Social Problems: The College Years
In every phase of life we encounter problems and eventually solutions. As younger people in college there are many social issues to be aware of if you haven’t already experienced them in some form or another. A few social issues college students face are homelessness, the affordability of college, and alcoholism. These three issues are very real and very many students are affected by one or more of these.
My first social issue is homelessness. I first heard of college students facing homelessness on the news a bit ago. Unbeknownst to me I didn’t even know people in college could be homeless it never crossed my mind. While I was living in oblivion when in reality over 58,000 students in 2012 were homeless that figure doesn’t include people who didn’t report it or those who were couch surfing. Can you imagine the increase from then to the present day? Common challenges that lead to the displacement are lose of a job, tuition cost, and lack of support. Some families lost a job and money became scarce which lead to their eviction. Some college students chose higher education rather than having a bed to rest their head. But they made that decision because the degree they would receive would land them a better paying job verses just working full time at a dead end one. While others didn’t have a stable support system to begin with. And of course this is my admittance to my ignorant views. But I figured if you attended college and could afford to go you could afford a place to stay, right? Wrong. And if you are attending a university you can afford it, how else are you going. Some people cant even afford that because tuition rates are climbing as we speak.
The next topic I would like to discuss is the affordability of college. And unfortunately for us costs are on the rise. How do you attend if you can barely afford you or your flat? Well there are a few options to choose from if you qualify. For instance there are college scholarship’s, financial aid, grants, and loans. If you don’t qualify for scholarships, financial aid or grants then step 2 is taking out a loan. Loans also known as borrowed money you will pay back and yes they will hold you hostage for it: our BFF debt. But being able to obtain one of these forms of financial assistance doesn’t mean you’re out of the woods just yet because they don’t cover everything. So if you don’t qualify for any of those say hello to Out of POCKET.If you don’t receive enough money you will have to pay the difference. But for those college students trying to get there foot in the door tuition is the number one problem. In 2012 the average cost to attend just a public university was $18,092 including room and board. Now the average coast to attend is $23,600. For the people who have to pay out of pocket its a great hassle to want to do better but not be able to afford to get a higher education. Recently they came up with a measure to ease some of the debt called loan forgiveness. it gives you more time to pay off your loans. Hopefully it works. All in all if you can figure out a way to get an education the time you spend in college is going to be fun. Fun but costly.
Another costly social issue is alcoholism. It is one of the largest causes of death and violence in the college population. Based on a thirteen year study in a year college drinking on average leads to 97,000 sexual assaults, 1,700 college students die in alcohol related incidences, and 110,000 are arrested for alcohol related violations. The numbers are huge but that isn’t including unreported cases. College students as a whole; in 2012 spent about 5.5 billion on beer that chocks up to an estimate of $50 a month per student if every student drank that much. There aren’t many restrictions on drinking besides the age limit and that doesn’t stop everyone. Alcohol is sold on campuses around the country. Its simply a free for all and colleges are saying chug chug chug right along with the students. Its resulting in liver damage and addiction and the students aren’t even 30 yet. However some campuses have taken action by having non alcoholic events, setting rules for alcohol in dorms, and information and counseling for prevention. These are not solutions but its a start.
All of these social issues have not died out nor will they ever. But they should be acknowledged and not taken lightly. More than a hand full of people on every campuses deals with one of these issues and we as peers should show compassion and help. Because in fact it could be you.
