The Growing College Dropout Rate Fewer than two-thirds of those who start college in America finish it. Nearly fifty percent of those who don't finish college drop out for various reasons, including financial problems, family problems, maturity, lack of motivation and distractions. Some even think that college is a scam, forcing us to accumulate debt to try to get a high-paying job just to pay off the accumulated debt. The main reason that leads to most dropouts is financial issues. Most people in America cannot afford to pay for college on their own and need help from grants or aid. The government makes it very difficult to obtain financial aid with such strict criteria that must be met in order to sufficiently pay for the student's entire schooling. Applying for these aids and grants can be time-consuming and can cause you to miss deadlines and not receive the money you need to pay for school. Sometimes people estimate receiving more money for school and then receiving less than they need. I myself, entering college, had trouble getting all the money I needed to pay for my tuition. I still had debt from the school and had to get several documents and my parents' information and continue to have my scholarship processed to get enough money needed to pay for tuition. The constant rework caused me to receive my Pell grant very late and I had to end up paying for books out of pocket and waiting to be reimbursed. Some students try to get extra money to pay for tuition by trying to find a job. Finding a job is also a problem, as the already lack of jobs filled by people who sometimes also have a degree leaves struggling university students penniless. Then… halfway through the test… I was so overwhelmed, I thought I could try to improve my grades, but it was too late for me. I was failing all my classes then. My mother called me and checked on me, of course I lied and told her I was fine while everything came crashing down on me. I lost all hope, I completely stopped caring. I didn't even go to final exams; I knew there was no hope for me. I dropped out. I messed up my GPA terribly. I took a year off and gave myself some time to mature, then reapplied to school in Chattahoochee. College takes a toll on people, some are able to struggle and come out on top and others suffer from external family issues, can't financially keep up with school, or simply don't have the skills needed for higher education. College is sometimes not for everyone; and students can't handle everything like I couldn't.