Research found in the US News and World Report shows that Southeastern graduates accumulate the most student loan debt out of the regional universities in the South. The amount of debt the average Southeastern graduate accumulates totals to an astonishing $36,560, despite having one of the lowest tuition costs in the state. In other words, the amount of debt the average graduate will accumulate is enough to buy a brand new sports car, or put a sizeable down payment on a house. To be honest, I can’t say that I’m all that surprised, and I think there are some very visible reasons why this is the case.

First and foremost, college is expensive. Every semester, students await the arrival of their bill, telling them how much money they owe in tuition, fees and other costs. It is not uncommon for these bills to reach above $5,000. Every school year, students pay enough money to buy a new car. Most students do not have a problem with this because they look at it as an investment into their future.

Over the past few years, state governments have not helped to ease the cost of going to college. In fact, it’s been quite the opposite. In March 2011, Governor Jindal’s proposed budget included provisions for spending that resulted in raising the cost of tuition. This is on top of increases that took place this fall and will continue for at least four additional years. The end result of this is more money coming out of the student’s pocket. Additionally, the federal government has done little to ease the pain.

During the 2008 Presidential campaign, then-Senator Obama constantly argued that the United States needed to be the world leader in education, and one of his main ideas to accomplish that goal was college affordability. His plan was to increase the amount of aid that college students could receive while also eliminating student loans, replacing them with direct aid to students. Well, it’s obvious that plan hasn’t happened yet and may never happen as evidenced by the fact that tuition has increased during Obama’s first term. Interestingly enough, in February 2011 Obama proposed budget cuts that would reduce support for higher education by $89 billion over ten years.

Secondly, I believe that many students come to college not knowing what major they want to study. The result is students taking classes they don’t need or changing their majors, which can be costly. Everyone has been next to a student who says that they don’t need to worry about selecting a major because all the basic classes are the same. While this is true to an extent, most majors have a course that introduces the student to that field. Students who do not declare a major or change their major can find themselves having to stay in school an extra year or longer because they did not complete the specialized courses they needed during their freshman year. The end result is that students will inevitably have to spend more money in order to complete school.

Finally, I believe that Southeastern is home to a number of non-traditional students that are returning to school in order to complete a college degree or get a new one. For these non-traditional students, there may not be enough sources of aid available. This means that when these students graduate they will have paid for their tuition completely out of pocket or with four years worth of student loans.

My personal situation is different from the examples I gave above. I graduated with high enough scores that I received TOPS with additional money as well as scholarships from Southeastern that cover housing and my meal plan. Furthermore, I receive Pell grants that pay any of my outstanding fees that the aforementioned things don’t cover. Unfortunately, not every student is in the same position as I am. I know plenty of students who work long hours or multiple jobs just to save up enough money to pay for their school.

It astounds me that the state and federal government officials can say that they believe education is immensely important and that it is an investment in the future of this country when what they continue to do is make cuts to higher education. It is clear to me that these statements are simply campaign platforms. Their actions do not carry the weight of their words. I truly believe most people in our nation want to learn. Isn’t it the beginning of the American Dream to land a well paying job? Unfortunately for college students, most will start their road to acquiring the American Dream in debt and scrambling to pay back their student loans. Maybe there isn’t a solution that will make everyone happy, but I think there is a better way to handle it than what we are doing now.