And it isn’t getting any cheaper.
In Ohio, state funding for higher education has been consistently dwindling since 2001. There’s no sign of it ever returning.
As a result, YSU’s tuition costs have increased by 10 percent since 2009. Students already struggle to make ends meet. Now, to make matters worse, Paul Ryan is attempting to, again, force a budget, which makes attending college even harder.
America, as we were taught, is a land of opportunity. Now, we watch as the promise of attending college becomes harder with each generation.
Branded the Path to Prosperity, Ryan’s budget slashes federal grant funding for individuals — and even closes the door to some.
Billions in cuts have been proposed for both K-12 and higher education funding. Not all of us were born with silver spoons in our mouths. Students whose families teeter on the edge of grant funding qualifications could certainly use any available assistance.
In essence, Ryan’s plan is bad for our already struggling education system. And without opportunities for education, innovation will also be stunted.
We’d be moving backward from the land of opportunity, the country most everyone else looks to for advancements in science and culture.
Assuming students from wealthier families will have college costs paid by their parents shows just how out of touch the Ryan plan is with the 99 percent.
To his credit, Ryan is a fiscal guru. In no way do we attempt to belittle his financial prowess.
However, America’s path to prosperity shouldn’t be paved solely with investment returns.
To adequately invest in our future, education needs to be prioritized.
Innovation made this country into the superpower we grew up in. Now, complacency reigns supreme. Prosperity, in a civil society, shouldn’t just mean financial success.
