Community College Revamp Nearly nine million students enroll in community college annually. Unfortunately, only about 6.3 million of these students make it to their second year of school, and even less stay in school until their graduation (“College Dropout Rates,” 2017). The New York Times article, “Revamping Community Colleges to Improve Graduation Rates,” shows that, because so few freshmen make it through community college, certain measures should be put into action to increase the number of graduates and degrees (Tugend, 2016). Community colleges should be revamped to decrease college dropouts by distributing free tuition, making remedial classes optional, and offering more guidance to incoming freshmen.
Although some people believe that the cost of tuition is low for community college, one of the main reasons community college students drop out is because of their poor financial situations. Despite that a community college’s tuition is only about a third of the cost of a university’s tuition, community colleges still have an average annual tuition of 3,430 dollars (Tugend, 2016). For many students, this bill is simply too large, and it causes college students to drop out of school. To solve this problem, former president Barack Obama proposed a plan called America’s College Promise, making community colleges tuition-free for responsible high school seniors (Tugend, 2016). Unfortunately, America’s College Promise was not enacted, but the proposal did inspire several states to enforce similar bills. If every state passed a bill similar to Obama’s, the citizens of the United States would be more educated. With a more educated people, it is likely that the population as a whole would make smarter decisions, and they would be able to solve some of the nation’s most difficult problems more quickly and efficiently. In addition to wiser citizens, people would be happier because everyone would have the freedom to pursue an education without having to worry about the cost (Redd, 2017). Making community college tuition free would make the nation more successful and prosperous. Unfortunately, lack of financial aid is not the only reason that students continuously drop out of college; another reason
Perhaps one of the greatest concerns that torments America’s new generation is pursuing higher education in order to make more money and while avoiding being in debt, decades after graduation. This topic has become even more as tuition continues to rise and politicians are left to ponder the best course of action to insure that the next generation of Americans is more educated than the last. One particular solution was posed by former president, Barack Obama, who promoted the idea of free community college. Although, it may not be the most direct or most elegant solution, it would certainly be a push in the right direction. By making community college tuition free nationwide, states would become more invested in accommodating the influx of students, lead different school systems to compete by lowering tuition prices, and finally address America’s shortcoming in adults who possess more than just high school diploma.
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.
Education these days is vital for many job titles. It can become difficult for many people to receive a job without a high school and especially a college education. Most jobs in America, from sales manager to registered nurse and even a construction worker in some cases, require an education past high school. With the cost of college, at average ten thousand dollars at state schools, not accounting for living quarters or even meals, it is leaving many students in large overbearing debt. Many have looked for the solution of this strenuous debt and one of their solution is to make the first two years debt free. By making the first two years of college debt free, it would encourage more people to attend college, expand the educational horizons of our nation, increase employment rates of America, and it could be done without causing a larger debt on America.
It becomes a major controversy when the idea of something being “free” is brought up in this economy. Money is what operates the economical system and it’s the factor that leads colleges in providing resources for their students. President Obama’s idea of having community college be free leaves many skeptical on whether it can be beneficial, or in some ways hurtful. However, there are upsides to allowing community college to be free. Community College should be free because it will cause a diversity of students to attend, allow students to save money, and offer an opportunity for those who aspire to continue their education.
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
Since Obama’s announcement of his idea to provide free community college an uproar of an argument has arose with two distinct sides: community college should be free and community college should not be free. The idea behind free community college is to help individuals reach towards a college degree just as people are easily set forth to reach for a high school degree. The hope is that by deleting the financial barrier that comes with community college more people are willing to aim for an associates degree and possibly higher. There are states that have decided to take the matter into their own hands and are planning to implement this idea. However, the idea of having free community college implemented throughout all states is still questionable
Tuition cost plays a vital role in deciding whether to attend a community college or a four year institution. According to Susan Stafford, “Tuition for community colleges is affordable while tuition costs at public institutions are usually at least twice that of a community college” (1). The tuition cost in universities can be overwhelming and highly unaffordable, This have caused many students to graduate with s heavy loads of debt but by attending a community college, an individual can
In the article titled “Should Community College be Free?” written by Joanne Jacobs, the author talks up the argument about whether Community College should be free and presents both sides being that Community College should in fact be free for the many students who cannot afford it which will increase, “the number of people with degrees”, according to past President Barack Obama. The other side argues that making Community College free will only help those whose parents make too much to afford Grants stating that those who can afford it will be taking advantage of the free cost and making the schools overcrowded.
It is difficult to comprehend how third world countries have tuition-free colleges and America does not. How can economically underdeveloped countries offer free colleges with little problem, but America struggles? While politicians such as Bernie Sanders, President Obama, and Kate Brown talk about making colleges and community colleges tuition-free and eventually free altogether, they fail to see the bigger problem of economic disparity. Implementing a tuition-free program where everyone is eligible is not sustainable nor fair. If a student comes from a household that makes less than the average annual salary of $56,516, tuition should be completely free. College must be tuition-free because most first world countries already have free college, it is an investment that will benefit current and future generations, and people’s inability to repay back their student loans is negatively affecting the United State’s economy.
College in general has been questionable for quite some time about whether it should be free or at least lowered in the tuition prices. In this discussion, only community college is in question on whether or not it should be free. Most states are even offering a program that allows high school students to earn college credits before ever even graduating. This is one of a few ways that they are trying to provide “low-cost or no-cost tuition for community colleges” (“Free Community College”). Throughout the “At Issue: Should community college tuition be free?” published in CQ Researcher, Walter G. Bumphus and Richard Vedder display their unique approaches on the issue of community college tuition. Bumphus argues that community college should
Many people believe that making community college free is a step to bettering the country. The article “As He Promotes It, Some Question Obama’s Free Community College Idea” by Joanne Jacobs, gives us insight on both sides of the argument and allows us to form an opinion based on what we read. After reading this article, I had to agree with not making community college free. Although it sounds nice, and other world countries have free college at the price of higher taxes, I feel it best to keep it at a tuition basis. Instead, I believe that we should work towards lowering the costs of private or public four years for those low income students, and also think about how making community college free could impact the enrollment at these campuses,
Dreams are not cheap. I have dreamed of having a college degree for twenty years, one of the hurdles that I struggled with overcoming was the shear rising cost of higher education. In the articles, The Problem with Obama’s “Free Community College” Proposal and Obama’s Dream of Free Community College is Headed to Congress, high dropout rates and low percentages of students earning a bachelor’s degree are touched upon. While reducing the cost of college or providing free community college may not be enough to raise the dropout rate, we need to look at the other non-quantifiable costs of getting an education. If we want to enable American’s to earn that dream, we need to address the whole needs of the student and not just throw money at them.
America’s community colleges are highly valuable for many reasons. They enrich the lives of students by raising their lifetime incomes and helping them achieve their individual potential. They benefit American businesses by increasing consumer spending and supplying a steady flow of qualified, trained workers into the workforce. They benefit society as a whole by improving the economy and providing a variety of savings through the improved lifestyles of students. They benefit federal, state, and local governments through increased tax revenues across the U.S. and a reduced demand for government-supported services. Obama’s plan to make community college more accessible is a great investment in America’s future.
Many high school students succeed with a little leniency through their four years. The transfer from high school to college becomes overwhelming and a struggle for some. For students do not comprehend the importance of changing more than their location during the transition. A student must be psychologically, physically, and emotionally mature to pursue college and not venture into a point of no return. Dropping out of college makes the outlook of the conversion difficult to acquire. Individuals should take their time on deciding which college and/or university is the best match for them. There are various reasons that cause persons not to prosper. Issues that individuals may come upon might leave a lifelong scar. Matters such as these
Life is believed to be easier for people with higher degrees than for those without higher degrees. Hence, it is the joy of parents to see their children admitted into a higher institution. With the high cost attached to attending a four year university, most students prefer to attend community colleges. Community colleges provide the same quality of education offered by universities for the first two years at a lower cost which help students reduce debts toward getting their higher degree. However, compared to the number of students who started their first year in community colleges, a large percentage dropped out. This is common to both freshly graduated high school students and adults who came back to college to obtain a degree. Students drop out of colleges because of financial issues and the need to take remedial courses. As a result, they have self esteem issues and may remain poor.