A recent report found the United States is falling behind other countries in terms of a "degree gap" because of financial and diversity shifts in America's colleges.

In other words, colleges cost too much money and now students must choose between receiving a college degree and making enough money to fiscally survive. For a country that prides itself on its wealth and education institutions -- this is a big problem.

The report, "Hitting Home: Quality, Cost and Access Challenges Confronting Higher Education Today" states that an estimated 15.6 million Americans need to obtain a bachelor's or associate's degree by 2025 to close the "gap" among the U.S. and other countries.

In a world where education is becoming more essential to finding successful employment, this statistic shows how necessary it is for legislators to help colleges cut costs and become more affordable to students.

Twenty years ago, having a bachelor's degree was a good indication of future success. Now, many jobs require Masters and even Doctoral degrees before even considering someone for the job.

What ever happened to experience mattering more than a piece of paper? Do you really need that many degrees -- or maybe even a degree at all -- to be a good employee?

Most people can't afford to spend 10 years of their lives paying for school. At Penn State, tuition is becoming less and less affordable and class size is getting bigger and bigger. Quality of education is important, especially when students are signing loans for thousands of dollars that won't be paid off for years after they graduate.

Many Penn State students are trying to juggle a full-time class load with a full-time job so they can afford to stay enrolled in school.

One of the roles of college is to prepare students for the future and train them to be successful at their future jobs. A strong and educated workforce means a successful future for America.

But when a student can't afford to attend the institutions designed to better them, how can the United States expect to grow and succeed as a nation in its future?

Education is one of the most valuable things a person can get and an educated nation is a powerful one. But no one should have to choose between affording to put food on the table and paying for next semester's tuition bill.