The Costs of College and Students’ Stress
- Craig McPherson
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
By: Craig McPherson
A Chart Depicting the rising costs of college tuition in the United States over the years. (Credit : College Costs Explained: Why “High Tuition” Headlines Don’t Tell the Full Story - Bipartisan Policy Center)
A common reason that some people choose not to go to college is because they believe it is too expensive. They worry they will struggle to pay back student loans or other bills. Unfortunately, this seems to be the case, as in an interview with 1,500 U.S. college students, 59% of them considered dropping out due to financial stress. If not educated or prepared properly, high school students may experience the same fears or struggles in the future. But how do most current high school students feel about college? What are high schools doing to help prepare students for college?
Before investigating feelings of high school students, or college preparations in high school, the reasons for college being so expensive must be explored first. The inflation of tuition prices is increased by factors such as excessive numbers of staff members and amenities in universities as well as a business model dependent on high-wage labor. This means the average pay for staff members would be at least 50% higher than the overall average. This would mean that universities would have to make more money to fund these many resources and higher wages. To make more money, they charge more for tuition.
But how do local high school students feel about the expenses of college? When asked about her feelings on any student loans or debt she or her family may have to pay off in the future, Monroe Township High School student Ashley Sawh stated, “I want to avoid taking out student loans, though if need be, I will do it. Having student loans is just something that I generally do not want to deal with, mainly because I want to have my full attention on my career in the future.” As Sawh points out, owing student loans not only is a financial stressor, but can also be a distraction to studies and pursuing one’s future career.
Some people also may wonder how local high schools are preparing students for college. Brielle Goldstein, a guidance counselor in Monroe Township High School, provided her opinion on this topic and responded, “Yes, I do feel like our school does a lot to prepare students for college. I cannot really speak to what other schools in the area do. At MTHS, we offer courses where teachers prepare students for the academic expectations of college. The counseling department holds various events and evening programs to provide information to students and families to help prepare them for the process of applying for colleges. We hold parent nights, the college fair, college rep visits, groups, etc. There are plenty of readily available resources for students including the use of Scoir to learn about and prepare for college and the application process.” According to Goldstein, there are several different resources available in Monroe Township High School meant to help students prepare for college. However, she did say she could not speak about the college preparation programs for other schools in the area, meaning some other schools may not have as many resources compared to Monroe Township.
In conclusion, high school students may feel apprehensive about the increasing costs of college tuition, student loans, and debt. However, they may be able to find guidance or resources to help them prepare for college, such as in programs set up by their own schools. In turn, this begs the question: Even with support from these resources, will financial stress decrease, no longer interfering with students’ decisions on whether or not to attend college? In short, the solution to this issue is to understand you are not alone. In addition to one’s counselors and the abundant resources they provide, one should remember their peers are undergoing the same struggles, and are open to working through this problem together.