The Cost of Education

The most debt an American has comes from student loans, college. For some that may surprise you. For others, you carry the burden of paying back student loans from your time in college. My mom has always been about saving a dollar. So, she enrolled me in the dual enrollment program at the age of 16; I got my associate's degree for 99% less than most Americans do in their first years at college. I am 20 now and am still on the path to success in getting my bachelor's and maybe even my master's if I choose. I have been blessed to have parents who will not settle for what everyone else simply says to do. I couldn't believe that I was hearing parents tell their own children to take out loans because that's what everyone does. I mean we're talking about an endless chain and cycle of generational debt that is holding people back because they want to go to their dream school. Or everyone is telling them that it's normal to take out loans. If we aren't allowed to rent a car until the age of 25, why in the world would it be normal for an 18–22-year-old to take out a $100,000 loan + interest? It almost reminds me of that saying, "If everyone jumped off a bridge, would you do it?" If everyone is taking out loans, are you going to?

I say heck no. Now let's really think about this. What is college for? It is to further your education so you can land a good paying job and do something you love. Nowadays, students are going for the parties, and the insane social highs they get from athletic games or clubs. Now, I'm not saying you shouldn't enjoy your college experience. That's not what I am saying at all. I am asking you, is it worth paying $100,000+ every year for it? No, it isn't. Your life isn't composed 100% of parties, and dorms, and football or basketball games. While football and basketball games are nice, and all of the other luxuries colleges offer, that is a very small percentage of what life actually is. Do you want to spend the rest of your life paying for that 5% that is called the college life? Let me break it down. College is typically between 4-8 years depending on what type of degree you are getting. 4-8 years is not a lot of time. Do you want to spend the next 30-50 years paying off that small amount of time? And keep in mind, when you have debt, it affects your credit score. So, you can say goodbye to buying a house, or a car, or going on vacations, etc. And if that isn't enough, having debt creates a serious burden on people's mental health. You've done all your work, and now you have this piece of paper that says you can do what you want, but hold on, there's a catch. You really can't do what you want. You need to pay back all of your student loans. This is what I'm saying: That dream school that looks like so much fun on social media, and has the biggest parties and games, is not worth all of the endless payments that aren't even a drop in the bucket of your student debt.

Now, I'm not blaming students entirely for this. I know that FOMO exists and we're all young and just want to have fun. But there is another side that feeds into this. Parents, faculty, and consumer banking corporations. You know what doesn't come on that college acceptance letter? The price. There is such a lack of knowledge when it comes to the financial process and exchange(s) to go to college. For example, recently Sallie Mae was able to give all of their employees a paid-for vacation because they reached a new height and level in student loans. They are making bank off of your pockets. They are going on vacations because they have trapped the average 18-year-old in a money sucking corporation. Instead of encouraging this generation and the upcoming generation to take out student loans, encourage them to look into scholarships. My mom always told me to treat it as a part-time job. I spent/spend 15 hours a week applying to scholarships. And there are scholarships for all types of things. There are scholarships for being left-handed. There are scholarships for having to wear glasses. Look into work study at your college. They base your hours around your schedule. So, you will still have plenty of time to study and complete your assignments. There are so many smaller colleges that want to help you. I was blessed to know of my college at the age of 13. I have never met such genuine faculty until I met them. They want to make you successful.

Now I know people dump on community college, which I still think is insane, it most definitely is an option. Let me break a stereotype right here, right now. Community college is not the dumb version of a university! Let me say it again. Community college is not the dumb downgraded version of a university! There are dumb people everywhere. You can find them in universities, you can find them in community colleges, you can find them in grocery stores, etc. Community college is there to give you an education at an affordable rate. And no offense, the stories that I hear from university students, oof. It sounds like your professors care more about the paycheck rather than effectively teaching you the materials that you need to pursue your career. Oh! And you're getting robbed of your money. Can we just face it? You can find a good education for a cheaper price. It may not be the dream school that you were looking for, but it definitely is not the ghetto. Just ask yourself this: is all this money that I am paying, worth it? Is it worth the debt? Is it worth the financial struggle? No, it isn't. And it truly disturbs me to see these huge universities and corporations take advantage of such young people. It is cruel and undignified.