Paying the price sara goldrick rab essay

PEER EDITING CHECKLIST Use this rubric-­‐based checklist to ensure you have provided a thorough Peer Review. TEACH A MAN TO FISH . . . Keep in mind that we are all our own editors. You are tasked with identifying errors, issues, and areas for improvement—not correcting or copyediting your peer’s paper. Provide the type of feedback that you would like to receive—be kind, be constructive, and make suggestions for improvement if you think something needs work. However, do not spend hours copyediting someone’s paper or fixing his or her formatting; simply point out the issues and direct him or her to appropriate resources where he or she can learn how to correct the problem. INVENTION o Does this draft—or very thorough outline—respond to the prompt appropriately? (In other words, is the

student following the directions in the prompt, or perhaps going off-­‐topic or even making up a new one?) o Does this draft have a clear working thesis statement? ARRANGEMENT o Are the main points/body paragraphs introduced with clear topic sentences that reiterate the overall

thesis? o Is the reader guided from one main idea to the next with effective transitions? o Are the main points/body paragraphs arranged in a logical order that emphasizes the thesis statement? o Are ideas expressed fluidly at the sentence-­‐level through grammatically correct complex sentences? o Are there any sentences that are short (or choppy) that could be combined to improve the overall flow? STYLE o Is the style and tone of the draft appropriate for an academic audience?

o See chapter 3 in the MLA Handbook o Is paraphrased or summarized information and evidence from sources incorporated into the text effectively

according to MLA guidelines? o See chapter 6 in the MLA Handbook, as well as the Incorporating Sources Effectively video tutorial

(available on Blackboard > Start Here! > Resources) o Are quotations incorporated effectively according to MLA guidelines?

o See chapters 3 and 6 in the MLA Handbook, as well as the Incorporating Sources Effectively video tutorial (available on Blackboard > Start Here! > Resources)

MEMORY o Does this draft contain an introduction that grabs attention, establishes the essay’s structure, and

introduces the thesis statement/point? o Does this draft include a conclusion that moves beyond a simple restatement of the introduction, resonates

with the reader, and cements the point/thesis clearly? o Is the thesis consistent from the introduction to the conclusion? DELIVERY o Is the body text of the essay—not including the heading, title, and Works Cited—at least 500 words? o Is the document formatted correctly in MLA style?

o See chapter 4 in the MLA Handbook, as well as the example MLA document template (available on Blackboard > Start Here! > Resources)

o Is the list of Works Cited formatted correctly according to MLA guidelines? o See chapters 4 and 5 in the MLA Handbook

o Are in-­‐text citations formatted correctly according to MLA guidelines? o See chapter 6 in the MLA Handbook, and consult the Resources content folder on Blackboard for

helpful handouts o Are there any grammar, spelling, or mechanics errors?

o See chapter 3 in the MLA Handbook for mechanics rules; for example, formatting titles of works (what goes in bold, what goes in quotations, what goes in italics, etc.), formatting words and letters referred to as words and letters, formatting numbers and dates, and so on

1st Person!

1. The topic of my essay is about public higher education (college), and how it has become extremely

costly, and has caused many to have piles of debt after they finish. I was introduced to tuition free

college when my friend visited Norway, and told me that they can go to college for free. Obviously

this really aggravated me, and got me thinking. So many jobs now require a college degree at the

bare minimum, but yet have increased the costs so that it has become unattainable for many. As a

person in a middle class family, I do not receive any financial aid, and have to pay for a lot of my

tuition as my parents cannot afford to put two kids in college (and graduate school) at the same

time.

2. I struggled with forming sentences the most. I knew what idea I wanted to get across in my head,

but could not put it into words. Also, I need to think of more ideas of how we can lower the prices

of tuition, and could not find that much information on our library database.

3. The main issue in my paper is the formatting in my sentences. I’m sure you’ll notice that I have a

lot of sentences that have (reword) at the end, this means that I have the idea but I could not convey

it in a way that sounded appropriate. Secondly, if you have any ideas for how tuition could be more

affordable it would really help! So far in my paper I have wrote about free community college (the

Tennessee Promise), and I want to also include more financial help for those going on to graduate

school, like myself. Finally, any grammatical errors! I have not cited anything yet, though I do have

the list. As you can see, it is a very rough draft at this point.

2nd Person!

1. I have chosen the "Should College be Free" topic on Room for Debate. I chose this topic

because I feel it is a popular topic that is discussed between people of my age.

2. One element that I might have struggled on is making sure everything in my paper has the

correct MLA formatting.

3. 1. MLA formatting

2. Works cited page

3. Proper explanation of the topic

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1st Person

25 January 2016

Should Higher Education Be Free?

Germany, Finland, Brazil, France, Norway, Slovenia, and Sweden; what do all of these

countries have in common? They all have free public higher education. In our day and age, a

college degree is barely enough to obtain a career. As an education-obsessed age, we are

constantly told to reach higher, and grab more. While it may be impossible to make all higher

education free, there are other options that should be considered (explain what options).

In an article written by Sara Goldrick-Rab, she explains that public higher education

should be universal and free. In this article, Sara states that, “Most politicians continue to think

that the way to make college more affordable is to target financial aid to low-income students”

(Goldrick-Rab, Sara). While this helps some individuals, targeted financial aid is just not getting

the job done, and often provides too little to too few. The Free Application for Federal Student

aids divides students into two groups, neither of them really winning. One half of the group is

deemed deserving of help via financial aid, but is usually offered far short of the resources

required to effectively pursue their studies and graduate-reword. On the other hand, students

from middle-class families are treated as if they can manage with loans alone. Over time,

families that don’t get aid resent those who do (Goldrick-Rab, Sara). As a person from a middle-

class family, I can fully attest to this. Many of times, I have gotten frustrated with the system,

and felt helpless. While my parents help some, I am still paying a portion of my schooling, and

will be required to pay for all schooling past undergraduate (which I plan to go on). However,

the system sees that my parents make a steady income, and refuses to give any monetary

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assistance. Financing for universal public higher education continues to be a matter of political

will, and will only happen if universal public education recognizes that college must be

affordable for all if it is to help drive our economy and our democracy (Goldrick-Rab, Sara). In

order for college tuition to become reasonable, lowering prices for students would only be the

beginning (reword). Along with this comes the shared responsibility for funding higher

education, while insuring quality simultaneously. This balance helps students focus on learning,

and obtaining more skills as a result (reword). As a result of overpriced education, students start

rushing to complete degrees faster and focusing on working to afford the ever growing costs,

instead of concentrating on learning. This in return creates a lower quality experience (and

more).

Every year, tuition and fees climb 6.6%, and have increased a whopping 1,120% since

1978 (US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau). While the prices have gone up significantly,

so has the number of jobs that require a college degree, and completion of higher education is no

longer considered optional for employment. Not surprisingly, most of us believe that going to

college is essential, and the key to an economic future and the American Dream (Shmick, Bill).

Conversely, most critics argue that if we allow students become a part of the flawed system (like

high school has become), the educational system will be called to an end (Shmick, Bill). As costs

continue to rise, “tuition-free” colleges will only shift the costs from students to tax payers.

Additionally, colleges that import this free tuition ideal will most likely not have the resources

available to serve additional students, without compromising the quality of their offerings

(Andrew). If the amount of tuition decreased, more students would apply, and in return, more

would get turned away. A solid example of this is during the recession, many took notice that

California offered the cheapest community college fees in the nation. During the midst of this

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recession, enrollment numbers boomed and the state budget for higher education took a hit.

Because California could not raise additional revenue through tuition increase, 600,000 students

were turned away (Andrew). The public school system that Thomas Jefferson once suggested in

order to create good citizens, unite society, and prevent crime and poverty has turned into a

money chugging scheme. So, what do we do now?

In order for higher education to be more affordable, there has to be some sort of a

compromise. Although free tuition colleges would be the most appealing for college students, it

is just not idyllic (reword). One compromise that is already in place is called the Tennessee

Promise. The Tennessee Promise offers free tuition for high school graduates of any income and

any aptitude (TN Promise: Room for Debate). This deal can secure that promise at a relatively

low cost: $1,020 per student per year (TN Promise: Room for Debate). While this is an enticing

offer, it can sometimes cause unmotivated students to be worked in with those who are serious

about their education. Often times, these students will interrupt class and will take away valuable

time from helping students who truly want to learn. In order to avoid this I believe there should

be a requirement to test into these community colleges, because often times students see free

tuition and will not try as hard. In the end, students who have not maintained the set GPA will be

kicked out, wasting others money and their time.

Citations used:

Goldrick-Rab, Sara. "Public Higher Education Should Be Universal and Free." Room for Debate. New York

Times, 20 Jan. 2016. Web. 25 Jan. 2016.

Schmick, B. (2012, Feb 10). Should college be free? The Brattleboro Reformer Retrieved from

http://search.proquest.com.liblink.uncw.edu/docview/923854199?accountid=14606

Kelly, Andrew P. "The Problem Is That Free College Isn't Free." Room for Debate. New York Times, 20

Jan. 2016. Web. 25 Jan. 2016.

http://search.proquest.com.liblink.uncw.edu/docview/923854199?accountid=14606
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Carruthers, Celeste. "Tennessee Is Showing How Free Tuition Community Colleges Work." Room for

Debate. New York Times, 20 Jan. 2016. Web. 25 Jan. 2016.

2nd Person

1/28/2016

Free College

In the world today, there are many controversial topics that are talked about from day-to-day.

Many of these topics are highly discussed between individuals with different viewpoints that feel their

viewpoint is correct. This leads to heated discussions and debates. In today’s world, the idea of being

“online” is a lot more popular than having face-to-face conversations. This allows people to voice their

opinions almost anonymously without having to provide any proof to their statements. This can result

with very confused readers, as they do not know which information is fact, and which information is just

an opinion.

The New York Times has created a page on their website specifically for online debates about

controversial topics that are being talked about throughout the world today. Ironic enough, they have

named this online page as “Room for Debate”. First, a topic is posted and then professional authors,

poets, business professionals, and professors are given the opportunity to voice their opinion and write

about how they feel about the topic. With these professionals coming from many different fields of

work, background, and schooling, their viewpoints are often different from one another. With that being

said, their viewpoints can also be a like, but their reasons for it can be different.

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After the professionals have posted their viewpoints on the topic, then the public is allowed to

post comments on the topics page. The public is allowed to post whatever they want about the topic but

if it is deemed provocative or inappropriate, the “Room for Debate” editors will take it down. This gives

the public the opportunity to post their opinions about the topics that are being talked about in the

world today. If someone does not want to post their opinion, it is a great opportunity for them to read

the other posts and see if they share any of the same opinions with the people interested in this topic.

With people in the world today ranging anywhere from 16-25 years old, one of the most popular

talked about topics is the cost of college. College in the United States has mostly come down to if

someone is able to afford it or not, rather than it being if someone wants to go to college or not. The

average college tuition in the United States right now in this moment is anywhere from $10,000-50,000

per year for a 4-year school. This has lead to many people doing their first 2 years at a community

college in order to keep the tuition costs down. This allows the students to get the basic classes they

need, at usually half the cost of a 4-year school. Once the student has finished their 2 years at a

community college, they then transfer to a 4-year school to finish the rest of their 2 years of college and

obtain a degree.

On “Room for Debate” at this moment, there is a topic posted of “Should College be Free?”

Andrew P. Kelly was the first person to voice his opinion on this topic. Andrew P. Kelly is a resident

scholar and the director of the Center on Higher Education Reform at the American Enterprise Institute.

He starts off his post by saying, “the problem is that free college isn’t free”. What he means by this is

that the cost of every student’s tuition would go from the students paying it, to the taxpayers paying it.

He also states that the idea of “free college” is a good political talking point, but that it is flawed policy.

This means that when politicians talk about the idea of free college it might sound good to the people,

but the people and the politician themselves might not know the implications behind it. Andrew P. Kelly

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also said that if the cost of tuition would fall back onto the taxpayers, it would limit what the college

spends to whatever the taxpayers are willing to pay.

Andrew P. Kelly then goes on to state that if the taxpayers were the only ones funding colleges,

he believes that there is a possibility that the colleges would not be able to provide the resources

demanded because of the increased number of students attending. In his post, he gave an example of

how this affected California in the recent years. California has the cheapest community college tuitions

fees compared to the rest of the United States. When the recession hit, the enrollment into the

California community colleges skyrocketed and they were unable to provide the resources necessary for

the excess students. In the end, California had to turn away 600,000 students. Andrew P. Kelly ended his

post by saying he believes the government should give the scarce money that there is to the students

that really need it.

Sara Goldrick-Rab wrote the next post on the “Should College be Free” topic. Sara Goldrick-Rab

“is a professor of educational policy studies and sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is