Education Reform in America's Colleges and Universities

I'm not even sure where to begin in discussing this week's topic of education reform.  I know many families who use this topic as a regular discussion topic around the dinner table, and even then, the discussion is varied, so I'll try to focus on one specific area of education, which is the evolving demographic of students entering and completing college.

As a student at a private liberal arts college, I've taken classes with many students who were incredibly intelligent and focused on learning, but there were other students who just seemed to be taking up space as they waited to graduate and shortly after, work in a nicely paying position in the family company.  I'm only vaguely familiar with how other education systems work around the world, but it seems like in the American system, just about anyone can go to college if they are willing to pay tuition.  I don't see any problem with system attempting to educate those who have a strong desire to learn, no matter what their capacities are.  I find it problematic when those who want a better education cannot afford it and these individuals with a greater desire to learn are unable to attend college, simply because they cannot afford tuition.

On a personal level, a number of people I went to high school with had received scholarships and financial aid to state universities, but many of them had to return home after one year or one semester, because they found that they could not afford to take out a loan for tuition.  This is very unsettling to me, especially when I look around the classroom and see so many students who aren't attending college for a rich educational experience; instead, many people are now attending college because they don't believe that they can get a career with a livable wage and benefits without a college degree.  For the majority of people, this is true.  But as the majority of individuals who can afford to attend college go, many people now view a bachelor's degree the same way they once viewed a high school diploma.  Because most Americans who can afford to go to college today can find an institution that will accept their money for tuition, bachelor's degrees in most fields are not as valuable as they once were, and in many ways, they are now viewed as a kind of stepping stone degree.

The demographic of students who are currently enrolling and completing college has greatly changed in  the past 50 years, and in many ways for the better.  While a greater educated youth should be beneficial to society, if nearly everyone who wishes to attend college, for reasons ranging from needing an education to work in a specific field to needing a degree in order to join a parent in the family law firm may, then schools must continue to keep their educational standards high, because a college-educated society isn't necessarily a more intelligent society.