Research Paper

Decreased College Graduation Rates Needing Improvement

College is becoming a more important part of the future everyday when it comes to being successful, as more and more jobs require a college education. Unfortunately, there are many factors that are lowering the college graduation rate. One major problem that most American’s can agree on is the rapid increase of college tuition. Along with that issue, there is very little individual guidance once you are in college, which can be hard on many students who require more one on one attention. Lastly, as an eighteen-year-old student starting college, structure of some type is still needed for many students, as they may not be ready to face that much responsibility. It is most likely their first time being out on their own and many students are not prepared for that. When students start to feel lost and left behind, they quickly lose interest and drop out of college because they feel that is the easier way to go.

“The high cost of college and other factors are causing American students to drop out before receiving their degree at higher rates than in other developed countries” (Waldron, 2012). It is no secret that the cost of college is becoming a major issue in America. College tuition is constantly on the rise and is not affordable for many American families. With the cost of living also increasing, it is not always realistic for parents to set aside thousands of dollars to contribute to their students’ education. Additionally, it also isn’t realistic for students to be able to pay for college without the help of their parents when they have just graduated from high school. Student loans that are taken out to help pay for college have interest rates that are always going up, which makes paying back these loans ever more difficult. Unfortunately, middle class Americans run into a problem with being eligible to receive loans. Financial aid is mostly need based and for many families the parents make too much money...