College tuition costs continue to rise in the U.S., and even with student loan debt and college affordability reforms, middle-class students often struggle to pay for a college degree. The college affordability crisis matters beyond higher education: researchers have connected it to the shrinking middle class in the U.S. In this op-ed, Christine Schueckler, a student at the University of Virginia, explains the economic and personal consequences of the “middle-class squeeze” on U.S. college campuses.
- Schueckler references the “middle-class squeeze” in her argument about college affordability for middle-class students. According to her, why are middle-class students underrepresented on many college campuses? What resources and programs do these students lack access to that help low-income or high-income students afford college?
- Schueckler uses statistics and her own personal experience to support her claims. Identify one piece of evidence that you found particularly persuasive. Why was this evidence persuasive to you? Explain how this evidence supports one of her claims.
- A college degree is thought to be a smart investment, yet many middle-class students are in the position of taking out significant loans to finance their degree. Read this op-ed, “Yes, College Is Worth It.” How might Schueckler respond to this claim: “Beyond the benefits college graduates receive, society is better off with more college-educated workers” (para. 14). Compose a short response from her perspective in which she agrees, disagrees, or agrees and disagrees with the authors’ argument.
- Imagine you are Schueckler’s editor. Suggest another naysayer argument that you think she should introduce, explain, and address in her essay. Identify where in her essay she should include this naysayer, and explain how inserting this naysayer will help Schueckler strengthen and focus her argument.
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The consistent rising cost of college tuition has put a significant financial burden on many middle-class families all across the US, including my own. In Christine Schueckler’s post her argument shed some light on the so-called “middle class squeeze”. The middle-class squeeze is the phenomenon where middle class students/families are commonly overlooked when discussing the topic of the affordability of college. Unlike low-income students who usually qualify for grants, financial aid, and other assistance towards their tuition, the middle class finds themselves in a Gray area between the wealthy and the poor. This is an ongoing problem that has happened to me and many families that I know. We make barely enough not to qualify for aid, but not nearly enough to pay 10s of thousands of dollars and tuition every year.
Schueckler brings up a great point in that middle class students are underrepresented on many campuses because they lack the access to the resources to allow them to even step foot on campus. This has happened to many of my friends out of high school, coming from an average suburban area on Long Island most of my friends attended Community College out of high school. After two years most founded college on the island that they could commute to to avoid the absurd costs of housing, fees, food plans, etc… it is a shame because having a true college experience is something that no one shouldn’t miss out on. Many of my peers missed out on meeting new friends, creating long and lasting connections, and the fun that the college experience brings.
I believe a step towards fixing this problem is addressing the spending that the government oversees. Our political representatives should focus on creating programs and departments that invest in the future of our country by making the education of our younger generations much more affordable for the people middle class people who keep the country running, Addressing this issue will require more inclusive financial aid policies that can ensure that students from all backgrounds have a chance to get a higher education.
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The consistent rising cost of college tuition has put a significant financial burden on many middle-class families all across the US, including my own. In Christine Schueckler’s post her argument shed light on the so-called “middle class squeeze”. The middle-class squeeze is the phenomenon where middle class students/families are commonly overlooked when discussing the topic of the affordability of college. Unlike low-income students who usually qualify for grants, financial aid, and other assistance towards their tuition, the middle class finds themselves in a gray area between the wealthy and the poor. This is an ongoing problem that has happened to me and many families that I know. We make barely enough not to qualify for aid, but not nearly enough to pay tens of thousands of dollars for tuition every year. Schueckler brings up a great point that middle class students are underrepresented on many campuses because they lack the access to the resources to allow them to even step foot on campus. This has happened to many of my friends out of high school, coming from a regular middle class suburban area on Long Island most of my friends attended Community College out of high school. After two years most found a college on the island that they could commute to so they can avoid the absurd costs of housing, fees, food plans, etc… It is a shame because having a true college experience is something that no one shouldn’t miss out on. Many of my peers missed out on meeting new friends, creating long and lasting connections, and the fun that the college experience brings. I believe a step towards fixing this problem is addressing the spending that the government oversees. Our political representatives should focus on creating programs and departments that invest in the future of our country by making the education of our younger generations much more affordable for the people middle class people who keep the country running, Addressing this issue will require more inclusive financial aid policies that can ensure that students from all backgrounds have a chance to get a higher education.
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When reading the blog’s article “Can I afford college? High tuition costs squeeze out middle-class students like me.” This article discusses the financial challenges with affording college tuition for middle class students seeking a higher education. In this article it shows us how low income students have to qualify for substantial financial aid while high income students can afford it without any assistance, and middle class families might earn too much to be able to receive the financial aid but not enough to cover all their tuition. The financial squeeze as it is talked about in the article leads many middle class students into student debt, however the article also shows how Free Application for federal student aid has changed to having a sibling discount taking into consideration the number of children in the family. But families are concerned that FAFSA doesn’t cover all the things that come into account in a family situation when it comes to finances like the cost of living, medical, and family obligations. This makes it hard for a middle class family to afford college without debt. I can relate to this article because I am currently in college and have a financial aid plan. When going into college I did think about how much money I’m gonna be in debt, and it scared me because it’s going to take a long time to pay it off so when reading the article I do relate in some type of way.
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Going to college is an aspiration many parents have for their kids when they grow up, but recently it is becoming harder and harder to obtain. Christine speaks on the underrepresentation of middle-class students on campus. This is because of a phenomenon called “middle-class squeeze”. “Middle-class squeeze” is described as the middle class making too much money to qualify for a significant amount of aid, but also not making enough to be able to afford to pay the tuition. The main problem is that middle-class students are excluded from the government’s efforts towards low-income students. When helping those who want to attend college but do not have all the funds needed, low-income students are prioritized. She states a rise in the number of undergraduate college students in low-income families, while also reflecting how the percentage of lower middle- and middle-class students at American colleges fell from 63% in 1996 to 52% in 2016. Christine tells of her personal experience being a middle-class college student herself, which allows you to see first-hand how it affects others. I am also one of those left out and believe middle-class students should be provided with more resources. My mother makes a good amount of money when it comes to financial aid, but it does not consider how she has other things to pay for on her own. So, like many others, I am left with a significant amount of tuition to pay off. A lot of people around me as well have opted to go into the workforce or must put off their education due to not being able to afford it. Steps to ensuring all class types can go to college and afford it should be set in place. More financial aid opportunities should be presented, considering that a higher income does not equal being able to afford college more as there are other costs. As the author mentions, her family is middle class, but her parents must divide their money 7 ways for her siblings.
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It is known that FAFSA doesn’t hand out financial aid or grants to people who don’t meet their threshold, yet it’s forgotten that the cost of college remains ridiculously expensive. The author of the article explained that families earning between $80,000 and $90,000 often can find themselves burdened with the highest student loan debt. Assuming, FAFSA doesn’t take into account factors like the families overall cost of living, medical expenses, or other financial obligations, which are especially important for middle class families. That income goes to these expenses and once prices started to spike due to inflation it would be of greater understanding why it is hard to maintain it all. As a result, middle class families are increasingly falling into debt, contributing to the erosion of the middle class and a rise in poverty rates. Furthermore, FAFSA fails to consider essential costs beyond tuition– such as housing, healthcare, and family responsibilities–which must be factoid in, particularly for middle class households. The financial assistance offered through federal loans is often insufficient, given the other living expenses that families must cover. I can personally relate to this issue. While my family isn’t impoverished, we certainly are not wealthy. When it was time to fill out FAFSA my mom and I knew from the start that we likely would not qualify for any financial aid. The loan options suggested to us were unhelpful, and we didn’t receive a meaningful financial package. Despite my dedication to my studies and my desire to succeed, I felt pushed to seek an academic scholarship to avoid paying full price for college. However, pursuing my goal of studying forensic science, specifically working in a lab, limited my options. Only a few schools offered the specific program I was interested in, and whether the institution was public or private, or part of the SUNY or CUNY systems, the costs were nearly identical, even with scholarships. My family simply cannot afford to cover the remaining expenses out of pocket. It is understood that many others face even more pressing financial challenges, and I do not mean to diminish anyones struggles. However, the burden of excessive college costs, for everyone, should not come at the expense of a family’s financial stability. The current system, which forces families to risk their financial well being to afford higher education, is unsustainable and unfair
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As the cost of college tuition gets higher and higher, the more dread middle-class families face when it comes time to send their children off to college. Good quality higher-education is something that most parents hope to provide for their children, but the many obstacles parents face with high costs and financial aid have made it increasingly difficult for middle-class parents to provide this for their children. We see that many middle class families are affected by a phenomenon called the “middle-class squeeze”, a pattern that shows that many middle class families may be making too much money to qualify for financial aid while simultaneously not making enough money to be able to afford the high costs of college tuition out of pocket. Due to this phenomenon, middle-income students have had to take out an increasing number of disproportionate loans over the last years in order to be able to pay for higher education. One point that Christine Schueckler made in her article “Can I afford college? High tuition costs squeeze out middle class students like me” is that as a result of sending children to college being such a burden for many middle class families, middle-class students have now become increasingly underrepresented on college campuses, making higher education something that is only easily accessible to those who come from wealthy backgrounds or high-class families. If such imbalances continue, the spread and demographic of those with degrees in higher education will become limited to select groups, which will cause great imbalances in our society as the future progresses.
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Rising college tuition is putting a lot of pressure on middle class families. Many earn too much for financial aid but not enough to pay tuition without large loans, a problem called the “middle-class squeeze. As Christine Schueckler notes in her article, this has led to fewer middle-class students in college, making higher education more accessible to wealthy families and increasing social inequality.
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I agree with Nic B in the most recent comment, it clarifies exactly what “the middle-class squeeze” is and its effect on many families. His response explains, middle-class students find themselves in a difficult positions, earning too much for sufficient financial assistance and still having to pay high tuition. Seeing this in my own environment makes it hard to ignore. Many students will choose to attend a community college/commute in order to save money. As noted by others comment’s, choosing to attend a community college or commute to save money, can limit the totality of the college experience in terms of potentially developing new friendships, making connections, etc. While being financially responsible is important, it is unfair for middle-class students to lose opportunities to experience these things because of financial limitations.
In the discussion about FAFSA, it remains consistently relevant to note that the current system does not support the middle-income families. When calculating the costs of a college education, the FAFSA does not reflects the actual costs associated with attending college for these families, as these calculations do not take into account other costs such as housing or food.
Additionally, we need to assess how this will impact students’ future opportunities. As we’ve noted before, many mid-income students must decide about which school to attend based only on costs and not necessarily on what their goals or interests may be. This may cause them to limit their possible careers and diminish the overall success of their college experience. Because of this, the issue of college affordability goes beyond one’s personal circumstances and should become a national issue that will have an important impact on the future of the country.
I completely agree with the article and the comments about it, changes need to be made regarding affordability of higher education for families that fit the middle class. The comments assertion creates an opportunity for the government to develop policies for more inclusive financial aid, which would then allow equitable access for each student to higher education.
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In the article written it explores the topics of financial aid reform focusing on the problem of low income families but also explores the topic on how it forgets to include the middle class in this reform. Referring to this as the “middle class squeeze” as most “Middle class” families make too much to qualify as low income and be granted access to grants and scholarships. As the social stigma grows around parents wanting their child to reach higher education this has been an increasing problem in the US making aspiring graduates take out loans that not only affects their financial status after college but also their credit score making them start in the world after college with a disadvantage over students granted full subsidization of their tuition. I have felt this handicap personally. Growing up coming from “lower class” to “middle class” coming off food stamps and government assistance. Unfortunately coming off of this assistance and earning on the lower threshold of “middle class” income has made tuition a completely out of pocket expense. While also experiencing a housing crisis in a major metropolitan area the prioritization of credit score and being debt free out of college has made this obstacle of tuition very unattainable for a lot of families i have talked to and within my own. Including this hindrance, the current state of inflation and rising costs of what seems like everything in daily life has made aspiring college students research their prospective field in university and weigh the outcomes with the projected salary earnings and debt they would incur. Leaving a lot of younger people deciding to drop out or even decide not to go entirely.
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The cost of going to college to get a degree and good education is getting out of hand for the middle class. Students need to take out crazy loans in order to pay for an education even though some students get financial aid and grants. It’s almost impossible to not not have to take out a loan and have a huge financial burden. In my opinion the middle class is the most costly class to be in because you’re too rich for things like section 8 and financial aid but at the same time too poor to be able to pay for tuition out of pocket the middle class is always stuck in that small gray area with hands tied like Schueckler said the “middle-class squeeze”. Schueckler brought up a good point that the middle class students are underrepresented on so many campuses because they lack the access to the resources to allow them to even step foot on the campus. This is almost exactly what happened to me I chose to commute every day to Farmingdale just to save on housing fees and meal plans which is also a shame because I won’t ever get the opportunity to experience the true college experience and in my opinion that’s and experience nobody should miss out on when ever I see my friends out at far schools it always makes me feel weird because I would never get the chance to experience that.
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