By JaWanda Fields
Staff Writer
At an early age children are taught that attending college is one of the most important achievements they will ever attain in their lives. So why is the government acting the complete opposite?
In the last last year, average in-state tuition and fees at four-year public colleges rose an additional $631, or 8.3 percent, compared with a year ago. Meanwhile, the federal government plans to cut billions of dollars in higher education funding over the next decade.
Wisconsin in particular has had its woes. Gov. Scott Walker plans to cut an additional $65.6 million in higher education over the next two years. That is on top of $250 million sliced out of the UW-system’s base budget in the state’s 2011-13 spending plan.
“We are heading in the wrong direction, education is the backbone of any good society,” said Che Kearby, senior class adviser, AP Government and Politics as well as AP U.S. History teacher.
There is even more bad news for students that are already attending college. The average debt of a Wisconsin college student in the 2010 was $24,627, according to The Project on Student Debt. The initiative of The Institute for College Access & Success is part of an independent nonprofit organization working to make higher education more accessible for people of all backgrounds.
It seems as if the federal government is sending a contradictory message. They want every American teen to eventually attend college, but with cuts taking place, there will surely be an increase in tuition for colleges across the country, making it impossible for some to attend.
“They are pricing out much of the middle class,” said Kearby.
“I think the cuts that are being made are dumb. Cuts can be made elsewhere,” said Senior Robert Thomas, of Indian Trail’s Communication.
The issue has made its way into the presidential race. One of the main questions asked in a recent Republican presidential debate was how each candidate would handle the college debt crisis that students now face.
Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich proposed every state have a work-study college program where students work 20 hours a week during the school year and full time in the summer and then graduate debt-free. Gingrich has also called on students to seek more affordable and cost-effective alternatives to traditional college education, such as the College of the Ozarks.
Republican candidate and Congressman Ron Paul proposed a plan to abolish the U.S. Department of Education. When asked how students should pay for college then?
“The same way they pay for cell phones and computers,” said Paul, during a recent debate in Nevada.
Others disagree.
“The federal government needs to live up to its agreement to fund education, and states should re-prioritize where cuts are going towards,” said Kearby.
Meanwhile, President Obama has instituted his own plan to cap repayment of student loans at 10 percent of discretionary income annually and forgive remaining debt after 20 years.
But this is only a small footstep in a million mile walk. The government may be skating on thin ice. A less educated population could have lasting effects.