Christian Cooper
Who says college isn't for everyone?
ast week, President
Clinton said that "it is time to guarantee every single American not 12 but
14 years of education." While cynics may view this as just another campaign
promise yearning to be broken, the implications are profound.
In the speech at Glendale
Community College last week, Clinton proposed offering a tax credit of up
to $1500 a year for a community college education. Students would have to
maintain a B average and stay away from drugs, he said.This marks a shift in
Clinton's policy, one which has focused largely on the ubiquitous middle
class. This proposal is targeted primarily to the poorer American
population, many of whom cannot afford the cost of the two-year
colleges.As well as being a valuable
experience in itself, a community college education can be a springboard to
further learning at a four-year institute. A large percentage of USC's
students are transferees from two-year institutes. Community colleges can
provide a solid base of knowledge and experience for those who aren't quite
ready for the rigors of a four-year university or cannot afford the heady
tuition of some universities, particularly private ones like USC.According to Clinton, the
cost of community college averages $1200 per year nationwide, considerably
less than private and even public institutions. While an associate's
degree, which community colleges confer, does not carry as much prestige as
a bachelor's degree given by four-year universities, it still provides a
valuable resource to students. As Clinton said last week, "Community
colleges fill a need to strengthen communities, to strengthen people's
individual dreams, and to help them build successful families." And
compared to those with just a high school education, the rewards can be
financial as well.Morton Schapiro, the dean
of the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences at USC, has studied the costs
and benefits of a college education. In his new book, "Keeping College
Affordable," written with Michael McPherson, Schapiro says those with a
four-year degree do much better than those with only a high school diploma.
In 1992, the income of a
person with a four-year degree was 74 percent higher than a person with
only a high school education, an increase from 1975, when the college
graduate made 54 percent more. Clinton said that those
with a two-year degree earn about 20 percent more than high school
graduates. Considering the low cost of a community college education, it is
definitely of benefit.In the last few years,
legislation has been passed that makes the burden of a college education
somewhat easier for middle- and upper-class families; for example, equity
in houses is no longer counted as income in consideration for financial
aid. While this benefits those
who own homes, largely those in the middle and upper classes, lower class
families have to struggle to afford the basic necessities. College is an
added expense, even though it might seem affordable, especially when
compared to four-year institutes.In a disturbing trend,
evidence shows that middle class students are abandoning community colleges
in favor of more prestigious four-year institutes. Schapiro says that
community colleges, traditionally a mix of middle- and lower-class
students, are in danger of becoming "low-income enclaves."In many cases, he says,
community colleges are not the first choice of low-income students--they're
the only choice.Clinton's plan for a tax
credit would effectively nullify the cost of community college. For those
employed with only a high school degree, this can make a difference.Those in the so-called
"Generation X," of which most students at USC have been designated a
member, fear that even with a college education, jobs might not be readily
available. Unlike the abundant 1950s and 1960s, when a college education
was a sure guarantee to a prosperous future and a high school education
almost always meant a steady source of income, it is now commonly believed
that a college education is for most jobs a prerequisite, not a bonus.In an increasing number of
jobs, a professional degree such as a master's or Ph.D. is mandatory.As with many of our
nation's current ills, the end of the cold war has been used to explain why
there is such an anxiety about jobs in the future. When there was a
tangible "other" that we had to defend ourselves against, there were jobs
aplenty in the defense-aerospace industry for those with a college
education. These industries are shrinking and disappearing, leaving many
with no marketable skills in a post-cold war world.Community colleges can
serve to help such people retrain for jobs which are being created in other
industries. For example, USC's Integrated Media Systems Center recently
received a grant from the National Science Foundation to establish Los
Angeles as the multimedia technology capital of the world, much as the
Silicon Valley became the computer hub. Many of those in the Southland
displaced by the defense downsizing will be able to work in this burgeoning
field, and community colleges can offer the education to those who want to
pursue a career in it.However, it should be
recognized that college, at least a traditional four-year university, is
not necessarily for everyone. There is a growing perception in America,
particularly within the middle class, that children absolutely must attend
a four-year university in order to be successful--but there are other
options besides college.For those who choose not to
go, we should not attach this social stigma that is spreading across
socioeconomic boundaries. This is a chronic problem in America: instead of
having a two-track system, a college preparatory track and a vocational
track, we seem to be obsessed with pushing everyone into college. Not
everyone wants to go, and those who don't should have options.The needs of the
non-college-bound should be as important.At the same time, those who
want to go to college but who can't find the opportunity shouldn't be
denied from it. Many of those at community colleges work full-time, have
children, or both. The average age of a community college student is
27.In other words, a large
percentage of those in community college aren't recent high school
graduates, but rather people who work and have decided to go back to school
to improve themselves. Clinton's proposal makes this possible for those who
cannot afford the time or money to do this--it eliminates the financial
obstacle.At his speech in Glendale
last week, Clinton proposed an even more ambitious plan to make college
more affordable: he said wants to "give people a tax deduction for the cost
of tuition of up to $10,000 a year...for two-year, four year colleges, any
post-high school education."While this is certainly a
noble goal, it seems unlikely to pass any time in the immediate future,
particularly with the well-known stinginess of the current Republican
Congress. His proposal to subsidize $1500 a year in community college costs
is more realistic.Even so, he has faced
criticism regarding how to fund this. Clinton has proposed auctioning off
some of the airwaves, as well as reducing some subsidies to American
companies that operate abroad.But what critics don't
realize is that the societal benefit from having a better educated populace
far exceeds the direct cost of the education. First of all, if people make
20 percent more money per year, then they will most likely pay higher
taxes. Furthermore, there has been extensive research that the more
educated people are, the less likely they are to commit crimes.That may be an intangible
benefit, but coupled with the direct benefit of increased revenue from
taxes, the naysayers certainly must see that the long-term benefits far
outweigh the short-term cost.Christian Cooper is a junior majoring in international relations and Spanish.