The United States continues to reign as the world’s most popular college destination. Students everywhere consider admissions to America’s prestigious universities and colleges the ticket to a bright future.
A college degree is expected to open more doors to higher-paying jobs, especially in the rapidly growing technology, healthcare, and engineering sectors. Besides boosting employability, higher education is said to positively impact self-esteem, longevity, and overall well-being.
With so much going for a college degree, an exclusive Newsmax/TIPP Poll conducted early this year found that nearly three-quarters of Americans believe college education is important. More than a third consider it to be ‘very important,’ while less than a quarter do not think higher education is vital. Interestingly, four-fifths (82%) of those with a college degree and nearly two-thirds (64%) of high school graduates felt that college education was important today.
But, education in these hallowed halls does not come cheap, even to Americans. With hefty price tags, it is unsurprising that America’s outstanding student loan debt is estimated at $1.63 trillion as of the third quarter of 2023. According to the US Department of Education, 43.4 million borrowers had outstanding federal student loans at the end of 2023.
Most adults carry the student loan burden well into their middle age, and President Biden’s bungled student loan forgiveness initiative has drawn considerable attention to the country’s hefty cost of college education.
Despite the penchant for a college degree, barely a third of poll respondents described the return on investment (ROI) for an undergraduate degree as ‘high.’ With the average four-year cost for a student at $105K at public institutions and $225K at private institutions, slightly more than a quarter felt the ROI was ‘moderate,’ while nearly a third described it as ‘low.’
Besides the nearly prohibitive tuition, another rising concern among Americans is that the country’s colleges are increasingly pushing extremely progressive and liberal ideologies, even at the cost of American values. The recent pro-Palestine protests have drawn criticism from many quarters.
More than half (57%) expressed concern at the trajectory of the educational institutions (a third mentioned they were ‘very concerned’), while 30% were unconcerned. Interestingly, such fears were not limited to the parent age groups. More than half, 53%, of youngsters (18-24 years) and two-thirds, 62%, of young adults (25-44 years) were uneasy with the extreme liberal ideologies gaining ground on college campuses.
Half of the poll respondents agreed that the spate of antisemitic protests in colleges was the outcome of a progressive/liberal American college education. While 29% disagreed with the opinion, 21% were undecided. The sentiment was present when the poll was taken in January, even prior to the recent escalation in April.
Besides earning a degree, a college education is a time to explore and assimilate different and wide-ranging philosophies, ideologies, and thoughts. But, the increasing slant towards certain ideologies, often diametrically opposing the American ethos, is a matter of concern.
The high cost, low ROI, and all-out progressive trajectory may make college seem less desirable in the coming years. It is time to ask if a college degree serves only the student or the country.
TIPP Takes
Geopolitics, Geoeconomics, And More
1. Netanyahu Warns Israel Will Invade Rafah If Hamas Doesn’t Take Hostage Deal – Axios
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu privately warned Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Israel will move forward with an invasion of Rafah if Hamas continues to condition a hostage deal on ending the war, Israeli and U.S. officials said.
One of Hamas’ main demands in hostage negotiations is that the second phase of the deal will include an Israeli commitment to end the war in Gaza. According to Israeli officials, Netanyahu told Blinken that Israel wouldn’t accept that condition.
2. Blinken Tells Israel’s Netanyahu U.S. Still Opposes Rafah Operation – AFP
Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated U.S. opposition to an Israeli assault on the crowded Gaza city of Rafah in talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to press ahead, a U.S. official said.
Blinken “reiterated the United States’ clear position on Rafah,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said, two days after Blinken again voiced opposition to an assault over concerns for the safety of civilians sheltering in the southern Gaza city.
3. Hamas Official Says Blinken Ceasefire Comments Are Attempt To Pressure The Group – Reuters
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said that Secretary of State Antony Blinken is blaming the delay of a Gaza ceasefire agreement on the Palestinian group unfairly.
Blinken, meeting Israeli leaders to discuss how to get more aid into Gaza, has repeatedly urged Hamas to accept an offer from Israel that will release hostages and achieve a ceasefire, describing it as “extraordinarily generous.”
“Blinken’s comments contradict reality. It is not strange for Blinken, who is known as the foreign minister of Israel, not America, to make such a statement,” Abu Zuhri said.
4. Gaza Aid Port 50 Percent Complete: Pentagon – AFP
The Pentagon said the temporary pier being constructed by the U.S. military to increase humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza is more than halfway complete.
The construction was announced on April 25, and U.S. officials say the pier will be operational sometime early this month.
Plans for the pier—which the Pentagon said will cost at least $320 million—were first announced by President Joe Biden in early March as Israel held up ground deliveries of assistance.
5. Hamas Leadership Would Relocate To Jordan If Forced To Leave Qatar: Senior Official – Al Arabiya
A senior Hamas official said the Palestinian group would eye relocating its leadership to Jordan if circumstances compel them to leave Qatar, where they have been since Doha was asked by Washington to host them.
Mousa Abu Marzouk insisted that any talk of Hamas leaders leaving Qatar is currently unfounded but said that Jordan could serve as an alternative destination.
He described Hamas’ relationship with Amman as “good,” adding that most of Hamas’ leaders have Jordanian passports.
6. World Court Rejects Nicaragua’s Bid To Halt German Military Exports To Israel – UPI
The court ruled that “the circumstances, as they now present themselves to the court, are not such as to require the exercise of its power.”
Nicaragua, in mid-March, initiated the proceedings against Germany on accusations that it was aiding Israel’s alleged genocide of Palestinians.
The country was seeking the International Court of Justice to order Berlin to suspend its military and other assistance to Israel as well as resume funding the United Nations relief agency for Palestinian refugees.
7. Russia Breached Global Chemical Weapons Ban In Ukraine War, U.S. Says – Reuters
The United States accused Russia of violating the international chemical weapons ban by deploying the choking agent Chloropicrin against Ukrainian troops and using riot control agents “as a method of warfare” in Ukraine.
Chloropicrin is banned by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which was created to monitor compliance with the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention.
8. New Sanctions Aim To Further Degrade Russia’s Ability To Manufacture Weapons – REF/RL
The new sanctions aim to limit Russia’s military-industrial base, chemical weapons programs, and people and firms in third countries that help Russia acquire weapons components.
The Treasury Department imposed sanctions on nearly 200 targets, while the State Department designated more than 80. They also target over a dozen Chinese firms accused of helping Russia find workarounds to previously announced sanctions.
9. NATO Chief: Ukraine Can Still Win War – AFP
“Ukraine has been outgunned for months, forced to ration its ammunition… But it’s not too late for Ukraine to prevail,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said at a news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Stoltenberg insisted that “more support is on the way.”
10. Anti-China Sentiment In U.S. Grows Over Past 4 Years, Pew Survey Says – Nikkei Asia
According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, Americans’ views of China have become more negative since the last general election. More Americans view China as an enemy than in previous years.
Forty-two percent of Americans see China as an enemy, while only 6% of Americans see it as a partner. Half of those interviewed saw China as a competitor, according to the survey published.
11. China’s Newest Aircraft Carrier Heads To Sea For First Time – CNN
China’s newest, largest, and most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, took a big step toward joining the world’s largest naval fleet as it set out from Shanghai for its first sea trials.
The carrier has been under construction for more than six years. With a displacement of 80,000 metric tons, the Fujian dwarfs the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) two active carriers, the 66,000-ton Shandong and the 60,000-ton Liaoning. Only the United States Navy operates bigger aircraft carriers than Fujian.
12. China Woos Argentina, Bolivia And Peru To Advance Belt And Road – Nikkei Asia
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has met with counterparts from Argentina, Peru, and Bolivia in the past week as Beijing intensifies efforts to court Latin American countries through its Belt and Road infrastructure-building initiative.
This is Argentina’s top diplomat’s first trip to China since President Javier Milei took office in December.
13. Solomons’ Pro-China PM Not Standing For New Term – AFP
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare’s withdrawal followed inconclusive April 17 elections that led his party to choose Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele as its parliamentary leader, effectively making him the group’s candidate for the premiership.
Sogavare’s withdrawal from the leadership does not necessarily end his party’s embrace of China. Manele has lauded China for its generous aid and infrastructure funding in the past and stressed the Solomon Islands’ firm commitment to relations with Beijing.
14. Britain Begins Detaining Migrants To Be Relocated To Rwanda – Upi
The goal is to deliver flights to Rwanda within 9-11 weeks, as UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised, to deter migrant boat crossings into Britain.
The British government said in a statement that Rwanda has a strong track record of successfully resettling more than 135,000 refugees and “stands ready to accept thousands more who cannot stay” in Britain.
15. Haiti Names New Prime Minister In Effort To Quell Gang Violence – UPI
Haiti’s seven-member transitional council—tasked with restoring security and paving the way for elections—named former youth and sports minister Fritz Belizaire the country’s new prime minister and Edward Leblanc Fils the president.
The transitional council will be tasked with appointing a new cabinet and coordinating a multinational security force to help reclaim the capital, as Haiti’s gangs also demand representation.
The non-profit ACAPS humanitarian aid agency estimates more than 80% of Haiti and more than 60% of the capital is controlled by gangs.
16. Woman At Greater Risk For Depression In Years Leading Up To Menopause – HealthDay News
Women in the transition period before menopause are 40% more likely to experience depression than premenopausal women, according to pooled data from seven studies involving more than 9,100 women around the world.
This transition period, called perimenopause, usually occurs three to five years before the onset of menopause, researchers said.
“Our findings show just how significantly the mental health of perimenopausal women can suffer during this time,” researcher Aimee Spector noted.
17. Study: Combine Intermittent Fasting With High-Intensity Exercise To Boost Health – UPI Health
Among inactive women with obesity, combining time-restricted eating with high-intensity exercise may lead to more transformative changes in body composition and cardiometabolic health than either intervention alone, a new study suggests.
“This study highlights that time-restricted eating is a good solution to combat obesity. It is easy to implement since it does not require people to limit their overall food intake or count the total number of daily calories,” the study’s corresponding author, Rami Maaloul, said in an interview.
Republished with permission from TIPP Insights
