Student debt in the US reached over $1 trillion in 2012, exceeding credit card debt. While some argue that a bachelor's degree is essential for career success, others claim that real-world skills are more valuable in a changing job market that values critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration. The document asks the reader to evaluate if higher education is worth the cost using sources from Chapter 14 of They Say / I Say and personal experiences to write a 5-7 page essay in MLA format.