By Jameel Murray
Along with the woes and blunders of the sluggish economy, Americans are also forced to worry themselves of the uncontrollable rise in college tuition. According to the biennial report from the National Center for Public Policy, the drastic increases in higher education may be out of reach for most Americans. While increases in family income are somewhat persistent, college tuition has increased 147 percent from 1982 to 2007. According to Patrick M. Callahan, the president of the center, the education gap between the American workforce and the rest of the world will make it difficult to be competitive.
Even though college tuition will consistently increase, the government has acknowledged the situation, implementing many plans in hope of providing higher education for all students. The stimulus bill, which was passed by President Obama, has set aside $90 billion for higher education initiatives. Because the money would allow more students to receive a college education, the Obama administration believes that this money would eventually enhance the American economy. Vice President Joe Biden also conducted a town hall meeting at Syracuse University to discuss the progress being made toward handling the increases in college education. According to Biden, the administration has simplified the federal loan process and is also pushing to increase grants and loans paid for by reduced subsidies to private lenders. Government officials are immediately making an attempt to grapple with the outrageous costs of college tuition. We have already seen some states like Michigan offering free college tuition to students.
References: http://www.aralifestyle.com/article.aspx?UserFeedGuid=790f937a-c021-4f40-b71d-51b495ef27d1&ArticleId=2103&ComboId=4225&title=Obama-s-stimulus-bill-pays-for-education
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090915/POLITICS02/909150354/State-plan-urges-free-college-tuition
http://thegovmonitor.com/world_news/united_states/saving-and-paying-for-college-needs-to-be-fair-simple-and-more-efficient-4426.html
This article is very relevant to us especially because we can relate to the issue of grotesquely high tuition rates. There must indeed be action taken, and I am glad that the Obama administration has taken notice to this issue. Hopefully some improvements will be made to resolve this problem. If not, as stated in the article, the education gap that will result will make it difficult for the US to compete against other countries on a global level.
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