Is Higher Education Worth the Price? By Alba Sanchez

 Is Higher Education Worth the Price?

After all, I realized that this question, "Is college worth it?" doesn’t have a simple answer. For some people, college is the dream. But for others, like me, it comes with stress, debt, sacrifices, and a system that wasn’t really built for us.

What touched me most in the documentary was David’s story. I saw myself in him. My parents can’t pay for my education. They came to this country hoping I could become what they couldn’t. That kind of hope is beautiful, but it’s also heavy. I don’t have room to mess up. Every loan, every dollar, every semester matters. If I fail, I feel like I’m failing them too.

In our group project, we created an image showing that pressure. In the center, a woman is looking at a bill. That woman is me. She is also my classmates, my cousins, my friends.  A lot of times, college feels more like a business than a place for learning. The article Are Colleges Worth the Price of Admission? says it clearly: many schools are “spending much of their income on unnecessary amenities... and less on instruction.” That line made me angry. We work so hard to pay tuition, and the money goes into pools, gyms, and big screens, things that don’t help us learn. But not everything is negative. In The New Liberal Arts, I saw a different side of education. It’s not just about getting a job. Learning how to think, communicate, and solve problems is also important. Ungar says those skills “are useful for life,” and I agree. I’m starting to see that college isn’t just about getting a degree, it’s also about growing as a person.

That idea connects with This Is Water, the Kenyon Commencement Speech. Wallace says that true learning is about choosing how we see the world. That part really stayed with me. Because sometimes we live on autopilot, just trying to get through the day. But I don’t want to just survive, I want to live with purpose, to be aware of what’s around me, and to think for myself.

In our group document, I shared something very personal that I want to repeat here:

“For me, this is more than just a topic we’re studying in class; it’s something I’m living every day. I don’t have the luxury of choosing a school for the name or the dorms. Every dollar I spend on college, I feel it. And every time someone says that education is the ‘key to success,’ I wonder why that key costs so much for people like us. I’m proud to be here, to study, to fight for my future, but sometimes it feels like the system wasn’t built for people like me. That’s why this visual isn’t just an assignment, it’s a reminder that behind every tuition bill, behind every number, a real person is trying their best not to give up. And we deserve more than a price tag; we deserve a system that believes in us as much as we believe in what education should be.”

That paragraph says everything I feel. I’m tired of hearing “if you work hard, you’ll succeed,” like effort is always enough. The truth is, there are a lot of barriers. From tuition to lack of support to family pressure, it’s a lot to carry. And yet, we’re still here. That alone is powerful.

People always shared similar stories. Working full time, helping family, trying to stay focused, it’s not easy. We’re doing our best with what we have. But doing our best shouldn’t mean sacrificing our peace or health. Something has to change.

And here’s what I really want to say to end this blog.

We live in a capitalist world. Not just in this country, but globally. And in that world, hard work is not always enough. As an immigrant, I’m tired of seeing people work themselves to the bone, cleaning, building, cooking, hustling, and still struggling. Physical labor alone doesn’t guarantee success. So maybe we should stop romanticizing “hard work” like it’s the answer to everything.

I don’t want to give you a final answer. I just want to leave you with a question:

What does hard work really mean when some people can give their whole lives and still never “make it”?

Think about that.