Think back to a moment in time where you picked out something and you worked really hard to pick just the right one. Then think about if you were choosing the college you wanted to attend. Now, picture filling out an application for financial support for the college you put so much effort in picking. Then being denied or it not being enough money to attend the college of your choice and now you can’t go due to the cost.

There isn’t enough money given to colleges to help financially support college students “NSFAS will fund 205,000 first-time students, while this is a substantial contributor to helping poor student gain access to higher education, university leaders agree that this is barely a dent in the number of students who are still financially excluded” (Mulaudzi 1). Most colleges tend to be non-profit yet students still have to pay a ridiculous amount of tuition. There’s so many students that need financial help that can’t get it because of the shortage of money for college funding or being denied because they don’t meet the criteria. This keeps student from being able to attend college due to the outrageous cost of tuition. Colleges should reduce their tuition rates and states legislations support lowering the tuition when stating “some states believed that tuition should be zero or close to zero (Phelan 3). This would decrease student loan debt and increase college admission rates. For the past fifty years there has been debt. For the past hundred years there’s been debt and it continues to be a problem. If we don’t change anything it’ll be a problem for the next hundred.

Less students have interest in wanting to go to college because they can’t afford it. With “public concern about rising tuition levels and student loan debt eclipsing $1 trillion dollars” (Phelan 2) people are questioning if college is even worth it. Is being in debt for 20 years after college for a job that makes 40,000 a year worth it? Most don’t think so due to the “decline in enrollment” (Phelan 4). College enrollment shouldn’t be influenced by how much money it costs to go there. It should be because a person wants to better themselves and expand their education. If tuition was lowered the debt rates would decrease significantly for college students. Also, students may be more willing to put money back into the college and more would want to attend college.

Some students have the understanding that colleges don’t receive money for funding but that is incorrect. Most colleges are nonprofit so the reason colleges function is based off of money donated. Including the help from the President when “President Obama provided states with money for programs that enabled unemployed and underemployed persons to obtain training and marketable credentials as a means of advancing the economy” (Phelan 3). The government has shown support for colleges and college funding by “the enabling legislation providing $2 billion dollars over four years to fund community colleges” (Phelan 3). The President and the government has facilitated very generous amounts of money to colleges to help students with schooling and getting more opportunities.

A way to sponsor financial aid for college students can be to donate or help bring awareness to the issue so more students have the opportunity to better their lives. We need more than just donations to compensate for the rising loan debt, the high intuition students are paying, and the available money for college funding.