MEDIA ANALYSIS 2
Abstract
The amount of student loan debt in the country continues to increase at an astronomical rate.
There continues to be a litany of suggestions as to where to place the blame for the staggering
level of liability. Different media types examine the perspectives of why the debt has increased,
who is to blame, and if there is a way to fix it, along with the impact student loans are having on
colleges and universities. Following the pandemic, higher education had temporarily altered
practices to recruit and retain students. However, many institutions have failed to keep up with
trends in higher education, and this presents a negative financial impact.
Keywords: higher education, student loans, government, borrowers, institution, income
MEDIA ANALYSIS 3
Media Analysis: Student Debt and Higher Education
As American society has developed, different institutions must develop along with it.
Unfortunately, institutions of higher education in the United States are facing the significant
issue of affordability as students struggle financially to achieve a higher education. Between
1986 and 2018 the cost to attend a four-year college in the United States outpaced inflation and
increased by 497%. (Brint, 2022) This percentage reflects tuition and does not count for
expenses, such as books, fees, or room and board. To try and pay for these expenses, students
have had to use student loans to make ends meet (Brint, 2022). This paper will examine different
media perspectives on the current situation concerning the student loan situation in the country,
along with how higher education and the government are addressing the matter.
Analysis
Over the past forty years, the cost of attaining a college degree has increased on a regular
basis in America and led to a large level of student indebtedness. The total of student loan debt in
the country is currently over $1.7 trillion USD, and there are many students who owe a
significant amount of debt, equaling hundreds of thousands of dollars (Brint, 2022). As the cost
of higher education has increased, the price alone has left many in the lower income brackets
unable to achieve a degree, while others are left with a student loan debt that they may never be
able to fully repay (Brint, 2022). However, who is responsible for this problem?
It is argued in one analysis that colleges should accept the blame. Forty years ago, less
than half of those who graduated high school went to college and now 70% of high school
graduates see a future in higher education (Ratnesar, 2022). Nevertheless, in thirty years the cost
of tuition has increased to the point where students cannot afford to attend without financial aid.
The average student loan amount has tripled to over $30,000 in the past thirty years. Have
MEDIA ANALYSIS 4
colleges used this increase in tuition to pay for resources to advance instruction? No, they have
hired more administrators, worked on student services, and spent funds on facilities. It is argued
that higher education has only made one change in the last thirty years, and that is to become
more expensive (Ratnesar, 2022).
However, an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education argues that at a traditional
four-year university, the services provided are costly, and that cost has risen quicker than the cost
of living and it is the money received from students that pay for the increase in university
expenses. It is claimed that there are not enough students to meet the rising cost of college, and
the schools can either reduce services or lower the price. It is evident that the price is not
lowering, so this argument loses some of its significance. The article does make some good
points on how higher education is not evolving to meet the changing needs of the students. For
example, the lecture format is still largely used in many classrooms, and that format of teaching
can be found back in 1050 in Europe (Rosenberg, 2023).
Another area of blame for the student loan crisis is placed on the government. It is argued
that America uses repayment plans and forgiveness attempts to handle student loans, rather than
decreasing the cost of higher education or simply making it free. Lieber feels that student loan
forgiveness would serve as an apology for the high cost of tuition and the convoluted student
loan system in the country. Therefore, forgiveness would be the best option (Lieber, 2022).
However, it would only help current borrowers and not the future generations.
To analyze the government’s response to the staggering amount of student loan debt, a
key thing to look at is the Biden administration’s thoughts on monitoring or regulating
extraneous college charges. Students purchase campus meal plans with their federal aid package
and if not all of the money is used by the end of the academic year, the college absorbs what is
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left. The government is arguing that the college should return that money to the student. In
addition, many schools impose a mandatory charge for textbooks, along with tuition, without
providing students with the chance to find less expensive textbooks on their own. The schools
are fighting against this plan, arguing that it could ultimately lead to an increase in expenses for
students since that money is used to pay for other items, such as vendors. Nevertheless, no record
has been provided as to how the money is actually being used (Schermele, 2024). In analysis,
should schools resort back to scripture and submit to authority. Romans argues that while God is
the final authority, those who have been placed in positions of authority were put in their
positions by the will of God (Holy Bible, 1996, Romans 13:1).
Aspiring students must also make the decision if attending college is worth possibly
being in debt for years, or for some, the rest of their lives. The Bible says to owe nothing, that
one’s only obligation is to love his or her neighbor (Holy Bible, 1996, Romans 13:8). Therefore,
should one go into debt to earn a college degree? There are many who have decided to stop
attending college or avoid it altogether in order to avoid the pitfalls of potential student loan
debt. An educational reporting service reported that freshman enrollment decreased 3.6% during
fall 2023. At the same time, in July 2021 40.4 million students had dropped out of college
without finishing their program. Is college still a valuable choice? People with a bachelor’s
degree still earn considerably more than those who just graduate high school (Withnall, 2024).
It is argued that there are not many options available for students who do not have the
savings or income for college expenses. In the 1970s, the federal Pell Grant could cover around
80% of a traditional four-year education, but now it only covers about a quarter of the expenses.
Students have the option to attend community colleges, which have reduced prices and many
have vocation problems for accelerated career entry. Yet, community college education is not
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available everywhere and credits attained there are not always transferable to other institutions
(Withnall, 2024). This leaves individuals with very few options. Parents have had to resort to
federal PLUS loans to aid their children and this creates an additional burden with blame again
placed in different places. Colleges do not clearly explain the terms and risk associated with the
loan program and the federal government has does not have well-defined criteria for borrowing.
This leads to one in eleven PLUS loan borrowers defaulting as debtors have very little options
(Wong, 2023).
Conclusion
The student loan debt burden is one of the most important issues facing both the United
States as a whole and higher education. Media sources argue that there are a variety of reasons
for the current debt crisis. Colleges and universities are not using money wisely and tuition costs
are skyrocketing at a rate that make them unaffordable to the average American. The government
has done a lackluster job handling the student loan servicing system, and federal financial aid in
general, leading to student loan servicers providing a flood of money to students that they will
never be able to pay back. After careful review of the different media articles, it is clear that
blame for the current situation lies with both parties. Colleges have raised costs at a pace rapidly
beyond the rate of inflation, while the government has increased the amount students can receive
in loans, but not in grants. Federal grants have increased but at a relatively slow pace compared
to the rising cost of education. Thus, the topic of higher education and student loan debt is one
that requires further research and discussion.
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References
Brint, S. (2022). Challenges for higher education in the United States: The cost problem and a
comparison of remedies. European Journal of Education, 57(2), 181-198.
https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12496
Holy Bible: New Living Translation. (1996). Tyndale House Publishers.
Lieber, R. (2022, September 3). Why are student loans so complicated? New York Times.
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A715973586/GIC?
u=carr32198&sid=ebsco&xid=33a1fb42
Ratnesar, R. (2022). College will still cost you. Bloomberg Businessweek, 4754, 6-8.
Rosenberg, B. (2023). Higher ed’s ruinous resistance to change: The academy excels at
preserving the status quo. It’s time to evolve. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 70(6),
14-19. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A775463392/OVIC?
u=carr32198&sid=ebsco&xid=74ac56bc
Schermele, Z. (2024, January 11). Education officials aim at college junk fees. USA Today.
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A779111620/GIC?
u=carr32198&sid=ebsco&xid=26894934
Withnall, E. (2024, January 15). Young people must decide: Is college worth debt? New York
Times.
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A779365048/GIC=carr32198&sid=ebsco&xid=ee12c3d2
Wong, A. (2023, December 6). Parents buried by loans for children’s college. USA Today.
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A775578414/GIC?
u=carr32198&sid=ebsco&xid=b9575461
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