The fallacies in the higher education system

For centuries the American higher education system has been regarded as the best in the world, but it is no longer what it used to be. With the combination of rising tuition costs and extravagant spending on unneeded school facilities, student debts have risen within the last few years, causing many problems for former, current and future students.After watching the movie “Ivory Tower,” a documentary that underscores the problems within the higher education system, I have come to realize that college has become like a business that sells a product that is so expensive that many people can’t afford it and end up in loads of debt that may take more than a lifetime to pay off. This system is not practical at all and many students, including myself, are demanding change.Schools are constantly competing to attract the best and the brightest of students. They build grandiose facilities to lure students to their campus and these student amenities are advertised on campus tours for prospective applicants. Many colleges and universities have spent large sums of money on amenities such as student unions with movie theaters and wine bars, workout facilities with rock climbing walls and “lazy river” pools and dormitories with single rooms and private baths. According to the Consumer News and Business Channel, over the past decade, expenses devoted to "student services" rose from 17 percent of the average school's budget to 20 percent. Excessive spending has caused large amounts of debt for many schools and as a result, students end up paying the cost through rising tuition rates. This is certainly not fair;  students should not have to pay for lavish facilities as part of their tuition fee because these amenities have nothing to do with their education and don’t help them earn their degree. It seems that schools are viewing students more like potential customers for their newly built facilities than students coming to school to study.  Its imperative to note that college prices in the United States have increased at a faster rate than inflation and medical care. This has led to a rise in student tuition making it impossible for the average student from modest backgrounds to afford college. “Ivory Tower” mentions that middle class students can expect to pay more at a public university than at some private and Ivy League schools such as Harvard. According to the documentary, Harvard is among only 1.25 percent of colleges in the nation to offer full need-based scholarships. It makes absolutely no sense that some of the hardest schools to be accepted into have better financial aid programs than public schools, which are meant to be more accessible to the public.As California residents, it is important to note that the University of California (UC) system, a group of public schools, was created to be tuition free for all California residents in order to spur economic growth within the state. However, today, this free-education system is long gone. Students pay three times more for tuition today than in 1992, which doesn’t include expenses such as rooms, books and class-specific fees. From data collected by the University of California budget office, the average UC student leaves school with $20,500 in debt. According to the UC website, the increase in tuition is because the state is no longer the “largest single source of core operating funds.” The UCs, along with many other public colleges, claim that tuition rates have raised in response to the loss of state support, however, schools don’t mention that their lavish amenities hold a great part of the blame.If the lavish spending on amenities and lack of state support don’t end soon, the tuition we, and other future generations, will have to pay will just increase. What’s the point of having endless amenities if we can’t even afford to use them?But, at least all the fears of life-changing debt can be calmed since you know, after spending a long day negotiating rates with the bank providing your student loans, that you can return to your college or university and take a relaxing soak in the infinity pool.