In a country that compensates the educated, lies an almost gross oxymoron; you need a fortune to make a fortune, relatively speaking. With the cost of college continuing to rise out of proportion with that of inflation, it is no wonder why some people do not or even cannot afford, in some cases a higher education. According to Lucia Solorzano, "Since federal aid has not kept pace with inflation, colleges have found they must pick up the slack, so they are raising tuition." (Solorzano 3) It is my personal belief that we need legislation to regulate tuitions. Some colleges, through their "name-brand" status, have the power to charge ridiculous sums of money. With the cost of some 4 year programs at as high as thirty three thousand dollars a year, I think its time for some serious action. (Davis 1) Schools should see incoming students as the future of our nation, rather than a cash crop to be harvested.
I believe if the government was to incorporate a policy limiting institution's profits, such as a maximum percent added to the operating cost, then they can set a "fair" tuition price. This would open doors of opportunity to people who might not attend school otherwise. This alone would far outweigh the few, minor disadvantages, as it would help our country as a whole. That is what I feel the government's role is: to provide for the people, while at the same time looking out for the country's future. An educated population is a viable population both in the domestic and world economy.
One of the arguments that I have considered is "What about the students that are there to work hard? Expensive colleges create stronger motivation to do well." Well, if you consider the attrition rate of even the more inexpensive schools like Northern Essex you will find that the unmotivated eliminate themselves. This could be an advantage for the schools if they incorporated a "pay up front" system.
