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Fernando Osuna

Mr. Canek Pena Vargas

Political Studies

24 september 2018

Higher Education

Higher education can benefit your own life and the world that we live in. Getting a

college degree can be one of the post-secondary options you are able to get with higher education

. In fact, multiple government studies shows that college graduates typically earn more in their

lifetime than a high school graduate. Higher education can play an immense role in your life,

government funds, and the general public. College degrees are more profitable than a high school

diploma.

A higher education can be considered to have utility by benefiting your life in different

ways. Getting a higher education means being able to acquire more skills in life; improving your

oral, visual, and communication skills. You’re also able to develop better critical thinking skills

in difficult situations.

Not only can having a higher education get you a well-paying job, but it can also help

your family and the generations that come after you. In ​The Book of Isaias​, Daniel Connolly ,the

author, explains how his grandfather went to college and was able to become an engineer. Due to

his higher education, he was able to build financial stability to the point that you might even say
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he was wealthy. Daniel Connolly mentions, “Through series of high-paying engineering jobs, he

accumulated wealth. My grandfather died when I was a teenager, and when my mother and

grandmother passed away years later, I inherited part of his earnings. The money would help

cover my expenses during the early stages of writing this book” (Connolly 8). Due to the fact

that Daniel Connolly’s grandfather wealth helped him create a book shows how higher education

has a positive outcome in life. Higher education can improve your personal life, the lives of our

children , and our economy in general.

A higher education can also benefit our economy. Having the opportunity of getting a

professional career means more income you will get, suggesting that you’ll be able to live more

independent and not have to fall back to the government for support. In an article, written by

David Edelson he explains how governments spend an average of $211,431 on high school

grads, due to the cost of “Medicaid, housing subsidies, nutrition assistance, unemployment

benefits, and other public assistance” (Edelson). Additional college grads with a B.A are more

self-sufficient and don’t rely much on gov’t. In fact, the gov’t only spends an average of

$129,762 on college grads, that's an extra $81,669 is the government is “wasting” on those who

don’t have a higher education. Due to high school grads not earning enough money, they need

that support system to live or in some cases just to get by. Although bachelor’s degree holders do

pay more in taxes, you are also able to give more money to the government which in the end

would result in a positive action. The government uses that money by building more schools,

having more money to rebuild streets, invest in technology, producing more goods and service

etc… Higher education can help our economy by increasing our tax base and helping the

government earn more money to provide more quality services.

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A higher education can also benefit our society. Since having a higher education can get

you a successful career that means you’ll be making more than enough money. Essentially you

are able to give back to society/communities and help such as donate to charities. In the article

by David Edelson, it explains how College graduate with a B.A are more civically engaged than

those with a high school degree. The article, reports that 75% of Bachelor's degree holders vote

while only 52% of high school degree holders vote (​Edelson)​. Also, they interpret how College

grads are twice as likely to volunteer than a high school grad and three and a half times more

likely to make charitable contributions (​Edelson)​. All things considered, higher education can not

only help an individual’s economic status, it can improve our society in general.

Although most people know that higher education can be beneficial, some people think it

is a risk. Some people's’ mindsets are stuck on the idea that a college degree gives you the

ability, but not the actual job or career you are pursuing. Although this may be true, the college

degree can help you get a job faster. College grads have a 24% higher chance of being hired than

a high school grad (Edelson). While high school graduates earn about $1,304,00, college

graduates often earn up to $2,268,000 in a lifetime (Edelson). Meaning that college grads with a

B.A typically earn 1 million more in a lifetime than a high school grad.

Another reason people might say college is not worth it is due to the fact that they are

not able to pay for it. However, they can start small and go to a community college. They can

study for two years, get their associates degree, and see if they are able to transfer to a UC or a

Cal State. Everyone should strive to get a higher education.

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In conclusion, a higher education can be exactly what you need in order to be successful

in life. Higher education can play a huge role in your life, in the economy, and society. Not only

is higher education proven to be more beneficial it’s also proven to improve your health.

Ultimately, any kind of college education is better than just a high school diploma.
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Work Cited

Connolly, Daniel. ​The Book of Isaias: a Child of Hispanic Immigrants Seeks His Own America​.

St. Martins Press, 2016.

Edelson, David. “How Do College Graduates Benefit Society at Large?” ​Association of Public &

Land-Grant Universities​, 14 Oct. 2016,

www.aplu.org/projects-and-initiatives/college-costs-tuition-and-financial-aid/publicuvalu

es/societal-benefits.html​.

“Top 4 Benefits of Higher Education.” ​Good Choices Good Life,​ 2018,

www.goodchoicesgoodlife.org/choices-for-young-people/the-benefits-of-higher-educatio

n/.
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