College is a place where most go to further their education. A high school diploma will not get students by in life anymore. While college is said to be considered the “best time of your life”, it has many downfalls, the price. This leads to a high number of student debt and student loans. It is estimated that the average outstanding student loan balance per debtor is $30,000. A college education was not always this expensive however. Loans were originally only offered to Harvard alumni in the 1840’s. It was not until the twentieth century that the problems of student loans arose. In 1944 the GI Bill was introduced which fulfilled the need for more affordable education. It subsidized or completely covered the cost of college education for nearly half of WW2 veterans. By the 1990’s student loan debt began to change, and not for the better. In 1993, the average debt of a bachelor’s degree was approximately $9,000. So, when the question of a free college education is proposed many jump and say yes but looking at it through a rational lens, it would not be the best decision.
When applying to colleges, the first thing that should be considered is the price. Location and other details should be important too but the main questions that every student should ask them self is “Can I afford this?” or “How will I pay it off?” When students choose a college, we are fully aware of the cost. It is not as if we choose a college we are in love with, get accepted and then later be shocked
To let in some light about the topic; Average debt in the US is at very high rates. “Studies show that there is no better short-term or long-term investment for the rest of society than higher education” (Page). College is expensive, let's make it more affordable. “This topic Deserves an open mind and a balanced exploration of the potential benefits, drawbacks, and alternatives” (“Should”). No matter the topic there is drawbacks. With free tuition there are not many to talk about. “As of the 2013-2014 school year, the countries with tuition-free public higher education included: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway, The Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Turkey and Germany. Free college, in Europe especially has proven to be a popular idea” (“Should”). Other major countries are successfully improving with free college tuition. US students want to add America to that list.
Should college be free? A current universal problem poses this question. In today’s world, full of public education standards that hold students maybe too high and in a generation bogged down by student debt, this issue qualifies as a problem more than many are maybe even willing to admit. While the prospect of free college proposes excellent ideals such as a stronger and smarter generation, no student loan problems, and a higher educated society, the truth may actually lie in the reality that making college free would do more hindrance than good and is not the answer to these problems. Free college would increase economic problems, according to Andrew P. Kelly, who says it would only shifts the cost to someone else. As well, it would also hinder our education system. Michael J. Petrilli writes that making college free would “probably shift billions of dollars a year from programs that help talented poor kids access higher education and improve our schools”. Although the concept of free higher education is becoming appealing to the general population, it ultimately would create more problems than it solved and do virtually nothing of huge significance to increase the level of intelligence in modern society.
Just about everyone agrees that college should be more affordable. A century ago high school was becoming a necessity, not a luxury; today the same is happening to college. If college is essential for building a career and being a full participant in our democracy as high school once was, shouldn 't it be free, paid for by public dollars, and treated as a right of all members of our country? The average college graduate comes out of college with at least $60,000 in debt and if they went to an Ivy League should that shots up to upward of $100,000 all this debt before they even get their first real job (“Fast Facts”). This is the burden that students have to worry about and then they only have six months to find a job that can cover they loan payments, which can be as much as a couple thousand dollars a month and most working people can’t afford that. These days it is highly emphasized that the responsibility to educate the poor lies on the shoulders of the government. It should be, considering the significant hike in the tuition fees worldwide. In such circumstances, many intelligent and hardworking students miss out on studying in a university due to lack of funds. This not only demoralizes the student, but also has a negative impact on the society as it loses out on its future professionals.
He makes a strong effort, aimed at creating a sentiment towards government, colleges, and student loans that will solicit change to the system in use today. Whether or not his endeavor worked is still yet to be seen 4 years later, as students today still struggle with the same problem featured in the article: vast amounts of student loan debt. Proposals of “free community college” by former President Obama, and “debt free public college” by Secretary Clinton, but America voted against such ideas. The question lingers whether or not the current administration will take
When discussing further education for a high school graduate, attending a university is very costly. The use of federal loans became dependent on most American families that try to provide such an education to their child. Before World War II, academically advanced students from families that were unable to finance college could apply for competitive scholarships; Scholarships mutated into “financial aid” when the GI Bill of Rights financed college for the discharged veterans (Toby, 2010). Since then, student loan debt has surpassed $1 trillion, which is larger than debt accumulated from both credit cards and auto purchases (Student Loan Debt No Longer Just Problem for Borrowers, 2012). With the increasing amount of loans and the uprising cost of college, students fall farther into student debt every year. Whether it is at fault of the university, the poor economy, or the aid programs in general, students should not be required to pay back their federal student loans before finding a steady job in their field of study.
Universities used to be a privilege for most academic students to attend and it was very affordable, but currently the price per year to attend college has drastically increased. For instance, in the “1970’s the average cost was 10,000 dollars a year and today the average cost is 30,000 dollars a year” (CQ Researcher). This is a triple increase in the price per year to attend college. Allowing this increase on college tuition has impacted the student’s attendance rate. This is a significant financial burden for college students and their family. Some believe that college shouldn’t be free because we are risking the value of college education, while others think it should be free because we are trying to avoid having our upcoming generation
“Even if it would help to get rid of the shackles of student debt, having free tuition colleges would deprive the students of things like learning how to balance their finances, which can lead to big problems in the future” (Suvannasankha). Having free tuition colleges could affect America in many ways, some good and some bad. One good thing that free college tuition would do for America is that it would bring a new skillful and better-educated workforce (Should College Be Free? Pros, Cons, and Alternatives). Even though having free college tuition would help America would having free college tuition be the best idea depending on the fact that nothing is really free, everything comes at a
Should colleges be free in America? It is a question that is more relevant today than ever before. As education is one key factor that determines the nation’s fate going forward, this question is worth debating. Making free college education may sound good theoretically but requires herculean efforts to make it practically possible. The main question is whether such program be effective in the long run or not? If, yes how long will the government able to support these costs and from where? Are tuition costs only the concern that discourages students from attending colleges? There may arise several skepticisms that can withhold the idea of free colleges. As both colleges and students won’t be benefitted by such plans the college education should not be free.
With the shockingly high number of student debt in America, it is no wonder why people constantly look for alternatives to make education cheaper.Certainly, higher education is in need of reformation. However, it should not come at the expense of dollars from people who pay taxes. In theory, free college sounds fantastic, but it must be understood that this luxury is not free. The money would come from people who pay taxes, which is evidently twisted as a majority of people do not value higher education. They should not be forced to pay for something that is optional in one’s life. People will be paying for free college for the rest of their lives in taxes. Moreover, free college removes the incentive of valuing education in high school. There
For many in the middle class student debt has a strong and relentless grasp on their economic future. In their article "Why Free Higher Ed Can't Wait" Jeje Biola and Belinda Rodriguez state that, "Student debt has reached a record total of over $1.3 trillion" (6). This has left many people wondering where this is coming from and wanting change. This number is just too high in the minds of the average American. In the last few years free college tuition has been a hot topic in American politics, as recently as the 2016 presidential race. Candidates such as Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton proved to be a huge push for free tuition. The raising college tuition rates effect all Americans in some form or fashion, so support is quickly rising especially
During one of his campaign programs, Presidential-candidate Bernie Sanders stood before a thousand applauding and cheering people. This man just announced, as hopeful future President of the United States, that he planned to make college free for every US citizen. Many young adults favor Bernie Sanders, and other political leaders, idea of free tuition because they believe that it will open more doors for them and allow them to not worry about the burden of student loans. However, there are many reasons that regulating free college education could hurt our society and economy that people don’t often realize. College education should not be free because it would raise taxes, it would devalue the worth of a college degree, and it would pave the way for more welfare dependency.
good career if college was free.The recent studies of tuition increases have proven that it is obvious college should be free.
Free college is a commonly accepted idea, as a crucial part of society's advancement. Education is the foundation for building a strong country, as knowledge is what allows for productivity in all areas of life. However, the cost and accessibility to standard higher education limits many people's availability to a quality schooling. Some may argue that public colleges should continue to charge tuition, as the federal government can not afford the cost nor will creating higher taxes to enable the program solve the crisis. However, ultimately, higher education should be free as it would stimulate economic growth, remove the primary deterrent for not attending college and decrease dependence on government aid.
One the biggest concerns with making college free for all students is the need to implement a student loan debt forgiveness program for those who are already in debt because of student loans. Those that believe that college education should not be free may argue that college students would not take education seriously. This creates a moral hazard for the student to decide whether it is degree hopping or whether it is going to far into debt for any single program (Lewontin, 2014). Students would have the ability to keep changing their career without worrying about their loans debt increasing or running out of financial aid. This could potentially decrease graduation rates significantly,
Over the years, college fees have gradually risen for high school graduates. It’s been said that most jobs with a college degree earn almost double of what a high school graduate would earn. Many people all over the country have been unable to go to college because of these high fees for education. Some people think that your future shouldn’t be controlled by the amount of money you pay. If these fees continue to increase, then no one will be able to attend college. Higher education for free will increase productivity within students because they can get a good job, college is now a prerequisite, and college worthy jobs have great salaries.