Grade inflation, which the Penn State English department is "very concerned about," is not just something for the university to be concerned about -- it's a national issue.

Fifty years ago, it was easy to find a decent paying job with no more than a high school degree or, in some instances, even less than that.

The focus then became earning a college degree in order to find a "good" job.

Now, students must plan on earning more than their undergraduate degrees in order to compete for high-paying jobs.

The increasing requirements have been forcing students to earn higher and higher GPAs in order to get accepted into advanced programs.

However, what could have been an encouragement to students to work harder has morphed into a serious problem -- grade inflation.

The problem runs deeper than college; some elementary school teachers will inflate grades to aid students in getting into good prep and high schools, and some of the teachers in those high schools will inflate grades to get their students into premier colleges.

There is a fine line between professors helping students and professors ruining the standard of higher education, and it has been crossed.

Sure it may be great to see an 'A' at the end of the semester when you've only done minimal work, but are you really learning anything?

It's no wonder that multiple degrees are required to get a decent job when every diploma and degree has less and less actual education behind it.

Students attend Penn State, and all colleges in order to get an education, be it for a job, enlightenment or career advancement.

However, when grade inflation occurs, a student's cumulative GPA could look great on paper, but that same student will look terribly foolish when he or she can't explain to his or her employer why they don't know the basics of the trade.

The Daily Collegian reported that between 1995 and 2005, the average semester GPA college-wide rose 5 percent, to 3.07 from 2.93.

While a .14 point difference might not seem like a big jump, the fact that the average increased steadily each year shows that this is not a fluke.

It's a trend, one that is increasing the difficulty of finding employment.

It might sound crazy, but students, please insist on being given the grade you've earned -- not just the one you want.

And professors, hold your grading scale to a higher standard.

Otherwise, you lose the respect of your students, who miss out on the education you're getting paid to give to them.