Education is an important factor in the development of an individual to integrate into the different systems of a progressing world. Higher education in the 21st century is important to the success of any society, especially in modern America. It is an asset in the context of the global economy because it develops the workforce and talents that will ultimately drive social, economic, political and cultural change in a nation and the world. As important as it is, its establishment faces political, economic, cultural and social challenges. The opportunity to obtain higher education is a privilege for any individual given the national and global challenges affecting this level of education. Higher education is expensive, especially in developed countries like the United States. Higher tuition fees have prompted students wishing to continue their education to seek scholarships and loans. Grants and loans help students get to the next step, but it ties them financially to the source of the money. It would be more beneficial and more legitimate if the higher education system in the United States were affordable, but for those who can obtain it, it is a privilege. Some students finance their own higher education by working part-time or may take time away from college to work and raise enough funds for their tuition (Mullins and Martyn, p. 45). The elusive nature of this level of education makes it cease to be a right for students who seek it because it is not easily accessible to them. In the United States, there are no mandatory scholarships to help students finance their studies or for their maintenance during their stay. at school (Mullins and Martyn p 46). The scholarships are awarded on applications received from students but they accumulate...... middle of paper ......are supposed to enjoy a right freely and without limitations. Higher education is a privilege for the American student because it has limitations in the process of enjoying it, if it were a right, because not all American students can enjoy it. It is therefore a privilege for the American student to access higher education. Works Cited Bozick, Robert. “Employment Opportunities, Economic Resources, and Postsecondary Destinations of American Youth*.” Demography 46.3 (2009): 493-512. Huber, Walter, Heng Kang and John Wellendorf. “The Impact of China’s Higher Education System on Graduates’ Employment Prospects.” Journal of US-China Public Administration 8.9 (2011): 978-989. Mullins, Laurie and Roberts Martyn. “Assessment strategies: some comparisons between the UK and US higher education systems.” The International Journal of Educational Management 10.4 (2000): 44-4.