College has always seemed to be the next big step after high school graduation. However, recently many young adults have been taking alternative routes due to the influx in college tuition. Student loans have increasingly become a topic of interest regarding this issue. As college enrollment rates continue to rise each year, so does student loans. Families who are not at financially stable have looked to student and parent loans to fill the gap. Many college students do not consider the severity of the loans until their payments start after graduation. As a college student, having loans is a constant thought for me. I understand what it is like to accumulate loan just to get through school. Student loans goes against the values that I was taught in school to never acquire any debt. Loans tarnish many goals that some students may have set for the future. When attending college, a student does not plan on acquiring thousands of dollars in loans to complete his/her degree. Being in college and acquiring loans at 18 years old was not easy for me to accept. Even with the constant financial support of my parents, family, and friends, college still becomes a financial burden. Going to a big public university makes me realize that not everyone is afforded this opportunity due to the extreme cost of tuition. College tuition makes student loans become more of an option than scholarships and grants. As a student who has student loans and a scholarship, I feel that I am very qualified to present this argument. 

 "Student Loan Debt" by Barry Malone, introduces the idea of politics to student loan debt. Malone uses negative connotation to claim how student loans have taken over our society.   He goes on to states facts about student debt in today's society. For example, he states that the "U.S. student loan debt now tops $1.2 trillion, with more than 40 million borrowers owing on federal and private student loans". The article incorporates the presidential candidates and how they plan to handle the accumulating student loan debt. The source targets college students who have already acquired student loans or those who are planning to taking out loans. The article is also informative to the future college student. The source integrates the political values to help convey the overall issue of rising student debt. Malone is a lawyer which makes it slightly more credible for him to write about the topic. He uses his educated background to incorporate his research on the presidential candidates. When reading the article, Malone does not seem to present any bias. However, because of the negative connotation regarding student debt, it can be inferred that he is against student loans. 

"Generation Debt" by Mike Konczal identifies some main reasons why our generation is being overcome by debt. Konczal expresses that the present generation is known as the debt generation because of student loans. He explains that the public funding has decreased over time which contributes to the rise of loans. Konczal writes about the issues that contribute to student debt as well as the effects after the student graduates. He explains that student debt can prolong one getting a house, car or any other necessity of life. The text uses pathos to appeal to the emotion of the audience to make them feel included in the debt generation. It serves to catch the interest of those that already have loans and students that are about to graduate. Konczal has no concrete credibility as a writer. However with him including research facts and information, it helps builds his credibility. He does write with bias as he explains the negative elements that surround student loans and debt.

Craig Smith's article, "Student Debt State Policies Leave Families with Few Good Options", claims that college funding is diminishing as an option for students. He supports this claim by blaming colleges instead of student loan agencies. Smith also supports his claim through explaining the pressure that students feel to graduate sooner so they can acquire fewer loans. The source appeals to the ethical values of the student. It seems unethical that colleges raise tuition cost if their resources are decreasing. Smith also appeals to the readers through emotion with sympathy for the struggling families and students. He writes about families of students running out of options to send their children to college with little to no loans. Much like Konczal, Smith does not have any credentials other than being a writer. He also is blatantly bias towards the students. Smith writes the article in the students' favor to show how they are the victims of the situation. However through his incorporation of valuable facts, his credibility is validated through this technique.

The cost of college has become very controversial during today's society. Some feel as though college tuition should stay the same and see no problem with the cost. Others and I share the same views of college being free for all. The three sources all support my argument that college tuition is too expensive and promote the increase of student loans. They also agree that there is nothing positive about having loans. The authors disagree in their approaches on how the issue of student debt should be handled. The sources incorporated politics when presenting information about student loans. This changed my perspective of how the debt could be handled after the next election. After reading the articles, I understood that student loans were increasing because of issues contributing to it. I may revise my research question to include more of how scholarships and student loans affect tuition. I will also look at the positives of student loans.

