Casey Skinner

WRTC 103
Mrs. Fielding
10/11/2015
Is College Worth the Money?
As college tuition continues to become more expensive every year, students are
wondering if the cost of their education is really worth the money invested. I am
analyzing the argument made by Neal McCuskey, who wrote his article for the CQ
Researcher and argued that student loans are worth the inevitable debt. The public service
announcement was created by myself, in favor of college education and justifying student
debt. The rhetoric of my own PSA and the viewpoints of the two articles I read both rely
heavily on ethos, pathos, and logos to decide whether a college education is something
worth investing in.
McCuskey earns his credibility from his status as the Associate Director for the
Center for Educational Freedom at Cato Institute. He has been published in the Wall
Street Journal, the Washington Post, and Forbes. McCuskey holds an undergraduate
degree from Georgetown University, where he double-majored in government and
English, has a masters degree in political science from Rutgers University, and has a
PhD in public policy from George Mason University (Cato Institute).

The main claim for McCuskeys article is that students are not accumulating more
debt than their educations are worth. McCuskey uses logos by stating that the average
earnings for an individual with a bachelors degree are 1.1 million dollars more than

someone with just a high school diploma. He is using statistics that have been proven to
validate his point. Even at the lowest end of the spectrum, someone with a degree will
still, on average, earn about $300,000 more than someone without a degree. The average
student only accumulates an estimated $24,000 worth of student debt, and these numbers
reflect the importance of earning a degree. The author is applying this article to the
students who are in their late teens or early adulthood because they are the ones
ultimately deciding if the debt that college comes equipped with is worth their hard work
and their time.

The style is scholarly and it is organized in a topical matter. The author addresses
the opposing viewpoint and describes why someone may think that college is a waste of
money. McCuskey says that many people go to college and never finish their degree,
therefore they spend a great deal of money and never get to reap the financial benefits
down the road. McCuskey states that a degree, Rather than indicating mastery of
valuable skills, it often signals to employers only that the possessor has some basic
positive traits, such as threshold levels of intelligence of perseverance. This is an
example of pathos because it directly relates to the reader. Having a degree can reflect on
your character and show that you are a hard-working individual. Many people would
argue that this is ridiculous, and that it should not be necessary to earn a degree just to
prove to your employer that you are a competent individual and can handle showing up to
work on time. This is just the price that must be paid in order to get a good job, college
turns students into well-rounded adults and knowing that you have completed this
strenuous amount of schooling can decide whether you deserve a job or not. Someone

who has received a four year degree is much more likely to obtain a job. The
unemployment rate for those with a bachelors degree is 5.2 percent and the rate for those
without a degree is 10.3 percent (Gongloff).
McCuskey expresses his dislike for the student loan system in America, and how
ridiculous it is that tuition is so high, but in his final statement says that a college degree
will still pay off handsomely in the end. Although the system is unfair, it is still
undeniable that the most beneficial route is getting a college education. A college degree
is the only type of loan Americans can use to directly invest in their long-term personal
economic well-being. (Walsh)

This PSA helps back up McCuskeys argument. It demonstrates all of

the cons that are associated with student debt but concludes that it
is still worth it. This is just like his article, in which he appeals to the
opposing viewpoint but then states that college is the best way to
go.

The main claim of the PSA is that even though student debt is pretty much inevitable, if
you want a secure job, college is the way to go. The PSA shows a picture of a student crying in
the library and then beside it is a picture of a student who has graduated college smiling, with his
thumbs up. This shows the reader that although college can be a stressful time, you will be happy
you made the decision to further your education come graduation day. The intended audience is
students who are deciding to go to college or not and the diction is appropriate for the audience.
Skinner demonstrates her credibility by inserting a non-profit organization in favor of her
ideas. TICAS is The Institute for College Access and Success. They work to make college
education more affordable available for people of all backgrounds. Ticas accepts donations from
those who wish to help make college a reality for those who cannot afford it. Skinner is not an
expert on student debt by any means, her only credibility is reading information online.
Skinner uses logos by stating facts and statistics in her PSA. She uses the statistic, 7 out
of 10 students graduate college with student debt, and claims that the average student
accumulates over $28,000 worth of debt by the end of their educational career. She uses these
facts to show the cons to going to college, but then asserts that someone who has a college
degree is more likely to obtain a full time job, as opposed to someone with a high school diploma
who is more likely to be working a part time job.
Skinner uses pathos by incorporating photos to appeal to the audiences emotions. The
picture of the girl crying makes the audience see that college is stressful, but the picture of the
boy smiling with his thumbs up makes them see that it is still beneficial. Skinner also uses
pathos by relating the facts to the audience.

The verbal argument and the PSA both state the pros and cons of getting a college degree,
but conclude with saying that in the end it is worth the money and stress. Both arguments use
ethos, pathos, and logos to defend their assertions. The PSA perfectly complements the article by
using the same methods of defending their ideas. The PSA is helpful because it offers pictures
and has a non-profit organization supporting it. The PSA is the more convincing argument solely
because it is easier to read and lays everything out for the audience. Both arguments are effective
methods of convincing the reader that college is important to receive a good job and make
money in the future.

Works Cited:
Gongloff, Mark. "You Need A College Degree To Get A Job (And Crushing Debt To Get A
Degree)." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 22 Oct. 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2015.
McCluskey, Neal. "Student Debt." CQ Researcher by CQ Press. SAGE Publications, Oct. 2011.
Web. 11 Oct. 2015.
"Neal McCluskey." Cato Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2015.
Stressed Student. Digital image. Near Pictures. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2015.
Success Stories. Digital image. Friends of Naeop. Trio, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2015
"The Institute For College Access and Success." What We Do. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2015
Walsh, Ben. "The One Argument In Favor Of Student Loans." The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 2 Oct. 2014. Web. 11 Oct. 2015.