5 Benefits to Making a College Education Available for All Students
Explore Colleges believes that all qualified students should be able to go to college, regardless of their financial circumstances. Because the federal government plays such a pivotal role in ensuring post secondary educational opportunity, Explore Colleges watches closely the policies in Washington that affect student aid.
While Explore Colleges does not officially “lobby” members of the House and Senate or administration officials on student aid policies, we nevertheless think it is useful for those of you with whom we are in contact to have at the ready some talking points to utilize in conversations that you may have with your own elected officials, such as:
- There is overwhelming evidence that a college education makes more productive workers and better citizens. The strength of the nation’s economy and national security depends on increasing the ability of future generations of students to obtain a college degree.
- We know that gains in education contribute to the economy. Increasing the country’s average level of education by even one year can boost economic growth by up to 15 percent, and increased educational attainment also accounts for more than a quarter of U.S. productivity gains.
- While we recognize that the federal deficit is an issue, cutting funding for student aid is not the right way to help pay it down. The student aid budget represents less than 1 percent of the total federal budget. If total federal spending is $2.4 trillion, and student aid spending is only $16 billion, there must be some room in between to provide increases for these programs to work. In fact, investing in student aid will help to lower the deficit over time by creating educated, employable individuals who pay taxes and contribute to the economy.
- Congress needs to provide more budget authority so that more low-income students can get a college degree. We know that getting a high school diploma isn’t enough anymore — over 80% of the jobs that will be created in the next 10 years will require postsecondary education.
- With state funding on the decline, American families face a massive access crisis without a substantial federal investment in student aid. Currently, the federal government provides 73 percent of all student aid. Without that aid, millions of students either could not attend college, or would have to drastically change their college schedule, working long hours while also trying to attain their degree.
Kathie Boozer is the founder and president of Explore Colleges, a premier college group tour operator. Explore Colleges’ customized tours help students experience the unique cultures, environments, and opportunities on each campus and inspire them to follow their dreams. Contact Kathie at kboozer@explorecolleges.org
