Rising Costs, Fading Promises: Why Gen Z Is Rethinking the Value of College

Image Credit: Yan Krukau (Pexels)

Gen-Z is being priced out of higher education. 

According to the Education Data Initiative, tuition costs for both public and private universities are increasing. Not only is the cost of tuition rising, but it is outpacing inflation. The cost of living is growing more expensive, but higher education is growing exponentially when compared to other goods and services. Tuition, living expenses, and the relative lack of job security that a bachelor's degree brings today have led Gen-Z to consider other options, and to feel disillusioned at times; often, the promise of the "traditional" life path and the security that comes with it isn’t fulfilled. Or, it isn’t feasible. 

Jalynn Ralph is studying communications at Germanna Community College in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and hopes to work in public relations. However, college wasn’t even a thought for her until she entered her senior year of High School, and it was her English teacher who encouraged her to further her education.

“I took two years off. I was still living with my parents at the time, and I just felt like we couldn’t afford my education because we were always struggling, and I [...] literally just had to work,” Ralph said. Survival has to precede interest. 

“That was one of the main reasons why I put off going to college, I need to survive. I can’t worry about school right now,” Ralph said. 

Donia Drias is entering her Senior year at George Washington University, on the path to a degree in systems engineering. Finances also played a big part in her decision. 

“I had options to go to other universities, and I went to GW because my freshman and sophomore year packages were a full ride,” Drias said. 

However, this year, her financial aid package was cut severely. 

“If I weren’t from the area, I would have to pull out loans for like $41,000. And unfortunately, it looks like a bunch of my other friends are having to do that because they’re not from the area and they do not have the money to just pay it off,” Drias said. 

So, in order to afford her last year of school, Drias has had to consider living at home and commuting to and from school every day. 

Despite earning a bachelor's degree, advancing their education doesn’t end for many who feel it’s necessary for their future security to earn an advanced degree. 

“I don’t have a choice. I think the market in general for everyone is, if you don’t have a Master's, you don’t have a degree,” Drias said. 

Anna Lignelli, a pre-law student at the George Washington University, says college was never a question for her. 

“I have two parents, both of whom have postgraduate degrees. My mom has a Master's; she was a teacher. My dad is a D.M.D., so he went to dental school,” Lignelli said. 

She also, as a pre-law student, will be pursuing an advanced degree and feels like she’ll see a future with job stability and a relatively steady income. 

“How much of that is related to school, versus how much of it is related to my family and the privilege that I have, I don’t know. Higher education is one of the biggest cogs keeping people in their classes. And now with the downfall of affirmative action and the downfall of the Department of Education, the gaps are only going to get bigger,” Lignelli said. 

Debt is on the mind of many students, whether they pursue a degree beyond their master's or not.

Julian Schnittker studies photojournalism at George Washington University. He expressed a sense of conflict in his college decision. Being from a small town outside of Kansas City, the city has allowed him to make connections with people and network, which is crucial for his career. Though there are skills he’s learned that don’t necessarily require a college degree. 

“What I’ve learned is the act of getting a coffee with an editor, or sending a cold email,” Schniktter said. But, “I don't know if I could have gotten those same perspectives and that same level of hands-on feedback that I've gotten in the past few years at school,” he said. 

If he could do it all over again, Schniktter says he would probably decide to go to college, but he doesn’t know if he would choose to go to George Washington University. 

“I’m lucky enough to live close to the University of Missouri, which is a fantastic journalism school. Honestly, I could see myself being there instead, or being at someplace more affordable.”

So, is Gen-Z averse to higher education? 

“I think it’s just the fact that it’s so incredibly expensive that we can’t pay for it; our parents can’t pay for it,” Willow Martin, a Criminal Justice major at the University of Lynchburg, said. 

“We’re always in a state of survival,” Ralph said. 

This causes prospective students to delay attending college or higher education altogether. When education gets put on the back burner, it’s hard to pursue one's passions or feel like there is time to do anything besides work. Anxiety, depression and a lack of financial security have taken a toll on Gen-Z. 

Education is vital, and it must remain accessible to everybody for the sake of this generation's health. Both mental and financial.