College Essay : Should College Be Free?

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.

If college was free students would have to want to continue their education and get a degree. While free would make college affordable, those receiving the benefit would need to have stipulations for the free classes they are attending. Michael J. Petrilli is the president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and research fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. Petrilli states, “… just 40 percent of 12th graders are college-ready, even though nearly 70 percent already head straight into college.” He is correct that many high school graduates are not prepared to transition to college. Many don’t have the attention span to sit in longer classes. Students are used not study over a time period, but rather cram the night before the due assignment. Some stipulations would be; you have to finish and get a degree, you have to keep your GPA up, and if you drop out without a good reason you have to pay back the money you used.

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.

In today’s work place having a degree is an expectation set by most professional jobs, there seems to be a negative stigma towards those workers without a degree. Nowadays students feel like they are being forced to go to college if they ever plan on having a “real job”, and colleges capitalize on it with unreasonably high tuition rates, overpriced living expenses, and trying to provide a “College experience” rather than a college education. I strongly feel that if college should be free of charge because universities would be more selective about the education standards required to enter their school. In turn this would produce a more prestigious college degree and keep the young adults of America debt free when entering the work field with

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.

The debate of whether community college should be free or not has been going on for many years. For the most part, many students have been able to have free education even if the are low income or high income. Most students are able to have equal educational opportunity to be able to learn for around 12 years. If it has been going on for 12 years, then why not make higher education free as well. In the article written by Joanne Jacobs titled, “As He Promotes It, Some Question Obama’s Free Community College Idea” discusses the main arguments on whether Obama’s plan of making community college free plan can be a benefit or a waste of money. Community college offers the ability to be able to finish one’s first 2 years of their general general education plan at a free or reduced price compared to completing general ed a a 4 year institution. Community college should be free because it allows lower income students the ability to have their tuition paid as well as their books and it allows students to be able to earn their bachelor's at a better rate.

With tuition being free they can focus on what they have always wanted to achieve and be in their lives without the worry of having to pay thousands of dollars and working many long hard hours at a job. Having free college tuition will allow students to make real life choices earlier out in the world. Some students would have the funds to begin their life decisions earlier, although some cannot make those choices till later in life, but by having free college could those choices could become possible sooner. Not all students have life decisions they chose or opted into so having something like looking forward to free tuition could boost their confidence in life and get on the right track to become something or someone they have longed to become. Plus, the impact on their lives could be changed into a better way of living and possibly for their family. Administering free college to everyone could open the possibility to more students, more professors and employees. Although, placing burdens on someone before they ever get a chance to experience life, could discourage someone from fulfilling their

We are all college students and you would think that we would want free college more than anyone. However, I have done research from credible sources that shows me free college is not as great as it may sound on paper.

In the fall of 2017 about 3.6 million students were expected to graduate from high school in the United States. In the same year, 20.4 million adults in the United States were expected to attend an american college or university (NCES fast facts tool). Almost five times the amount of students expected to graduate high school were attending a source of higher education. From these statistics I came to the understanding that there are many people who don’t go to college right after high school or who are going back to college after a break. A big reason behind taking some time between highschool to college or not going at all can be due to the high price for higher education, “For the 2015–16 academic year, the average annual price for undergraduate tuition, fees, room, and board was $16,757 at public institutions, $43,065 at private nonprofit institutions” (NCES fast facts tool). For some this may not be difficult to afford, however the national average income for Americans was $43,642.15 in that same year (2016)(Sue Kunkel). Consider a family of five who makes the national average of $48,640, trying to put three kids through college at the same time. It would be difficult to successfully put all three kids through unless they were given scholarships or financial aid. I think that it is misguiding to reward only successful high schoolers with higher education opportunities because then we aren’t making education a priority

The cost of attending a four year college has increased by 1,122 percent since 1978. Many people cannot afford to pay large amounts of money for college, whether be for themselves or for their children. Some families cannot pay for their children to attend college although they may be able to succeed in their classes. Making college free and available to everyone would give more opportunities for people to

If college were to be made free more students all around the nation would try to get better grades so that they can get accepted into college and work on their dreams.Furthermore the government won't be wasting any money but it would be a lot more like an investment because those students who graduate from college, will eventually get jobs and start paying

As writer Publius Syrus once said “a small debt produces a debtor; a large one, an enemy.” Students around our country are graduating with ridiculous amounts of debt and student loans, but contrary to several political agendas creating a system where tuition to public college is free is not the solution to this problem. Living expenses, books, and buying food leave students in mounds of debt, even in situations where tuition does not cost anything. Creating free institutions creates more problems than it solves, and hurts more than it would help. Although many college students graduate with large amounts of debt, making college free is not the solution.

Imagine having to pay $25,620 just for a college education, research has shown the average bachelor's degree holder takes 21 years to pay off his or her loans. This leads to the question if college tuition should be free or not. While some may believe it ought to be others disagree. People like Arne Duncan believe college tuition should be free. “The cost of college should never discourage anyone from going after a valuable degree.”

What would happen if everyone was equal in the work place? What if surgeons made just as much as cashiers at McDonalds? I am all for equality when it comes to gender issues and equal pay for women, but I am also a supporter of hard workers getting what they deserve. This is the reason why most people today aspire to have a college education, because attending college provides you with the skills and knowledge to be successful in the real world. If everyone had easy access to receiving a college education, the entire working field would be turned upside down. My audience for this essay is the voters that will be voting in this coming election. In addition, it will appeal to adults with younger children preparing for them to go off to college and trying to figure out how they will pay for the constantly rising college expense. I am advocating that college should not be free and open for anyone to attend. I believe that it would cause more problems then it would solve and would be unfair for the people that have worked hard their entire lives in order to attend a prestigious university.

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,