We all know that a college education is the gateway to a better future. But what are the requirements for college? Good grades, preparation, but most importantly money. But, what if you don’t have money? Although the American dream is said to be about hard work, strong will and determination won’t be enough unless you have money and opportunities. Over the years the American dream has shifted from how much effort someone can put to success to “how much money do I have in order to pay for more opportunities?” This has become a prevalent issue because hard work alone doesn’t procure success anymore; hard work simply augments and increases the odds of success. College students suffer the most with this issue. What I propose is that the government should make programs that expand merit-based, financial aid access so more people can attain a higher education.
I recently read an excerpt from a memoir by Tara Westover entitled “I Am Not Proof of the American Dream”. Westover’s story encapsulates the idea that success is not truly achieved with hard work but with luck and opportunity . Westover describes the moment she received a financial aid check which set a path out of poverty. “The day I cashed that check is the day I became a student”. Access to financial aid clearly provided a sense of opportunity and a chance of success. This shows the imbalance between hard work and money. In this instance there is more of a need for money than actual work ethic. And this example can be seen locally as well. In my experience, since I lacked money and resources to actually go to college I applied to programs that did provide benefits to students such as TAP and FAFSA. Access to these essential programs provided a real avenue to the high education I strive for.
A reason as to why money is so important may be to purchase the resources that allow you to work hard. A way that I believe could fix this problem or allow more students to attend college is that students and school administrators discuss ways to provide for students who have less opportunities than others. This suggestion typically favors students who lack the money or resources to properly attend college. There are programs that do exactly what I mentioned such as TAP and FAFSA. What my idea really is in this context is not so much as to benefit students but to aid and guide for the best chance of success. Another idea that I have is that the government or the school administration should make a program that provides help for students who are struggling with debt. I believe that most students are going to have mountains of debt by the time they finish college which is why it would be most beneficial to have a program that provides aid to get rid of student loans or debt.
