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Thesis Statement: 

Obtaining a higher education can be expensive.  One must decide before going to a college or university if the debt is worth it or not. 

  

• Claim of Definition or Classification 

An undergraduate degree is someone that has completed a bachelor's or an associate degree.  You then have a graduate's degree once you complete a more advanced degree such as a master's or higher. 

  

• Claim of Cause and Effect 

When pursing a higher education, it can lead to student debt. 

-In Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill's viewpoint essay some key points to consider getting the best ROI on a college degree include school type, selectivity level, cost, financial aid, major, future job opportunities. 

  

• Claim of Value 

It's stated that having a college degree leads to better job opportunities and higher earnings. 

  

• Claim of Solutions or Policies 

While student loan forgiveness sounds appealing it causes more problems than it solves. 

-From Mary Clare Anselem's  "No, Your Student Loans Should Not Be Forgiven," she states that student loan forgiveness is problematic.  To pay for suggested programs would mean higher taxes for all. 

  

Questions: 

• What claim was the hardest to come up with, and/or which was the easiest? 

I thought coming up with a claim of definition or classification was the hardest when trying to argue was something is in the college field.  One the other hand the cause and effect I felt was the easiest. 




• What is the relative strengths or weaknesses of the suggested claims. the best developed or can be most effectively debated or supported Give reasons for the choice. 

•  Which claim sounds most interesting from a reader's point of view. Which argument do you care about the most? Which claim, if any, would you not be interested in? Explain why you do (or don't!) care. 

• Take on the role of a skeptic, someone who is willing to be persuaded based on the evidence but who will ask questions and cast doubt if things don't add up. Ask specific questions about one of your peer's claims that readers could be skeptical about or an "Okay, But" response to one of your peer's claims. 

• Suggest specific wording changes or additions to any of the claims or working thesis statements to clarify, focus, or strengthen them. Explain the reasons for your suggested changes.