Why do Some Students Fail to Finish College in the U.S.?
Introduction
One of the major reasons why there are individuals who could not attend or finish college is poverty. In the United States, for example, poverty is the biggest hindrance to successfully completing college. Over the past several years, college tuition has increased dramatically. As compared to other primary goods, tuition fee increases almost twice as much while the average income of the majority remains almost the same. In just two decades, it has been observed that college tuition fees have increased by 500% while basic commodities increased only by 300% (Jamrisko & Kolet, 2013). However, the average median household income have only increased 20% within the same time frame (DeNavas-Walt & Proctor, 2015, p. 5). The rapid increase in the basic commodities and college cost compared to the increase in income has made the balance between income and expenses of most families in the United States disproportional; making it more difficult to send even a single child to college. Moreover, it is not only the college tuition that increased as miscellaneous and other fees associated with college have also gone up dramatically. At an average, a college student will spend around $28,000 annually including tuition and other college fees, while attending a state college (State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, 2013). This cost even goes up astronomically higher when one attends prestigious universities. For a family that earns a median income of $50,000 annually, the cost of sending just a single child to college will cost them more than half of their annual earnings.
Lack of Government Support
Closely related to poverty, insufficient government subsidy towards higher education is also one of the major reasons why most students could not make in college. Unlike elementary and secondary education, college education only gets limited subsidy from the government. Pre-college education, for instance, is made compulsory and is fully subsidized by the government while government subsidy towards college is only limited on grants and loans. These grants and loans are afforded only to select individuals and is limited in scope and coverage. In the United States, the Stafford loan is the most popular government assistance that can be availed by students who wish to go to college. This loan, however, is only limited to a certain amount and must be repaid within the period of six months after graduation (American Student Assistance, 2014). In 2015, the United States have approved the America’s College Promise Act, which aims to provide free college education to students. This program, however, only subsidizes a 2-year college education and have limited course offerings. Moreover, those who wish to avail of the program should first exhaust other scholarship aids such as the Federal, Pell Grant and other State sponsored educational grants (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2016).
Lack of Interest
Aside from financial and government aid factors, another reason why some students could not complete their college education is based on personal factors, such as the lack of interest or change of interest towards college education. According to one observer, three out of four students who enter college are undecided on what career path to take (Freedman, 2013). Most students, for instance, enter college without knowing exactly what they wanted to do in life. Some attend college because they are pressured by their parents and peers while others discover that their interest lies on other things. These are the students who enter college undecided on what major to take. Most of them end up changing major at least once while others totally lost interest and leave college once and for all. These students are not necessarily poor or intellectually challenged. In fact, most of them are financially and intellectually well-off that they are not scared of not finishing their college education.
Conclusion
In conclusion, poverty, lack of government support and lack of interest are the three major reasons why most students could not successfully complete college. Many students, for instance, have the potential to become successful in college. However, their family does not have the financial resources to send them to college. College education, particularly in the United States, is restrictive towards the majority primarily because the cost of college education is extremely disproportional to the average median income. Moreover, the failure of the government to find a solution on how to fully subsidize college in order to give access to marginalized individuals who are willing to go to college and yet could not afford the cost is, apparently, a major reason why most students could not finish their college education Although the government offers grants and loans to deserving individuals who wish to go to college, a young college student who is financially marginalized would find college less encouraging to pursue if they need to go through qualification processes in order to avail of the grants. Finally, it is the personal interest of students to graduate college that also significantly impact college completion. Regardless of the financial status, some students have lost interest in going to college due to personal preferences, such as pursuing the arts, sports and other things that occupies their utmost interest.
References
American Student Assistance. (2014). Types of Student Loans. Retrieved from http://www.asa.org/basics/loans/types/
Cookson, J. (2011). How U.S. graduation rates compare with the rest of the world. CNN. Retrieved from http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/03/how-u-s-graduation-rates-compare-with-the-rest-of-the-world/
DeNavas-Walt, C., & Proctor, B. D. (2015). Income and Poverty in the United States: 2014. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2015/demo/p60-252.pdf
Freedman, L. (2013). The Developmental Disconnect in Choosing a Major: Why Institutions Should Prohibit Choice until Second Year. Retrieved from https://dus.psu.edu/mentor/2013/06/disconnect-choosing-major/
Jamrisko, M., & Kolet, I. (2013). College Costs Surge 500% in U.S. Since 1985: Chart of the Day. Retrieved from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-08-26/college-costs-surge-500-in-u-s-since-1985-chart-of-the-day
National Conference of State Legislatures. (2016). Free Community College. Retrieved from http://www.ncsl.org/research/education/free-community-college.aspx
Odland, S. (2016). College Costs Out Of Control. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/steveodland/2012/03/24/college-costs-are-soaring/
