Cost of Education Stands in the Way of Success

   Most people dream of having a successful life. As a matter of fact, it is a learned part of our culture to want to be successful. But with the failing economy and a plummeting job market, can this generation really be expected to succeed?

  Well, all odds are against us, especially in Rhode Island, where recently the employment rate climbed to 8.8 percent: the lowest in the country. The national unemployment average is currently 6.1 percent according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. So with such astounding odds against us, how can our generation achieve success?

  Although entering the job market may not be the best idea at this point, college may not be either.

  According to the College Board, yearly college costs are on average $23,712, that’s after scholarships and financial aid. Multiply that by four and you’ve got a life time of debt to pay off. However, with the Rhode Island job markets falling face first to the pavement, young adults entering the work force with no college degree under their belts have no guarantee they’ll find a job.

  In Rhode Island, only about 55 percent of high school graduates go on to college right away, which means that 45 percent of a graduating class will enter the work force. Assuming SKHS fits the state average, for this year’s senior class of 295 students, only about 162 of those who graduate will go on to college, where the other 133 will enter the work force.   If the employment rate does not go up, these teens will have a hard time starting careers directly out of high school.

  The dismal state of the current economy packs on more disadvantages to high school students than most would think.

  First of all, our generation has the immense responsibility of paying off the debt that the United States has incurred over the last seven years. The Iraq war cost the U.S. over $500 billion so far which means that it will cost every man, woman and child living in the United States $16,500 to pay back the debt.

  For the first time in a long time, the parents of this generation do not know whether or not their children will have better lives than they did. For decades our society has continually improved and succeeded, however, to the demise of our generation, success has hit a brick wall.

  As millions of us inherit the financial mistakes of our predecessors we have the duty to make it right again. So despite the fact that college is expensive, we have the responsibility to educate ourselves.  Through education we can achieve success. Through education we can put our economy and our international relationships back together.

 

-Sarah Schraer, Assistant Editor