become celebrated while liberal universities continue to be blamed for the student debt crisis. Post-graduate employment, job skills, and preparation for adult life have become new standards used to measure the value of college. While it is true that universities strong in these areas often contain high standards of economic value, liberal education was never intended to uphold these standards. Its beginnings, as addressed in the Yale Report of 1828, suggest a holistic approach, designed to provide students with the proper foundation required for any professional career and to foster a lifelong thirst for knowledge. Specialization and job-centered training were to come later, as students connected with the world and went on to obtain Master’s Degrees and PhD’s. Comparing trade school certificates and liberal education degrees is comparing apples to oranges; they are two vastly different institutions with vastly different goals. Regardless, the goals of liberal education are not going to align with everyone. The ever-competitive job market nearly requires the pursuit of higher education in modern society, and choosing trade school over a four year university may make more sense for some individuals. As the cost of liberal education continues to skyrocket, universities should anticipate a decline in enrollment and a rise in students attending technical colleges. Although liberal education holds heaps of intrinsic value, for some, this may not be affordable or even desired. Students today are forced to determine how much they are willing to pay for something that does not necessarily have monetary value. How can we put a dollar amount to something as invaluable as knowledge? While the unfortunate circumstances of liberal education do not appear to be dwindling down any time soon, advocates for liberal education should not lose hope. Acquiring and sharing knowledge has been a fundamental element of the human experience since the beginning of time. In today’s evolving educational climate, sacrifices will have to be made. Perhaps not everyone who dreams of attending a liberal college will have the opportunity to do so immediately, but they can postpone their liberal education journey to a later date when they have better financial security. Parents can work hard to ensure that their children will be able to attend university without facing the economic dilemma that many are forced to face everyday. High school students can plan ahead by dedicating themselves to their passions and working tirelessly to qualify for as many grants and scholarships as possible. Citizens can vote according to their own beliefs on how liberal education ought to look like. Rich or poor, young or old; social and economic implications will never prohibit society from pursuing what is essential to human nature - the passion for knowledge will always prevail.
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