Hidden Cause of Rising

Tuition: Tuition Discounting in Public Colleges and Universities. The Progress of

Education Reform. Volume 15, Number 4” Education Commision of the States. 7pp.

2014. ERIC. Date Accessed: Feb 28, 2019

Glater, Jonathan D. “THE NARRATIVE AND RHETORIC OF STUDENT DEBT.” Utah Law

Review. 2018, Vol. 2018 Issue 4, p885-895. 11p. Academic Search Complete. Accessed:

March 11, 2019

Heuvel, Katrina vanden. “Americans Are Drowning in Student-Loan Debt. The U.S. Should

Forgive All of It.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 19 June 2018, Date Accessed:

Feb 27, 2019

Jackson, Abby. “It Costs More to Go to College in America than Anywhere Else in the World.”

Business Insider, Business Insider, 15 Sept. 2017, www.businessinsider.com/how-much-

college-costs-around-the-world-2017-9. Date Accessed: Feb 27, 2019

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Steinbaum, Marshall. “Free College for All.” Boston Review, vol. 42, no. 3, July 2017, pp. 81–

92. Humanities Full Text (H.W. Wilson), Date accessed: Feb 28, 2019

Studentloanhero.com. “A Look at the Shocking Student Loan Statistics for 2019.” Student Loan

Hero/lendingtree. Studentloanhero.com Feb 4, 2019. Lendingtree. Accessed: April, 4

2019

US government. “The NCES Fast Facts Tool Provides Quick Answers to Many Education

Questions (National Center for Education Statistics).” National Center for Education

Statistics (NCES) Home Page, a Part of the U.S. Department of Education, National

Center for Education Statistics. Accessed: March 11, 2019.