Letter to the Editor

Readings: P. Altbach, R. Berdahl, & P. Gumport (Eds.), American higher education in the twenty-first century: Social, political, and economic challenges (pp. 315–340). Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

You just learned about a planned 5 percent tuition increase at the public college in your area. The news about the tuition increase has triggered a debate in the community about whether or not the tuition increase is justified.

After completing the assigned Readings for this unit, write a “letter to the editor” (about 1 page) explaining your position regarding the proposed tuition increase. As an introduction to your position, write a brief reflection on your own educational experience — the type of school you attended (public institution), the quality of your education (valuable), and what you have been able to do with the degree you earned (My Business major with a concentration in Finance has helped me to manage my finances and guide others to balance their finances as well as learn to handle businesses) .

Then, address the 5 percent tuition increase and the benefits or drawbacks to raising tuition in public institutions. In your discussion, address the costs of higher education and your perspective on how the costs should be covered. Be sure to assimilate relevant sources to support your discussion.

A letter to the editor should be specific and concise. Although guidelines vary on typical length, your letter should be about 300 words for this Assignment. The paper is a small town paper, and your higher education knowledge will be an asset to your community. Be sure to consider the audience in writing. The paper requires that you cite your sources in APA style. Often, editors will access the sources to verify the information.