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River City Rockfest page 8
UTSA Baseball travels to the NCAA tournament page 10
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Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio
{SINCE 1981}
Volume 48
Issue 15
{WWW.PAISANO-ONLINE.COM}
Summer Issue UTSA’S Engineers Without Borders will travel to Peru to install a water distribution system to more than 500 residents.
San Antonio City Council has approved the expansion of the downtown public improvement district, which will increase area targeted for maintenance, landscaping and reconstruction.
Texas This summer, the Texas legislature will meet in a special session to discuss issues such as redistricting.
U.S. On July 1, student loan interest rates will double after the temporary decrease established the previous year.
World President Obama delivered a speech stating that, while he did not condone the use of drones on Americans, it was essential for counterterroism efforts.
History June 17 marks fortyone years since then Presidential candidate Richard Nixon and several of his advisors resigned after the infamous Watergate scandal.
UTSA builds for the future Matthew Duarte Editor-in-Chief
editor@paisano-online.com San Saba Hall, UTSA’s newest on-campus housing facility, will be opening for the Fall 2013 semester. Located near the Recreation Center,
UTSA has expressed a goal of housing 20 percent of students on campus. Roadrunner Café and University Center, the new residence hall will accommodate 618 students. Currently, students are
served by four on-campus housing complexes: Chisholm Hall, University Oaks, Chaparral Village and Laurel Village, which in total account for 3,643 beds. Like Laurel Village and Chaparral Village, San Saba Hall will be operated by UTSA’s Department of Housing and Residence Life; University Oaks and Chisholm Hall are both operated by Campus Living Villages, an outside company operating under contract. San Saba Hall is indirectly a product of UTSA’s Master Plan, long-term guidelines for construction projects, which the university began researching in 2007. Some of these projects, such as the North Paseo Building, have already been completed, but San Saba
Sarah Gibbens / The Paisano
UTSA
The San Saba Hall is located between Laurel Village and Chapperal Village and will house students starting fall 2013.
See New, Page 3
UTSA
Is college wor th it? As the price of tuition rises, many students question whether a college education is worth the high cost. Erin Boren Special Issues Editor news@paisano-online.com The term “worth” can mean many types of values: monetary, personal or something measured by the esteem at which it is held. So what worth does a college education have? Is it worth the money for the education, experience or degree? According to the Pew Research Center, a whopping 57 percent of college students claim that they are unhappy with what they receive in return for paying for a college education. However, among college graduates, 86 percent agree that they benefit from the personal experience. At what cost is the experience worth the money?
Why attend college? There are conflicting opinions on the subject of pursuing a career right after high school graduation rather than packing up for college in the fall. After all, the non-traditional route of skipping college completely or becoming a college dropout has worked for many people including Rachel Ray, Steven Spielberg, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.
While some people have the determination and will to succeed in their careers without the help of a degree, others blame lack of financial support for inhibiting their choice to obtain a college education. The growing college enrollment lessens the available financial aid funding per student, and therefore, hinders the 48 percent of non-enrolled students the Pew report found could not afford to continue their education. Also, some 34 percent of high school graduates claimed that higher education was not necessary for their career. Apart from the number of students incapable of attending college for financial reasons or those without the need for college, there are also students who lack direction. Former UTSA student Bronwen Kinzler-Britton left college for an internship opportunity in Los Angeles. “I was kind of itching for something different. Also, I had no idea if what I was going to school for was even what I wanted to do for a living,” Kinzler-Britton says. “I feel bad going to school and spending thousands of dollars on something I don’t necessarily want to do.” Like many people in her situation, Kinzler-
Britton muses that she may not be a “school person.” However, careerseekers should consider the job market statistics for those without a college degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for high school graduates without college experience, as of December 2012, is 8.1 percent compared to the 3.8 percent unemployment rate for college graduates with a bachelor’s degree or higher. Even among those who have college experience or a two-year degree, the unemployment rate is still remarkably higher–6.7 percent. Some high school graduates may believe the job market is too small and saturated with those carrying a college degree to spend time and money in college. People with that opinion jump right into the career field with what they believe is a four-year head start. But does that head start pay off when it comes to lifetime salaries? Most surveys report an overwhelming “NO.” The Pew report agrees with the majority, claiming that the average college graduate in a 40year period earns about $650,000 more than the average high school graduate.
The Pew Research Center calculated that the total earnings for a college graduate is estimated at $1.42 million versus the $770,000 of a high school graduate, producing a net earnings of $650,000. Then, subtracting an average of college tuition cost, not including room and board, at $6,000 and foregone earnings of $94,000, a bachelor’s degree graduate has a net payoff of $550,000 more than that of a student who foregoes a higher education. However, it is inevitable that exceptions do exist. Selected college majors and particular job market predictions, as well as the amount of loans necessary, all depend on personal circumstances and career goals. Kinzler-Britton says this about college education: “While I do think college is a great opportunity and obviously has even greater benefits, I definitely believe that college just isn’t for everyone. I have known some incredibly successful people who never went to college and are so content with life.”
Pay Up The attitude toward completing a college de-
gree is one that changes with perspective, from teacher to student to parent. According to the Pew report, 94 percent of parents assume their child will attend college. So, if the student decides to attend college, the question becomes; how to pay for it? Only 22 percent of Americans believe that college is affordable; that number has been dropping since 1985. While 48 percent of the public believe the student or his or her family should cover the biggest burden of college expenses, 31 percent believe that it is the responsibility of either the federal or state government. Eric Cooper, Ph.D., director of Student Enrollment Services, states that within UTSA, 65-70 percent of students rely on financial aid. He claims that there is a higher percentage of high-need students at UTSA than any other campus in the UT system. “UTSA has always been a school of access,” says Cooper. “We’re always interested in helping students come to college and afford it.” Consequently, the increasing dependence on financial aid and student loans leads to an increase in overall student debt after graduation. The re-
port finds that student loan debt, is on average, a little over $20,000 per family. With that impending debt, 27 percent of college graduates are working full-time jobs, yet underemployed, according to the Huffington Post. And with an underemployed job, it would take more than 20 years to pay off college debts. Cooper stresses the importance of graduating in a timely manner, which, traditionally, is four years. Every additional year adds weight to post-college debts and, in some cases, financial aid may become unavailable. “The federal government is really stressing that financial aid is a contract. They expect you to earn your degree in a timely manner. Legislation is changing to make sure students aren’t taking advantage of the financial aid system,” he says. Additionally, 48 percent of graduates with student loans claim that debt has made it harder to pay other bills or make ends meet. Twenty-four percent of those with loans also admit that the debt has had an impact on the type of career they pursued. It is a difficult situation to imagine that college debt is driving the See DEBATING, Page 3