Why is college important

Everyone in the United States wants to achieve the ” American Dream”. People want to be able to provide a stable lite tor their families. A collegeeducationhas been a must to grow in the work industry. But during this economic recession, college students have been having a difficult time staying in the college path, especially working class students. The lack of moral support from their families prevents these unfortunate students to finish their college education. The increase of college tuition and limited financial ald are causing students to go Into debt, making them hesitant hether they should keep studying or not.

Also it’s preventing students from picking needed major but because the low paycheck they are not sure if they will be able to be sustained. But college drop outs also can able be due to the unequal college preparation given in high schools. The education system needs to be reformed so students have the opportunity to choose whether they want to go to college or do vocational tralnlng Instead. A college degree Is bringing more negauve aspects Into a student’s life therefore students, especially from working class. must know the alternatives to be able to succeed.

Most ot the students In the united states are middle or working class. In addltlon of going to school, working class students also have to get a Job to be able to help out their families. Working class students have always struggled to get by during their years in college but most ot these students have families who support theirdreamsof coming out ofpovertyand become somebody with no pressures However there are also students who lackfamilysupport and deal with these issues alone throughout college. According to the New York Times article For Poor, Leap to College

Often Ends in a Hard Fall, ” Likely reasons [that low income students drop out of college] include soaring Incomes at the top and changes in family structure, which have left fewer low-income students with the support of two-parent homes”. These working class students have to find out their way out of college by themselves, sometimes feeling isolated and Intlmlddted by the system. Feeling under the pressure of obtaining a college degree to benefit their families they find themselves often in debt, not knowing about other options out there.

Congress should start more unding towards higher education so students who truly want to conunue with college can do so without increasing their debts, Due budget cuts In education, the amount of financial aid is limited for students therefore it is more difficult to pay for their education. In the past decade college tultlon fees have been Increasing and soon enough students are not being able to receive full financial aid for their college education.

Financial aid is supposed to help those students who fall below the poverty line, but since the recession hit the united states more middle class students re finding themselves in a bad situation. In the article No Aid for You: Cheatingthe Middle Class, Jennifer Hutchinson says ” Due to this large increase In tuition, middle class families can no longer attord to pay tor their child’s education, putting them in the same situation as the low-income students”. Not qualifying for grants these students take tne oTTerea loans ana every year tne amount 0T aeot Increases.

Hutchinson also states that ” However, unlike low-income students… who could not afford college, instead of going out into the workforce aftergraduation, middle-class tudents are now expected to go on to college”. Nowadays a college degree is needed to get a decent paying Job and the competition for Jobs is increasing among the young college graduates. If the financial aid system is not reformed soon there is going to be more students having to leave their college education behind when no longer can go into debt. College should become cheaper so the students won’t have to choose between their passions versus their stability.

With their debts increasing every year students are researching if their majors are worth it to pay back their debts and be able to sustain them. According to the State Public Interest Research Group’s Higher Education Project, ” 23 percent of students who graduate from public universities would face unmanageable debt burdens if they entered teaching based upon average starting salaries. ” Loans are causing college students to stay away from majors that won’t have a beneficial because these majors will not have an income strong enough to hold on to.

Although these students want to study something that will essentially benefit the whole society they won’t be able to do so unless there is a change in the college system. Even though students are told they have to go to college, students are often found to give up as soon as they walk in the campus because they feel they are not ready for college. They try to take classes but they leave feeling overwhelmed by either the content of the class or their lack of enthusiasm to be in the classroom. In the article Why Do So Many Americans Drop Out of College? Jordan Weissman says ” But once they get to class, not every student is prepared. Nor do they necessarily want to be at college, or have a clear notion of what they’re doing there… The economy is screaming that they need a degree. But once on campus, they don’t last. ” These students do not have an idea of what to make of their college education and waste resources such as classes and funds. College preparedness should start since high school. Students should also know if they are ready to take on the challenge of a college education.

There should be a tougher way for students to be selected into four year institutions. Colleges should be stricter with grades once students reach high school. Also there is the importance of high school counselors working with students to help them find out what they truly want to do ith their life. It could help them decide if college is a place they want to be at or instead seek vocational training after high school, preventing students dropping out of college and insures that those obtaining a vocational training gain the skills to enter the work force.

Students have to know the other options out there besides college. The United States needs to establish more vocational schools so that those who choose not to go to college can also succeed in the work force. As many other countries have shown, vocational training can be beneficial to the whole society. The vocational schools we ave already have shown to be mostly effective for those people who need a Job fast to sustain their families.

By being able to get hands-on training, these students have more ability to qualify for a Job right away than a college graduate because they have experience in that certain field. According to the article The Secret To Germany’s Low Youth Unemployment ” Germany’s youth employment is the highest in Europe… At the neart 0T tnat success Is a learn-on-tne-JoD apprentlcesnlp system tnat nas I ts roots In the Middle Ages but is thriving today in Germany’s modern, export-oriented conomy’. These students can choose between a vocational oracademiccareerthough many chose the vocational training.

Through internships, the youth are in training earning weekly wages. In order for the United States to become successful in recovering from the recession more vocational schools have to be implemented around the country so there can be equal opportunities for those who do not want to go to college. The college system in the United States needs work. Students are feeling lost without moral support from their families. Limited financial aid is forcing more low nd middle class students to go into debt in order to continue their college education.

High schools need to start preparing their students for the years ahead in college. But most importantly it is showing that college is not the only option available for students who know they cannot make it through the years. People need to start realizing that college is not for everyone and that vocational schools can be a positive way to increment work force in this country. Vocational schools are also successful in creating educated people. In the long run there will be a positive outcome for students in their future lives.