The right and privilege to higher education in today's society is wavering as the scales of justice. Reading Andrew Delbanco's book, “College: What It Was, Is, and Should Be,” it becomes clear that Delbanco believes that the primary role of college is to meet the needs of all students by providing opportunities to discover their individual passions and dreams while pursuing and strengthening the economic power of the nation. Additionally, Delbanco also views college as more than just a time to prepare for employment in the future, but as a means by which students and young adults can prepare for their future lives so that they are meaningful and useful. Even more important is the role the university will play in helping and guiding students to learn to accept other points of view and to understand the importance that different points of view play in a democratic society. That said, the question is not how important higher education plays in society, but rather who exactly should pay the high price of higher education. It’s a debate that rages across all classes, cultures, socioeconomic groups, and races. Regarding the cost of higher education, it is a matter of finding the appropriate monetary and economic equation to determine the percentage of personal and public responsibility. The above debate has been in question since the 1800s, when Thomas Jefferson said: "I think by far the most important bill in all our code is that for the diffusion of knowledge among the people." No other secure basis can be devised for the preservation of liberty and happiness.” These important words that drew attention to the importance of having educated citizens in order to preserve democracy are to this day, words by which the legislator...... middle of paper ... ...in the years following the Great Depression, the United States reclaimed education. However, unlike in past years, public ownership and support for higher education has declined in the face of rising inflation and changes in the national economy. According to Claiborne Pell, U.S. Senator from Rhode. Island and sponsor of the Pell Grant, which provides financial aid to American students, "the strength of the United States lies not in the gold of Fort Knox nor in the weapons of mass destruction we have, but in the sum total of the education and character of our people. These words speak to the importance of education and the need for public support to continue the American tradition that an investment in our youth is an investment in our country..