“We have not developed and strengthened institutions to serve young adults” Mr. Frustenberg said, “because we’re still living with the archaic idea that people enter adulthood in their late teens or early 20s”

(Cohen, 2010)

This quote resonated with me because it’s the reality. While schooling has increased after high school, the cost of college education has also increased and placed a heavier burden to parents in the middle or low socioeconomic backgrounds. Students in their late teens and early twenties have to pay higher tuitions, look for scholarships, increase their work experience through internships (mostly unpaid) to prepare them for the “real world”. There is a great imbalance on the cost of living for these young adults to become more productive and fetch on their own. There isn’t a balance between having a college education and being eligible in the job market anymore. I think young adults are taking longer to finish their education and become independent from their parents because there aren’t enough social, economic and education programs previous to entering to college or during college to budget for a living lifestyle that welcomes equal opportunities. Despite there being unequal access to education between young men and women prior to the 70s, the cost of living and the payment for a college education was less expensive and more accessible. Currently, there are plenty of opportunities for college degrees and low-paying jobs for young adults, but not equal access to economic resources to attain them and succeed after college.