Bethanie Cannon

Ms. Davis
English Composition II
4 November 2016
Is Higher Education Worth the Investment?
Within the last decade or so, more Americans have begun to question whether a college
education is worth the time, money, and effort dedicated to it. Although many students have been
taught since junior high school that college is necessary to not only the American Dream, but
livelihood in general, rising tuition costs, over-priced fees, and insufficient financial aid have
many saying No thanks. While I can understand their hesitation, higher education has been a
positive and affordable experience for me thus far, so I argue in support of it.
First off, as is found on the United States Department of Education website, college
graduates with a bachelor's degree earn, on average, 2/3 more than those who stop with a high
school level education; in addition, they also have a better chance of remaining employed. By the
end of their lives, the typical worker with a bachelor's degree will earn roughly $1 million more
than a worker without a higher education. Within the next 5 years, approximately 66% of
available jobs will require some form of college education or career training (College). I
believe this statement to be true, because even though I have only been in the workforce for 3
years, I have noticed that having career training has helped me obtain positions that, frankly, I
dont know if I would have even been considered for otherwise. My career technology training,
through which I earned both an Administrative Assistant and Entrepreneurship certificate, helped
me receive employment as a receptionist at a tax office at well over minimum wage and qualified

me for the work-study position I now hold at my school. Now when I enter the workforce fulltime, I will have both the education and the experience to be a competitive applicant.
On the other hand, I know that not everyone believes in the value of investing in a college
education. For example, one of my closest friends was able to obtain her dream job right out of
career technology school, therefore deciding that there was no point in building up student loan
debt and wasting time and energy to earn a degree that would put her in the same job she has
now. Peter Harkness addresses the monetary aspect of this argument in his article, The Old
College Try, stating that The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that from
scal 2003 to scal 2012, state funding for public colleges and universities declined from $80
billion to $71 billionor 12 percenteven as enrollments shot up by 20 percent. Median state
funding per student declined 24 percentfrom $6,211 in scal 2003 to $4,695 in scal 2012, per
the GAO. (Harkness 16) Obviously, someone must make up this difference and, unfortunately,
that falls to students and their parents. When looking at the financial cost of higher education as
well as insufficient government aide, it does not appear to be worth investing in a degree that
will result in lifelong debt.
However, research found by the Hamilton Project, as quoted by Owen and Sawhill in
their article, Should Everyone Go to College? reveals that When we look at life time
earnings-earnings over a career- the total premium is $570,000 for a bachelors degree and
$170,000 for an associates degree. Compared the average up-front cost of four years of college
(tuition plus opportunity cost) of $102,000, the Hamilton Project is not alone in arguing that
college provides a tremendous return (Owen 211). This makes sense to me because I have
seen the financial consequences of those who either didnt start college at all or started and didnt
finish. Almost every one of them tells me to stay in school and that they wish they had made that

choice or had that opportunity too, so they would not be stuck where they are, in the financial
state they are in, in the job they hate but cant quit because they cant get anything better. But
then there is the issue of those who pay thousands of dollars of borrowed government money for
a degree and then cant even utilize it because they cant find employment in their chosen field,
but still must make good on the loan. Honestly, it is quite easy to find reasons to side with or
against the so called tremendous return the Hamilton Project leads us to expect.
Although, admittedly, I cannot say that higher education is not overpriced or that fees are
not outrageous, I also dont agree with my classmates and peers who believe that all universities
are just out to take money away from students. For example, Penn State college has found a way
to increase accessibility and affordability for their students. Ann Gutmann addresses both Penn
States plan and its success in her article, The Fundamental Worth of Higher Education,
relaying that, (as of 2007) families who earn $90,000 or less per year dont pay any tuition, while
those who earn $40,000 or less are not required to pay tuition, room, or even board. Middle- and
low-income students therefore have the possibility of graduating with no debt at all; which in
turn, opens many career options to Penn graduates who otherwise would be forced by financial
necessity to pursue the most lucrative, rather than the most satisfactory, careers (Gutmann 142).
From a student standpoint, I find this is an excellent way of increasing accessibility in
universities, although Oklahomas OHLAP program has also made tuition a non-issue for several
middle-class students I know, myself included. In addition, Peter Harkness, again in his article,
The Old College Try, commends Arizona State University for experimenting with a new
combination of face to face and internet based education, which closely monitors its students
using an online dashboard to measure progress, and has so far caused a significant cost decrease
(Harkness 17). From personal experience, Northern Oklahoma Colleges cooperative alliance

program, which I find similar to the experiment Harkness describes above, allowed me to earn
college credits from my career technology center for $8 an hour, preventing me from having to
retake the courses I had already passed in school and significantly reducing the cost of earning
my degree. So it is clear that some universities are making an effort to make college accessible
and affordable for more people.
Gutmann also asserts that, Increasing need-based financial aid increases socio-economic
diversity on our campuses, and this benefits everyone by creating a community rich in differing
life experiences and perspectives (Gutman 142). Employers are looking for well-rounded
individuals, those have incredible people skills, knowledge of different languages and cultures,
and are familiar with working in diverse environments. When those from the other side of the
tracks, so to speak, can learn and grow alongside the privileged, I believe this opens
communication and understanding between classes that wouldnt normally mix, as well as
creative opportunities that may help us to once again lead the world in innovation.
In addition to the financial and employment benefits of higher education, other benefits
exist that may positively affect different areas of graduates lives. As is seen in Stephanie Owen
and Isabell Sawhills article, Should Everyone Go to College?, research indicates that
continuing education betters life by positively affecting areas such as satisfaction in a job, health,
marriage, parenting, trust, and social interaction. In addition, there are societal benefits to
furthering education, such as less crime and taking more political responsibility (Owen 210). I
agree with this statement to an extent because I was raised in a home where both of my parents
were college graduates and they are still happily married, employed, have never been to prison
(to my knowledge) and are politically responsible citizens. They have also instilled these
qualities or importance of these qualities in us, their children. However, I also disagree with this

statement to some degree because I am aware of unemployed college graduates or those with
massive student loan debt that do struggle with job dissatisfaction or divorce in its wake. In
contrast, I also know a couple in which neither spouse has a college degree, but they have been
happily married for nearly five years, like their jobs, and are politically active so I can
understand the opposing views on this statement.
In conclusion, higher education has benefitted my family for generations, from my
grandparents, to my parents, and now to me. Thankfully, financial aid has made higher education
not only possible, but affordable for me. In addition to this, since I attended career technology
school before beginning my college career, the cost of furthering my education was significantly
decreased. As of yet, this is not the reality for the majority of lower or even middle class citizens.
However, as is stated by the U.S. Department of Education, Every hard-working student
deserves a real opportunity to earn an affordable, high-quality degree or credential that offers a
clear path to civic engagement, economic security, and success (College) and despite
appearances, individuals, governments, and institutions are working to make this a reality.
Therefore, I hold to the belief that, yes, higher education is worth the investment.