Community College Tuition

In the article "Free College? It Doesn’t Fix Everything," Richard V. Reeves (2015) explores insists that making college tuition-free may increase college entrance rates, however, would not increase the number of graduates by significant numbers.In this article, Reeves examines the Kalamazoo Promise, which began in 2006 when anonymous donors made college free for all Highschool graduates in the Kalamazoo, Michigan school district. Since the plan's introduction, more than 35 cities have adopted a similar plan to that of Kalamazoo's. The plan's goal is to create a level playing field for low-income students to have the opportunities to compete with those of a higher income class. Reeves argues that “dramatic reductions in the cost of college

Bezerra is an undocumented immigrant and yet has no complaints about the cost of tuition. This is due to the fact that students who apply for community college receive an abundance of money from either tuitions or waivers provided by the state. However, it should also be taken account those who do not receive these waivers in which “ the rest pay, on average, a comparatively modest $1,429 per year” (Jacobs). Most people assume the worst and believe that community college is much more expensive than it actually is. This makes it seem as though the implementation of free community college will benefit people on an extremely large scale but in fact, “critics of the president’s proposal say it would mostly help families that earn too much for their children to qualify for Pells” (Jacobs). This focuses more on a specific group of individuals instead of a large scale which makes it questionable as to whether spending, according to the White House, “$60 billions over 10 years”

Free college tuition is crucial for the millions of students across the country that either cannot afford an education or are struggling with enormous debts. Statistics show that the amount of

There were people who stated their insight such as president Stanley from Westmoreland County Community College, David Patti president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Business Council and Laura Fisher, senior vice president with Allegheny Conference who agreed that if students are given the opportunity to progress in school it could mean a better economy in the future. By giving students paid tuition in community colleges it could mean they would go to a university to finish a bachelors in a major that interests them to get a better paying job then with no education at all.

He also states that, “lowering the price can nudge students to attend lower-quality institutions”, which will even more lower their odds of earning a bachelor’s degree but according to Sara Goldrick-Rab, a professor at the University of Wisconsin who advocates for two free years at community college and public universities, found through a study of low-income high school graduates that, “enrolling in community college raised their odds of earning bachelor’s degrees. Making college free will also allow students to focus more on their education instead of spending time meant for homework and studying on working which gives students even more of an advantage or opportunity to earn their

Kris, a wife and a mother, worries about the increasing cost of higher education. She and her husband have a two year old daughter whom they are determined to send to college. They want their daughter to succeed in life, but they have to weigh the complications of going to college as well. “I have always thought about college as a “catch 22”...You’re taught from a young age that in order to achieve the “American Dream” you must graduate high school and go to college,” Kris contemplates (Kris 5).Throughout Kris’s ten years of experience with college, she has seen the tuition increase to shocking heights. In fact, she claims that community colleges cost as much as state colleges did when she first started her college hunt. Back then, she

“Forty percent of college students choose community college…Whoever you are, this plan is your chance to graduate ready for the new economy, without a load of debt,” quoted President Barack Obama (Calvert). The average community college tuition is about five thousand dollars or less. Compared to an average four-year college, it can ten to twenty thousand dollars of tuition. Let’s say you decide to go to a community college after high school or whenever. You would most likely be saving a lot of money by going to a community college instead of a four-year school. Imagine how much you would save if America’s community colleges were free. Not having to pay for two years of college would save around ten thousand dollars,

“There’s something about free that’s very clear to everyone.” (Joanne Jacobs) says Halley Potter a Century Foundation fellow, and everyone can agree with this statement. In the article “As He Promotes It, Some Question Obama’s Free Community College Idea,” by Joanne Jacobs, it explain how a student from Rio Hondo College (community college near LA) are “uncertain about President Barack Obama’s free college plan,” (Jacobs, 1). Free community college is a bad idea because community college is already almost free as it is with all the grants you can receive and financial aid or even scholarships. It is also a bad idea because even though it can be a powerful impact on lower income students it won’t be as beneficial because the colleges will become overpopulated and they would have to make waiting lists for you to get in and that will waste your time and you might get behind on graduating.

In the article “The Good That Community Colleges Do, Part 1”, author Rob Jenkins discusses the benefits and values of Community College. Recent studies have shown that the value of two-year colleges were hard to predict. In fact, one report shows that the value of a two-year degree is less than that of a high school diploma, while another report shows that most students are receiving a financial return on their degree. While Rob Jenkins believes both reports have valid points and arguments, he states that “so many of the things that community colleges do for their students and communities are difficult to measure empirically” (“The Good That Community Colleges Do, Part 1”).

To Carruthers, college should be free: “the price of college is a critical piece of information for students who are unsure about going, and yet, it is a mystery until after admission and financial aid decisions are in, often late in their senior year (if they applied at all).” Many students and their families cannot simply afford college, making the idea of going unrealistic. Carruthers believes that programs like Tennessee Promise will give students who didn't have the opportunity before a chance to go to college. She states, “Tennessee Promise eliminates that uncertainty with a blunt and simple message: Free tuition for high school graduates of any income and any amplitude.” Free college programs will change the way we think about the academic system. More and more students will be allowed to continue their academic careers without having to worry about costs. On the other

When it’s time for students in deciding which college they are going to attend, they consider many factors that will go into their learning experience. They take in their housing, meal, and transportation plans, all of which excite students for their college experience. However, the major factor that is a make it or break it deal for many, is if they will be able to afford schooling at a college. Many students take year off or decide to never come back to school due to the fact that college is expensive, even community college. The lack of students from being driven to attend, affects the student population at college. However, if community college were to be free it will cause a more diverse environment for students, causing them to have a different outlook in college. A reporter for US News and World Report, Joanne Jacobs, publishes the article, “As He Promotes It, Some Question Obama’s Free Community College Idea”. Where she is able to provide evidence on encouragement of free tuition. She argues that “with a more diverse group of students, community colleges could gain political capital and the funding that goes with it.” A diverse group of students will help create a new atmosphere for students and help create the college experience they seek. More students who are driven to learn, can potentially lead to new clubs being made, events, gatherings, etc. Having free tuition at community college will not only benefit students academically, but socially as well; which is all part of the development of their character.

“The writing in this essay is my own work. If I have used outside sources, I have acknowledged them through correct documentation.”

Knowledge is the key to success, but at what cost? Although colleges have been around in North America since sixteen thirty-six, community colleges have only been around for one hundred years. Community colleges offer an associate's degree that can be completed in two years and can be transferred to a four-year college, where they can complete their bachelor’s degree. Community colleges are generally cheaper and smaller than four-year colleges, but still cost a sizeable amount averaging three thousand five hundred dollars a year (College Board). Although the cost of community colleges is expensive from a front view, a free two-year college would create substantially amount of more problems than it would solve.

Tuition-free college provides everyone an equal opportunity to gain higher education that they desire. Using statistics in College Costs: FAQs from the College Board - a popular organization that connects students to college success and opportunity, the average cost of tuition of the public two-year college (in-district students) is about $3440; the one of the public four-year college is about $9410; and the one of the public four-year college (out-of-state students) is about $32410. That huge amount of tuition aren’t affordable for everyone, especially for high-school graduates. Moreover, community colleges in the U.S. serve not only high-school graduates, but also immigrants, veterans, oversea students, and people studying to meet new jobs’ requirements. They usually can’t pay for full tuitions themselves without using student loans and debts. According to the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the report Student Loan Servicing shows that total student debt has gone up to $1.2 trillion. The heavy debt could bring the whole economy down in a

College has become a norm in today’s society so much so, that the average costs of higher education are not really discussed. A public two-year in-district college was $3,520 for a full-time undergraduate student in 2016-2017 (Baum 68). Baum also declares that a public four-year in-state undergraduate tuition was $9,650; a public four-year out-of-state college cost $24,930; a private nonprofit four-year college costs $33,480; and a for-profit college cost $16,000 for that same school year. (68). Across the nation, figures will vary because of the obvious geographical region differences, but also because of price discrimination. Price discrimination allows institutions to discount their prices for a lot of students (Baum 79). Institutions do this based on individual student circumstances, and it segments the market. Institutions