orozco.a This is diffidently not a win win situation. Johnson, like many other students are suffering from not having enough money to get by because of lack of education. When we seek out a higher education we are put back in the financial struggle due to student loans. This social problem is increasing massively especially with everyone trying to go back to school. I would apply the Conflict Theory to this social problem. Society is all about conflict and competition, competition between social classes and occupation. There is always going to be someone more qualified than you so you seek out ways to improve yourself and that always means more money to spend. Debt is just another way for the government to keep you down and keep you from progressing.
This problem is a double winner upon the areas of poverty and wealth-income inequality, to name two, but I believe it has a broader effect upon the functionality and health of our Society as a whole. Via the conflict perspective, it would be easily ascertained that the interest of those benefiting from the status quo, arguably an oligarchical meritocracy, would be to discourage the attainment of educational merit by the masses, which would be threatening. The way this is achieved, whether formally or informally, is by the exponential increase in the pricing of education. So the Life Chances that are afforded through the educational process itself favor those who can afford to engage and go through it to begin with while disfavoring those who may be tantalized by the opportunity and later become crushed by the financial weight, hindering them thereon so as to remain always struggling to get by, therefore never able to spare the time to thrive rather than survive, become informed rather than manipulated, and ever pose a threat to the exploitation underway. The public health effect of all this is mass anomie/apathy, and despair.
Micah D. 1. This was a very intriguing article as it is relative to us students and how it may be a possible outcome for some of us. The cost of college education is indeed a growing issue in society especially in this economy. Like the comment above, Noelle Johnson is not alone in this situation. She is struggling with our deepest fear of college. We always ask ourselves, "will this all be worth it?" In the article, it explains how she has been trying to finish up college for 9 years to achieve her B.A. and in the process, grew $20,000 in debt. Also, she works 90 minutes away from home which takes up a lot of time and energy as she takes a train and bus to get there and back. The dilemma is that to make more money, she needs a B.A., but to get a B.A. she needs the time to finish school, yet simple can't because she needs to work to get by. It is a constant struggle of time and money and may cause high amounts of stress, which could be the reason she became very ill. In the whole process of trying to succeed, mental health becomes a confounding variable. It's very sad to see people work so hard to achieve a goal for years, but face obstacles simply due to financial hardship. Another factor regarding finance is whether they come from a wealthy family and have help to pay for education. It seems like Johnson and her husband don't have much help in this case. It must be very depressing trying to get over the hump and have high hopes of having children one day. It is a real situation and can happen to any one of us college students.
2. I believe that the connection between students and college education debt falls back into the category of conflict theory. Like Karl Marx emphasized, we are competing for social class and economic resources. We are all competing for success, which obviously involves receiving a college degree and obtaining a long-lasting career to remain financially stable and beyond. Without competition, Noelle Johnson would not be so persistent to finish college after 9 years of trying while continuing her job 90 minutes away from home. Without competition, she could care less about $20,000 in debt and could simply give up. The fact is that it's not about that. According to conflict theory, we are in this for social survival. The goal is to not let people of power to control you, so you work hard to improve yourself to be powerful. If conflict theory didn't exist, college would be free. No one would care how people receive education or how much they pay. College is expensive because the schools want their money and the teachers need their money. It's as if they want the highest of wealth to succeed and those who can't afford it are forced to struggle with the balance of school, work, and finance for years, such as Johnson.
3. As a college student, this is by far my deepest fear. For awhile, I struggled with what major to choose. It was because I was torn between what I love and what would make money. I did not want to waste time, effort, and money into something that would not make money. It's sad but the cost of education makes you think differently. Even with that major, it's not even guaranteed a stable job. Trying to succeed and being constantly knocked down financially is such a setback. In my opinion, the solution to college debt should depend on how well you did in school each year. Schools should take a look at gpa and deduct a certain percentage of debt or tuition for a 4.0 and another percentage for a 3.0 or higher. Other factors should be taken into account. Factors such as how many hours the student works a week while going to school is one example. The students should be rewarded for their hard work, instead of being knocked down with thousands of dollars in debt for trying to succeed. If the schools really wanted these students to succeed, they'd put pride and money aside so that students wouldn't have to think twice about whether they can afford education or not. They say it will all be worth it, but at what cost?
This article examines the social problem that is the soaring cost of going to college and the student loans that are taken out in order to pay for an education. This article also indentifies the misperception that people who pursue advanced degrees are going to be able to make enough to pay back these loans. This is not always the case as shown through the female on which the article focuses on; Noelle Johnson. Millennials are having to deal with the pressure of school loans and debt without the financial ability to pay. The goal of taking out a school loan is to be able to attend school first and deal with paying it back later but while making a higher salary with a degree (or possibly a career depending on where you are in your higher education) as the benefit. This goal though is not being met; students only have increasing debt to show that they have attempted college but no degree showing that they have finished college and can obtain a better financial position to pay off the debt accumulated. This can be viewed objectively (objective reality) because although not every student in school is facing the exact same situation we have data that proves that this social condition (staggering college debt put no degree or position to match paying it back) does exist and has become a macro level social problem. We can confirm that the repercussions of a situation like this is not being able to financially balance both paying off student loans and the cost of living.
The conflict perspective can most be applied to this particular issue. It could easily be said that the educational system itself is a problem and that student loans create inequality because only those that lack money for education need to borrow it; which creates a disadvantage for those in the lower social classes compared to those that come from money. It can also be argued that those that have taken out student loans have also taken on the role of the proletariat because there is this conflict of owing money and struggling to pay it back to those in power that lend out the money in the first place; the bourgeoisie. Lastly, due to having student loans and no degree to show for the student begins to feel alienated because their focus is no longer on the career they wanted in life and what would make them happy but rather making enough financially to get out of debt. This would eventually lead to a class consciousness (as it already has in some places regarding student debt and in this article) with students brining awareness to how costly an education really is; especially when you’re being lent the money to pay for it compared to having it in the first place.
I found this article to be quite depressing but not at all shocking. I can relate to the girl in the article because I myself also have some student debt (nowhere near hers though!) and no degree to show for. It hit me very hard on how similar our situations are; I’m also doing my best to balance the rising cost of living with paying off my student loan. It's incredibly hard to balance the two and sometimes I feel very alienated from my true passions. It seems that my focus always comes back to money and finishing off this student loan. To be honest I don't know that a true solution to the cost of pursuing an education and paying off student loans exist. These two seem to go hand in hand and are both getting more expensive every year. My solution (and wish) to all of this would be for the cost of a higher education to lower but that seems quite far off. A solution I have tried for my own student loans is to set a limit for myself in terms of what I can borrow. Like the woman featured in this article its important to set financial boundaries for yourself. You have to be realistic; you cannot go into this believing that you can borrow an infinite amount of money and that your career will financially be able to sustain the pay off. The truth is you might have more student debt than income and that is a serious problem which is why it’s important to think these things through carefully. The goal is get ahead financially in life not wind up worse than when you started.
I have thought about the inequallity that is brought upon by the U.S government. In education we see an insufficiency of funds while our defense spending is really high. as orozco mentioned conflict perspective could be very easily used to explain the inequality in education but if we look at it though Symbolic interactionalist perspective we see that there is more to it than meets the eye. Unfortunately for low income students we live in a Capitalist gisselshaft society in which everyone is on their own. What i have come to understand is that the root of the problem is not being able to assimilate completely to our selfish meritocracy. We can fight our government all we want but the real problem with college debt comes from our economic structure. The inability to pay for college comes from the lower income students to associate themselves with people of affluence and money. It is hard to get somewhere when the student cant go out and be ruthless with their education funding. It could be the lack of information for scholarships or sponsorships. Maybe the parents didnt go to college and can do very little to help. There are many smaller factors that can help us get to the root of the problem and find was to fix them like being politically active to prevent the government from keeping us down.
1. Student loan debt is a serious, social issue that millions of young adults are in after they graduate with bachelor’s degree or higher. The impact of student loans and managing it can make problem even worse—especially when having other debts, like credit card and car payment to pay off as well. The theories that I can apply to gain a better understanding of this problem would be symbolic interactionism. Social problems, like students coming out with insurmountable student loan burden after graduation, are a definition itself. The problem is universal and it is affecting every college students who is economically disadvantaged. Take Noelle Johnson’s situation, for instance where she is close to finishing her bachelor’s in 1 ½ years, who has hit the $20,000 mark in student loan debt, and has to make a crucial decision on whether to save up money, then pay for that semester or take on even more loans. Social construction of targeted college students influences the distribution of burdens. Student loans are inevitable in the United States that college graduates leave with little or no income once they start working. Half of what they make goes towards paying back for their student loans, and it barely leaves them enough money to pay for rent and groceries, or save money.
2. One theoretical perspective to apply to this dilemma would be conflict. This is a macro-level in examining our society, where is held together by inherent conflict and inequality in the social structure of the educational system. What conflict theories would say about this student loan debt would be how this conflict is universal because young college graduates are in debt. Furthermore, social consensus is limited and inequality is widespread through college graduates who are barely making good money to pay off their debt because they are starting out in entry-level jobs and pay starts off low at first. Without the increased earnings of a college degree, it is barely enough to repay student loans even if they did not make payments for 360 days. The consequences of default is dreadful, which would result in being sued for the amount of your loan, will appear in your credit history for up to 7 years which will make it hard for you to obtain a car loan, mortgage, and credit card. Social conflict is applied in this social issue because college, as viewed as a society, is like a struggle for resources and power. Moreover, the educational system is held together by power for the benefit of those in power, such as a person who can afford to go college versus those who cannot. The financial challenges of getting a college education put us in a risky position for dropping out of school or take on more student debt. This can put students on the edge of their future—and might cause them to be in great anxiety and uncertainty about what the future holds for them.
3. I commented on this specific topic because as a first-generation to go to college, it is relevant to me and affects me. This specific topic is similar to my sister’s situation where, she accumulated $40,000 in student loans from UC Santa Cruz. Her plans after getting her bachelor’s this July would be getting a side job to pay off her undergraduate debt, apply for her graduate admission at USC, and take out more student loans to pay for her graduate school. What I think about this current event is shocking. I can relate to this current event, using my experiences here at GCC. The book costs and tuition at GCC bookstore is outrageous! You can purchase cheaper textbooks from bookrenter.com, eBay, amazon, or from former students at GCC who advertise them a lot at the bulletin board. The costs of the textbook from the bookstore is benefiting the school, not the student who are economically disadvantaged or cannot afford to buy books; and this in consequence, accumulate to debts for students who are taking out loan to buy their books. I have a guy friend who does not go to college, but well off by working as a sales associate at Staple’s center. Since he has been working for their company for over 7 years, he doesn’t need to go to school. He is not planning on go back to college. My point about my guy friend is that, in certain societies, individuals can be successful and work without a college degree and they’re able to live a good life, while there are those like us who is going to college to attain a degree and acquire skills necessary to prepare us in working in the corporate workforce. My one solution to this student debt would be for the university or college to cut down on school expenses and make special accommodation to students needs in reducing costs of their classes, books, and educational materials on students who are economically disadvantaged and who want it—wanting to be in college, get the education, and help prepare them for their challenging first real job. Despite the negative outlook on student loans, there is a high hope that with a bachelor’s degree or higher, you earn over $800k or over your working life, compared to if you graduated with a high school degree. Having a degree ensure a profitable future than nothing.
1.) Regarding the Article “College Debt” I agree with my fellow classmate Micah because college debt is a serious matter for young adults. For some people such as Johnson who was interviewed for this article, debt becomes such a serious problem that we have to pause school for a while and worry about work, so we will be able to pay for school. It becomes even more of a problem when the student has other expenses to pay off, such as a car or house payments. In Micah’s review what stood out for me was the fact that we all second-guess ourselves, wondering if school “is really going to be worth it.” We pay this much money every semester hopefully it would not backfire on us students in the future. It is a fear for many young adults who are determined to get their bachelors or masters in short amount of time. It has been a social problem for many years now, if anything it has became more of a social problem than it use to be. School was not so expensive back in the day compared to now. 2.) I believe functionalist perspective can be applied in this particular social issue. As Emily Durkaim emphasized how body has essential organs each with a specific function, he also said that society has its own organs with specific functions. For example in this case, the institution of education is providing us with knowledge and skills. We depend on the education institution to help us and lead us to a brighter future. If school is expensive then as young adults we take a step back because we start to second-guess ourselves and wonder if there is anything else better than school. By increasing tuition costs it sends us college students into a panic. By not going to school we face serious consequences such as bad behavior or trouble finding a decent well paying job. 3.) Micah’s proposed two solutions and for one of the solutions regarding if a students GPA should determine how much a student should pay for classes seems a little unreasonable but taking note of the number of classes the student is taking and if the student is a full time or even part time worker should be taken into consideration. If the student has a lot on their plate with classes and work then it is reasonable to reduce the percentage of what they owe. Another solution to this issue is to make a plan for yourself, basically set a budget and see what classes meet your budget this semester. It isn’t bad enough classes are expensive now books are just as expensive which makes things even worse. As student we are already stressed about passing our classes and getting into good schools, paying for school and worrying about debt should be last of our worries.
1.) I definitely agree with the fact that many students across the U.S are falling under the endless amounts of debt when it comes to college loans. These students have a lot going on while studying, like paying bills or the rent and having this burden on them will cause more than stress, high debts can also cause severe depression, living day to day thinking about the 20 thousand dollars you owe the government with no job to find will have a big effect on the person's morale. I too, also believe that it is truly misleading to believe anyone who is seeking a higher form of degree is destined to pay off loans with a snap of a finger. As goals aren't being met by these students with no decent job to find after acquiring their degree, these students are stuck paying their debt with minimum wage for several years. I chose to comment on this entry because I too am a college student and this issue certainly pertains to me, as it does to my fellow peers. This topic is very important, because a lot of students can be in the danger zone of becoming homeless if they are not able to find themselves a decent job with a given degree, the costs of going to college is tremendously high so these students aren't able to reach their objective. This can tip the balance of the working classes, as we will see less potential doctors, lawyers, businessmen from skilled students only because they can't manage the burden of a pricey debt.
2.) I also believe that the functionalist perspective can be applied to the situation. A functionalist would add that if high loans drag down students with the burden of high debts, it will tip off the working class scale and a lot of students will lose their morale for acquiring any specific high forms of degree. Less people would strive to become a doctor because long courses of study mean a higher debt. Eventually students will not be able to pay off their loans in the long run and will lose motivation to seek a higher degree. Functionalist believe that society is a system of interconnected parts that work together in harmony to maintain a state of balance and social equilibrium for the whole and certainly this issue can cause a lot of problems when it comes to the future of education in the United States.
3.) I believe the potential solution my fellow peer set for herself is quite fitting and logical because setting personal limits for oneself, is a way of regulating personal needs and thinking of the future and what is to come. This solution can certainly be accomplished and it can be done but hardship will certainly be faced because of the high costs of college tuition. I believe a solution I would suggest is for the government to look into the foreign countries overseas and learn from their education system, and how Norway is able to provide a free education for their students as does Argentina, Finland, Spain, and France. Maybe the U.S. can learn a thing or two with managing the education system with benevolence and good intentions towards U.S students. I believe this solution would completely eliminate the problem.
Eric K. In response to Linda N. 1. I agree with my classmate Linda on so many different aspects of her post. Majority of us can understand what this feels like to some degree. My classmate Linda discusses what we both heard and read in the article about how college debt is an increasing issue for students and how the debt causes them to fall behind on getting a degree or sometimes even causes students to drop out completely. Many of us do have other loans or day to day things to pay for and this makes the stress of taking out student loans even greater. This is definitely a social problem especially as the income gap increases and the middle class is disappearing, it will be very hard for students to pay for college and be successful. 2. The functionalist perspective is a macro level approach and this perspective views society as a system. A functionalist would state that college debt is necessary to create a whole working "function." A functionalist would argue that students need to take loans from banks and some need to be in debt so that we can continue to function. Functionalist perspective is sort of like how your hands and feet perform different functions, but without both your entire body would work less efficiently. If everyone could afford college, banks would not thrive off student loans, car loans, etc. 3. I agree with Linda's solution to this social problem. It scares me very much being that this is my last semester at GCC and I'll be transferring to a different university this fall. The thought of the student loans I will need to take out is enough to make my head spin. Although there are different forms of aid or scholarships available I still think a good solution would be a slight decrease in price to attend college. Even a small decrease would still somewhat help. This goes hand in hand with the other social problem of income inequality. The middle class is decreasing which means only the rich can go to college if this continues because college debt is such a scary problem.
1. I agree with the response that Linda gave concerning the student loans and how for many people it is not the only debt they have in life. I also agree on the fact that she states that it effects mostly the economically disadvantaged because it is for the most fact true. My peer makes very good points, as too how when one finally graduates and gets a working position, the amount they make starting out isn’t nearly enough to pay off the debt that they have acquired throughout their college career. I personally think it is outrageous how much one has to pay in order to get an education in this country. It is shown how the United States is so behind on education and makes it seem as if the young adults are so lazy but in reality they make it so difficult in order to actually acquire and education one needs in order to be successful. In my own opinion I believe it is all a huge business, but unfortunately quite important in order to provide for a family later on in life. The main problem that is shown in this article and in the response Linda gave, is the amount it actually costs to get an education and how long it takes if you don’t have the best financial status. 2. If we were to look at how a functionalist would think about this article, they probably would respond on saying that the university provides the education and you in return pay for the knowledge given to you. Same would go with the student’s loans, you take out a loan in order to pay for your college units then have to pay later on as an exchange for their “helpful” hand. A functionalist would believe that all this exchange is what would make society stay put and in order. For someone’s work you must exchange your money. 3. I agree a hundred percent on the solution that Linda brings to light on how the school should cut down on the amount of money it costs to take classes and buy books. Linda states in her response, “The costs of the textbook from the bookstore is benefiting the school, not the student who are economically disadvantaged or cannot afford to buy books; and this in consequence, accumulate to debts for students who are taking out loan to buy their books.” Her response goes with what I stated earlier how I believe it’s all a huge business. I personally am not in the best financial situation right now; I am a full time student and work quite a lot after school in order to get through my daily life. Whenever its time for classes to start and buy the textbooks required for my classes, it puts a huge dent in my financial life. The amount it cost in order to get an education to better yourself is outrageous and a disgust to be honest. Our school systems should help their students in having cheaper classes and way cheaper textbooks.
1)I largely agree with Christine’s contention that the increasing cost of going to college in terms of student loans and the subsequent lack of ability to pay back those loans because of a lack of degree or low income is an important social problem, as supported by data showing the amount of debt owed is increasing with individuals who are college educated but do not hold a degree. What stood out to me is that a student debt, Christine claims, also contributes to stress in a student’s life, and contributes to more difficulty by adding complications to current cost of living. This was echoed in the article, where even if students are not paying student loans, they still need to cover credit card debts and car loan payments to get to work. I picked Christine’s response and this topic because it is pretty relevant to my struggle as a student, and because Christine has a personal experience of going through the struggle of student debt, so she has both a micro-level experience and marco-level understanding of the social problem. She has both a subjective and objective standing towards this topic. Another thing that stood out overall in the article is that people are paying so much to get a precursor to work, in something that is not even guaranteed to give work, such as a Bachelors degree. So one essentially needs money to make money: money to pay for education, and education to pay for a job, but that is a vicious cycle which may contribute to youth poverty, an emerging social issue. 2. The interactionist perspective, which is a mirco level approach and focuses upon individual attitudes can also explain the social problem of not being able to afford the increasing student debt of higher education. The interactionist approach can be applied to this article to what individual people define as vital requirements for education, what meaning they attach to a Bachelor's Degree, and if the benefit outweighs the cost. Noelle Johnson defined that taking out a loan of 20,000 was too much and needed to put her education on pause. Different people have different standards and ranges of deciding what is too much to spend and how much they can invest and what they define as a sound investments. The problem is everyone is not on the same page on how much they are willing to spend on education, especially if there is a culture of poverty telling people that higher education is not worth the debt, causing them to drop out. Secondly, people will define differently what is an "important," degree, such as if getting a degree in the arts is a wise economical choice. 3. Christine's solution of setting personal limits is very feasible in some aspects, as it can work if one has money to even attend college in the first place. It works with the interactionist theory in the sense that people will set and attach their own personal limits and value money and education differently. I have another situation of programs that will allow student debt to be treated like other debt to be forgiven, and to decrease interest, even though it is not likely. As much as people decide to make wise decisions and pick a very practical degree, many youths are discouraged to pursue education simply for financial reasons. If the risk seems to high, fewer people will wish to risk it, and there will be a rise in blue collar work and actual college degree attainment.
EDIT: For part 3) solution not situation **I have another SOLUTION of programs that will allow student debt to be treated like other debt to be forgiven..
EDIT 2: 3) *** If the risk seems to high, fewer people will wish to risk it, and there will be a rise in blue collar work and a DECREASE in actual college degree attainment.
15 comments:
orozco.a This is diffidently not a win win situation. Johnson, like many other students are suffering from not having enough money to get by because of lack of education. When we seek out a higher education we are put back in the financial struggle due to student loans. This social problem is increasing massively especially with everyone trying to go back to school. I would apply the Conflict Theory to this social problem. Society is all about conflict and competition, competition between social classes and occupation. There is always going to be someone more qualified than you so you seek out ways to improve yourself and that always means more money to spend. Debt is just another way for the government to keep you down and keep you from progressing.
This problem is a double winner upon the areas of poverty and wealth-income inequality, to name two, but I believe it has a broader effect upon the functionality and health of our Society as a whole. Via the conflict perspective, it would be easily ascertained that the interest of those benefiting from the status quo, arguably an oligarchical meritocracy, would be to discourage the attainment of educational merit by the masses, which would be threatening. The way this is achieved, whether formally or informally, is by the exponential increase in the pricing of education. So the Life Chances that are afforded through the educational process itself favor those who can afford to engage and go through it to begin with while disfavoring those who may be tantalized by the opportunity and later become crushed by the financial weight, hindering them thereon so as to remain always struggling to get by, therefore never able to spare the time to thrive rather than survive, become informed rather than manipulated, and ever pose a threat to the exploitation underway. The public health effect of all this is mass anomie/apathy, and despair.
Micah D.
1. This was a very intriguing article as it is relative to us students and how it may be a possible outcome for some of us. The cost of college education is indeed a growing issue in society especially in this economy. Like the comment above, Noelle Johnson is not alone in this situation. She is struggling with our deepest fear of college. We always ask ourselves, "will this all be worth it?" In the article, it explains how she has been trying to finish up college for 9 years to achieve her B.A. and in the process, grew $20,000 in debt. Also, she works 90 minutes away from home which takes up a lot of time and energy as she takes a train and bus to get there and back. The dilemma is that to make more money, she needs a B.A., but to get a B.A. she needs the time to finish school, yet simple can't because she needs to work to get by. It is a constant struggle of time and money and may cause high amounts of stress, which could be the reason she became very ill. In the whole process of trying to succeed, mental health becomes a confounding variable. It's very sad to see people work so hard to achieve a goal for years, but face obstacles simply due to financial hardship. Another factor regarding finance is whether they come from a wealthy family and have help to pay for education. It seems like Johnson and her husband don't have much help in this case. It must be very depressing trying to get over the hump and have high hopes of having children one day. It is a real situation and can happen to any one of us college students.
2. I believe that the connection between students and college education debt falls back into the category of conflict theory. Like Karl Marx emphasized, we are competing for social class and economic resources. We are all competing for success, which obviously involves receiving a college degree and obtaining a long-lasting career to remain financially stable and beyond. Without competition, Noelle Johnson would not be so persistent to finish college after 9 years of trying while continuing her job 90 minutes away from home. Without competition, she could care less about $20,000 in debt and could simply give up. The fact is that it's not about that. According to conflict theory, we are in this for social survival. The goal is to not let people of power to control you, so you work hard to improve yourself to be powerful. If conflict theory didn't exist, college would be free. No one would care how people receive education or how much they pay. College is expensive because the schools want their money and the teachers need their money. It's as if they want the highest of wealth to succeed and those who can't afford it are forced to struggle with the balance of school, work, and finance for years, such as Johnson.
3. As a college student, this is by far my deepest fear. For awhile, I struggled with what major to choose. It was because I was torn between what I love and what would make money. I did not want to waste time, effort, and money into something that would not make money. It's sad but the cost of education makes you think differently. Even with that major, it's not even guaranteed a stable job. Trying to succeed and being constantly knocked down financially is such a setback. In my opinion, the solution to college debt should depend on how well you did in school each year. Schools should take a look at gpa and deduct a certain percentage of debt or tuition for a 4.0 and another percentage for a 3.0 or higher. Other factors should be taken into account. Factors such as how many hours the student works a week while going to school is one example. The students should be rewarded for their hard work, instead of being knocked down with thousands of dollars in debt for trying to succeed. If the schools really wanted these students to succeed, they'd put pride and money aside so that students wouldn't have to think twice about whether they can afford education or not. They say it will all be worth it, but at what cost?
Christine Z.
This article examines the social problem that is the soaring cost of going to college and the student loans that are taken out in order to pay for an education. This article also indentifies the misperception that people who pursue advanced degrees are going to be able to make enough to pay back these loans. This is not always the case as shown through the female on which the article focuses on; Noelle Johnson. Millennials are having to deal with the pressure of school loans and debt without the financial ability to pay. The goal of taking out a school loan is to be able to attend school first and deal with paying it back later but while making a higher salary with a degree (or possibly a career depending on where you are in your higher education) as the benefit. This goal though is not being met; students only have increasing debt to show that they have attempted college but no degree showing that they have finished college and can obtain a better financial position to pay off the debt accumulated. This can be viewed objectively (objective reality) because although not every student in school is facing the exact same situation we have data that proves that this social condition (staggering college debt put no degree or position to match paying it back) does exist and has become a macro level social problem. We can confirm that the repercussions of a situation like this is not being able to financially balance both paying off student loans and the cost of living.
The conflict perspective can most be applied to this particular issue. It could easily be said that the educational system itself is a problem and that student loans create inequality because only those that lack money for education need to borrow it; which creates a disadvantage for those in the lower social classes compared to those that come from money. It can also be argued that those that have taken out student loans have also taken on the role of the proletariat because there is this conflict of owing money and struggling to pay it back to those in power that lend out the money in the first place; the bourgeoisie. Lastly, due to having student loans and no degree to show for the student begins to feel alienated because their focus is no longer on the career they wanted in life and what would make them happy but rather making enough financially to get out of debt. This would eventually lead to a class consciousness (as it already has in some places regarding student debt and in this article) with students brining awareness to how costly an education really is; especially when you’re being lent the money to pay for it compared to having it in the first place.
Christine Z.
I found this article to be quite depressing but not at all shocking. I can relate to the girl in the article because I myself also have some student debt (nowhere near hers though!) and no degree to show for. It hit me very hard on how similar our situations are; I’m also doing my best to balance the rising cost of living with paying off my student loan. It's incredibly hard to balance the two and sometimes I feel very alienated from my true passions. It seems that my focus always comes back to money and finishing off this student loan. To be honest I don't know that a true solution to the cost of pursuing an education and paying off student loans exist. These two seem to go hand in hand and are both getting more expensive every year. My solution (and wish) to all of this would be for the cost of a higher education to lower but that seems quite far off. A solution I have tried for my own student loans is to set a limit for myself in terms of what I can borrow. Like the woman featured in this article its important to set financial boundaries for yourself. You have to be realistic; you cannot go into this believing that you can borrow an infinite amount of money and that your career will financially be able to sustain the pay off. The truth is you might have more student debt than income and that is a serious problem which is why it’s important to think these things through carefully. The goal is get ahead financially in life not wind up worse than when you started.
Galindo
I have thought about the inequallity that is brought upon by the U.S government. In education we see an insufficiency of funds while our defense spending is really high. as orozco mentioned conflict perspective could be very easily used to explain the inequality in education but if we look at it though Symbolic interactionalist perspective we see that there is more to it than meets the eye. Unfortunately for low income students we live in a Capitalist gisselshaft society in which everyone is on their own. What i have come to understand is that the root of the problem is not being able to assimilate completely to our selfish meritocracy. We can fight our government all we want but the real problem with college debt comes from our economic structure. The inability to pay for college comes from the lower income students to associate themselves with people of affluence and money. It is hard to get somewhere when the student cant go out and be ruthless with their education funding. It could be the lack of information for scholarships or sponsorships. Maybe the parents didnt go to college and can do very little to help. There are many smaller factors that can help us get to the root of the problem and find was to fix them like being politically active to prevent the government from keeping us down.
Linda N.
1. Student loan debt is a serious, social issue that millions of young adults are in after they graduate with bachelor’s degree or higher. The impact of student loans and managing it can make problem even worse—especially when having other debts, like credit card and car payment to pay off as well. The theories that I can apply to gain a better understanding of this problem would be symbolic interactionism. Social problems, like students coming out with insurmountable student loan burden after graduation, are a definition itself. The problem is universal and it is affecting every college students who is economically disadvantaged. Take Noelle Johnson’s situation, for instance where she is close to finishing her bachelor’s in 1 ½ years, who has hit the $20,000 mark in student loan debt, and has to make a crucial decision on whether to save up money, then pay for that semester or take on even more loans. Social construction of targeted college students influences the distribution of burdens. Student loans are inevitable in the United States that college graduates leave with little or no income once they start working. Half of what they make goes towards paying back for their student loans, and it barely leaves them enough money to pay for rent and groceries, or save money.
2. One theoretical perspective to apply to this dilemma would be conflict. This is a macro-level in examining our society, where is held together by inherent conflict and inequality in the social structure of the educational system. What conflict theories would say about this student loan debt would be how this conflict is universal because young college graduates are in debt. Furthermore, social consensus is limited and inequality is widespread through college graduates who are barely making good money to pay off their debt because they are starting out in entry-level jobs and pay starts off low at first. Without the increased earnings of a college degree, it is barely enough to repay student loans even if they did not make payments for 360 days. The consequences of default is dreadful, which would result in being sued for the amount of your loan, will appear in your credit history for up to 7 years which will make it hard for you to obtain a car loan, mortgage, and credit card. Social conflict is applied in this social issue because college, as viewed as a society, is like a struggle for resources and power. Moreover, the educational system is held together by power for the benefit of those in power, such as a person who can afford to go college versus those who cannot. The financial challenges of getting a college education put us in a risky position for dropping out of school or take on more student debt. This can put students on the edge of their future—and might cause them to be in great anxiety and uncertainty about what the future holds for them.
Linda N.
3. I commented on this specific topic because as a first-generation to go to college, it is relevant to me and affects me. This specific topic is similar to my sister’s situation where, she accumulated $40,000 in student loans from UC Santa Cruz. Her plans after getting her bachelor’s this July would be getting a side job to pay off her undergraduate debt, apply for her graduate admission at USC, and take out more student loans to pay for her graduate school. What I think about this current event is shocking. I can relate to this current event, using my experiences here at GCC. The book costs and tuition at GCC bookstore is outrageous! You can purchase cheaper textbooks from bookrenter.com, eBay, amazon, or from former students at GCC who advertise them a lot at the bulletin board. The costs of the textbook from the bookstore is benefiting the school, not the student who are economically disadvantaged or cannot afford to buy books; and this in consequence, accumulate to debts for students who are taking out loan to buy their books. I have a guy friend who does not go to college, but well off by working as a sales associate at Staple’s center. Since he has been working for their company for over 7 years, he doesn’t need to go to school. He is not planning on go back to college. My point about my guy friend is that, in certain societies, individuals can be successful and work without a college degree and they’re able to live a good life, while there are those like us who is going to college to attain a degree and acquire skills necessary to prepare us in working in the corporate workforce. My one solution to this student debt would be for the university or college to cut down on school expenses and make special accommodation to students needs in reducing costs of their classes, books, and educational materials on students who are economically disadvantaged and who want it—wanting to be in college, get the education, and help prepare them for their challenging first real job. Despite the negative outlook on student loans, there is a high hope that with a bachelor’s degree or higher, you earn over $800k or over your working life, compared to if you graduated with a high school degree. Having a degree ensure a profitable future than nothing.
Jannette K
In Response to Micah D
1.) Regarding the Article “College Debt” I agree with my fellow classmate Micah because college debt is a serious matter for young adults. For some people such as Johnson who was interviewed for this article, debt becomes such a serious problem that we have to pause school for a while and worry about work, so we will be able to pay for school. It becomes even more of a problem when the student has other expenses to pay off, such as a car or house payments. In Micah’s review what stood out for me was the fact that we all second-guess ourselves, wondering if school “is really going to be worth it.” We pay this much money every semester hopefully it would not backfire on us students in the future. It is a fear for many young adults who are determined to get their bachelors or masters in short amount of time. It has been a social problem for many years now, if anything it has became more of a social problem than it use to be. School was not so expensive back in the day compared to now.
2.) I believe functionalist perspective can be applied in this particular social issue. As Emily Durkaim emphasized how body has essential organs each with a specific function, he also said that society has its own organs with specific functions. For example in this case, the institution of education is providing us with knowledge and skills. We depend on the education institution to help us and lead us to a brighter future. If school is expensive then as young adults we take a step back because we start to second-guess ourselves and wonder if there is anything else better than school. By increasing tuition costs it sends us college students into a panic. By not going to school we face serious consequences such as bad behavior or trouble finding a decent well paying job.
3.) Micah’s proposed two solutions and for one of the solutions regarding if a students GPA should determine how much a student should pay for classes seems a little unreasonable but taking note of the number of classes the student is taking and if the student is a full time or even part time worker should be taken into consideration. If the student has a lot on their plate with classes and work then it is reasonable to reduce the percentage of what they owe. Another solution to this issue is to make a plan for yourself, basically set a budget and see what classes meet your budget this semester. It isn’t bad enough classes are expensive now books are just as expensive which makes things even worse. As student we are already stressed about passing our classes and getting into good schools, paying for school and worrying about debt should be last of our worries.
Akhiles P.
In Response to Christine Z.
1.) I definitely agree with the fact that many students across the U.S are falling under the endless amounts of debt when it comes to college loans. These students have a lot going on while studying, like paying bills or the rent and having this burden on them will cause more than stress, high debts can also cause severe depression, living day to day thinking about the 20 thousand dollars you owe the government with no job to find will have a big effect on the person's morale. I too, also believe that it is truly misleading to believe anyone who is seeking a higher form of degree is destined to pay off loans with a snap of a finger. As goals aren't being met by these students with no decent job to find after acquiring their degree, these students are stuck paying their debt with minimum wage for several years. I chose to comment on this entry because I too am a college student and this issue certainly pertains to me, as it does to my fellow peers. This topic is very important, because a lot of students can be in the danger zone of becoming homeless if they are not able to find themselves a decent job with a given degree, the costs of going to college is tremendously high so these students aren't able to reach their objective. This can tip the balance of the working classes, as we will see less potential doctors, lawyers, businessmen from skilled students only because they can't manage the burden of a pricey debt.
2.) I also believe that the functionalist perspective can be applied to the situation. A functionalist would add that if high loans drag down students with the burden of high debts, it will tip off the working class scale and a lot of students will lose their morale for acquiring any specific high forms of degree. Less people would strive to become a doctor because long courses of study mean a higher debt. Eventually students will not be able to pay off their loans in the long run and will lose motivation to seek a higher degree. Functionalist believe that society is a system of interconnected parts that work together in harmony to maintain a state of balance and social equilibrium for the whole and certainly this issue can cause a lot of problems when it comes to the future of education in the United States.
3.) I believe the potential solution my fellow peer set for herself is quite fitting and logical because setting personal limits for oneself, is a way of regulating personal needs and thinking of the future and what is to come. This solution can certainly be accomplished and it can be done but hardship will certainly be faced because of the high costs of college tuition. I believe a solution I would suggest is for the government to look into the foreign countries overseas and learn from their education system, and how Norway is able to provide a free education for their students as does Argentina, Finland, Spain, and France. Maybe the U.S. can learn a thing or two with managing the education system with benevolence and good intentions towards U.S students. I believe this solution would completely eliminate the problem.
Eric K.
In response to Linda N.
1. I agree with my classmate Linda on so many different aspects of her post. Majority of us can understand what this feels like to some degree. My classmate Linda discusses what we both heard and read in the article about how college debt is an increasing issue for students and how the debt causes them to fall behind on getting a degree or sometimes even causes students to drop out completely. Many of us do have other loans or day to day things to pay for and this makes the stress of taking out student loans even greater. This is definitely a social problem especially as the income gap increases and the middle class is disappearing, it will be very hard for students to pay for college and be successful.
2. The functionalist perspective is a macro level approach and this perspective views society as a system. A functionalist would state that college debt is necessary to create a whole working "function." A functionalist would argue that students need to take loans from banks and some need to be in debt so that we can continue to function. Functionalist perspective is sort of like how your hands and feet perform different functions, but without both your entire body would work less efficiently. If everyone could afford college, banks would not thrive off student loans, car loans, etc.
3. I agree with Linda's solution to this social problem. It scares me very much being that this is my last semester at GCC and I'll be transferring to a different university this fall. The thought of the student loans I will need to take out is enough to make my head spin. Although there are different forms of aid or scholarships available I still think a good solution would be a slight decrease in price to attend college. Even a small decrease would still somewhat help. This goes hand in hand with the other social problem of income inequality. The middle class is decreasing which means only the rich can go to college if this continues because college debt is such a scary problem.
Antonio Camarillo
In response to Linda N.
1. I agree with the response that Linda gave concerning the student loans and how for many people it is not the only debt they have in life. I also agree on the fact that she states that it effects mostly the economically disadvantaged because it is for the most fact true. My peer makes very good points, as too how when one finally graduates and gets a working position, the amount they make starting out isn’t nearly enough to pay off the debt that they have acquired throughout their college career. I personally think it is outrageous how much one has to pay in order to get an education in this country. It is shown how the United States is so behind on education and makes it seem as if the young adults are so lazy but in reality they make it so difficult in order to actually acquire and education one needs in order to be successful. In my own opinion I believe it is all a huge business, but unfortunately quite important in order to provide for a family later on in life. The main problem that is shown in this article and in the response Linda gave, is the amount it actually costs to get an education and how long it takes if you don’t have the best financial status.
2. If we were to look at how a functionalist would think about this article, they probably would respond on saying that the university provides the education and you in return pay for the knowledge given to you. Same would go with the student’s loans, you take out a loan in order to pay for your college units then have to pay later on as an exchange for their “helpful” hand. A functionalist would believe that all this exchange is what would make society stay put and in order. For someone’s work you must exchange your money.
3. I agree a hundred percent on the solution that Linda brings to light on how the school should cut down on the amount of money it costs to take classes and buy books. Linda states in her response, “The costs of the textbook from the bookstore is benefiting the school, not the student who are economically disadvantaged or cannot afford to buy books; and this in consequence, accumulate to debts for students who are taking out loan to buy their books.” Her response goes with what I stated earlier how I believe it’s all a huge business. I personally am not in the best financial situation right now; I am a full time student and work quite a lot after school in order to get through my daily life. Whenever its time for classes to start and buy the textbooks required for my classes, it puts a huge dent in my financial life. The amount it cost in order to get an education to better yourself is outrageous and a disgust to be honest. Our school systems should help their students in having cheaper classes and way cheaper textbooks.
Ellen T.
In response to Christine Z.
1)I largely agree with Christine’s contention that the increasing cost of going to college in terms of student loans and the subsequent lack of ability to pay back those loans because of a lack of degree or low income is an important social problem, as supported by data showing the amount of debt owed is increasing with individuals who are college educated but do not hold a degree. What stood out to me is that a student debt, Christine claims, also contributes to stress in a student’s life, and contributes to more difficulty by adding complications to current cost of living. This was echoed in the article, where even if students are not paying student loans, they still need to cover credit card debts and car loan payments to get to work. I picked Christine’s response and this topic because it is pretty relevant to my struggle as a student, and because Christine has a personal experience of going through the struggle of student debt, so she has both a micro-level experience and marco-level understanding of the social problem. She has both a subjective and objective standing towards this topic. Another thing that stood out overall in the article is that people are paying so much to get a precursor to work, in something that is not even guaranteed to give work, such as a Bachelors degree. So one essentially needs money to make money: money to pay for education, and education to pay for a job, but that is a vicious cycle which may contribute to youth poverty, an emerging social issue.
2. The interactionist perspective, which is a mirco level approach and focuses upon individual attitudes can also explain the social problem of not being able to afford the increasing student debt of higher education. The interactionist approach can be applied to this article to what individual people define as vital requirements for education, what meaning they attach to a Bachelor's Degree, and if the benefit outweighs the cost. Noelle Johnson defined that taking out a loan of 20,000 was too much and needed to put her education on pause. Different people have different standards and ranges of deciding what is too much to spend and how much they can invest and what they define as a sound investments. The problem is everyone is not on the same page on how much they are willing to spend on education, especially if there is a culture of poverty telling people that higher education is not worth the debt, causing them to drop out. Secondly, people will define differently what is an "important," degree, such as if getting a degree in the arts is a wise economical choice.
3. Christine's solution of setting personal limits is very feasible in some aspects, as it can work if one has money to even attend college in the first place. It works with the interactionist theory in the sense that people will set and attach their own personal limits and value money and education differently. I have another situation of programs that will allow student debt to be treated like other debt to be forgiven, and to decrease interest, even though it is not likely. As much as people decide to make wise decisions and pick a very practical degree, many youths are discouraged to pursue education simply for financial reasons. If the risk seems to high, fewer people will wish to risk it, and there will be a rise in blue collar work and actual college degree attainment.
Ellen T.
In response to Christine Z.
EDIT: For part 3) solution not situation
**I have another SOLUTION of programs that will allow student debt to be treated like other debt to be forgiven..
Ellen T.
EDIT 2:
3) *** If the risk seems to high, fewer people will wish to risk it, and there will be a rise in blue collar work and a DECREASE in actual college degree attainment.
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