College prices are going up.

Dear Future President, In this letter I want to share my concern on an important topic. Some people may not feel the same way but to me, the rising cost of college is an important topic. A man that was known by the name of Nelson Mandela, the previous president of South Africa, thought that knowledge was more important than anything: a tool to save the world, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world". A public college education has gone up from $1,500 a year in 1970 to $9,000 and up. In the 1970's the average amount for a public college was $1,500 a year. I believe college prices going up should be the priority of our future president because if we don't do something about these prices going up it will be extremely difficult for students and families to pay off college loans. I feel that college is too expensive compared to the prices from the past. As a result of higher education prices more students are having to take on more debt . For example, in 2015 the average student loan debt for public college graduates was $30,100 which is an increase of nearly 17% since 2012. Also, in 2015 68% of public college graduates had student loan debt, up from 66% in 2012 according to The Institute (For College Access & Success). I think this could be a problem because it leaves less money for college graduates to spend on other things such as cars, food, and housing. Secondly, higher student loan debt is bad for the economy. For one thing it appears that people with student loans are less likely to start their own business. Since 60% of jobs are created by small businesses, fewer start ups means fewer new jobs. Also, student loan debt also appears to be affecting home ownership trends. According to (Phyllis Korkki of The New York Times) fewer 30 year olds with student loan debt are able to purchase homes than those with no debt. If college tuition continues to rise fewer people will be able to buy their own homes, start businesses and help the economy grow. All of this matters because if we do not get rid of this problem soon, student loans could rise high enough that it's impossible for students to pay it off. Even though the cost of a college education has nearly quadrupled over the past 35 years, some people feel the increase is reasonable. While the total amount of state funding that colleges receive has gone up significantly in the past 20 years, the amount received by the schools on a per student basis has actually gone down. This is due to the fact that more Americans are attending college. In fact, enrollment is up nearly 50% since 1995 according to Paul Campos of The New York Times. It is important to keep in mind that while colleges are experiencing higher costs, they have also seen their state funding increase much faster than inflation. I think there are a few things the next president could do to lower the cost of college tuition. For example I think the federal government could give grants to the states so students don't have to pay as much to attend college. I think Global Goal #4 is the best goal because it says, "ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all." This would help the US support the UN by giving more students a chance at a college education. This should be a priority for our next president because the more people we have educated they will have a better shot at getting a job or making a business. Sincerely, Jack D.