Should College Tuition Be Free? America? Essay

As it is, there is about $1 trillion in college debt in America. A Philadelphia Enquirer article warns that, “The average debt owed per person is $25,000 -- the highest level of student debt in the nation's history,” and that the number is increased by tens of thousands of dollars for those who go on to get higher degrees. $25,000 is a lot but the reality is that a lot of people have even more than that. For example, what if someone goes to an expensive private college and their tuition is anywhere between 30 and 70 thousand per year. In total they could be paying between 120 and 240 thousand dollars per year. The majority of the country is most likely unable to easily pay for that and could end up with extensive amounts of debt just because they went to the college that they wanted to. Student’s education shouldn’t be compromised just because the school they want to go to has a high tuition. Alarmingly, “Study after study has shown the number one barrier to attending college is the published rate of tuition.”(Lowe) The amount of student debt as a result of a school’s high tuition should decide where people should go to school. If tuition is decreased then simultaneously, student debt would be as well.

One often overlooked point about “free” college tuition is that it is not ever free. The money does not just appear out of nowhere. What people normally mean by the statement of “free” college, it means free college for students. If the students are not paying than who would have to pay? The only other option would be the federal government. Right now, Americans owe more than $875 billion dollars in student loans. If the cost of tuition continues to grow at the rate it is, that number is only going to grow. If the federal government were to pay this, it would only further the country in debt.

College tuition is very expensive and many people are unable to attend due to the overall cost of tuition, books, room and board. The high price of a college education is unfair to the bright students who have limited resources. These students are at a disadvantage because of lack of funds. The United States should find a way to provide free tuition to all students who want an education.

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.

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.

Kelsey Griffith, a soon to be Ohio Northern University graduate will also begin paying off her $120,000 student debt while working her two restaurant jobs and moving in with her parents. That doesn’t very pleasant now, does it? There are more than $1 trillion in student loans outstanding in this country, and an increasing number of borrowers are struggling to pay them off. There is a current balance of $902 billion of nationwide federal student loans. Furthermore, an additional balance of $140 billion in private student loans, none of this drowning in debt chaos would be happening if college was simply free to everyone just like dozens of other countries such as Germany, Brazil, Finland, Austria, Norway etc. Making the universities of the United states tuition free would actually be way less costly however none of this is mentioned. College debt is clearly a huge problem and there are a few things that can be done to help.

Tuition costs in the United States have increased significantly causing many families to opt out from attending prestigious four-year universities. According to Flynn, “Today’s college graduate leaves campus with around $35,000 in student loan debt, and when you include interest payments, they’ll end up paying $42,385 over the life of the loan” (Flynn). In an effort to reduce the debts among individuals, students should consider attending a Community College as their educational experience prior to enrolling at a four-year university or as their career pathway.

Have you ever think about how many people our in college debt after finishing college? Many people do not think it’s worth spending the time and money just to get a degree. That is why a lot of people go into the workforce after high school. People in the society do not realize how the world is in so much debt from just teens going to college to get a degree. Some teen believe if you go to college you will have a better job, however college get’s you into a lot of debt. That why today’s society should have some college free for teens going to college. In the United States today people believe that teens in college, should get free tuition it will increase college rates, decrease college debt and help the society.

Alan Greenblatt also examines the effects providing students with two free years of community college tuition. While Cubberley believes that students need to be provided two years of free tuition, Greenblatt believes students are still advancing in life just fine, even with their debt. “graduates with high levels of debt are still reaching their major life milestones, although students who dropped out without completing degrees are struggling” (Greenblatt). Community colleges are a wonderful resource for many students. They provide them with the ability to explore their dreams, have less worry about their finances, and are a stepping stone into better opportunities. While two free years of community college may sound like a wonderful investment,

In order to have a decent job it is believed that one must attend college and submerge with a degree. It is exactly why most people in the states pursue higher education, a key component to possess financial security. The task at hand has become a challenging achievement, now more than ever, as a result of skyrocketing tuition cost. It causes students to take out massive loans which, at times, cannot be returned and therefore creating billions in debt for the United States. The idea that student loans are putting this country in massive debt motivates our government to consider granting free tuition for public college. Therefore, leading to this discussion on why the federal government should allow free college tuition and the effects and consequences of doing so.

Have you ever wondered how much some of our nation’s top college presidents earn as compensations? If not, then the CNN documentary Ivory Tower is a good starting point. The continual increase of college tuition and student loans has made headlines in the news recently, mostly because of the alarming amount of student debt in the United States. According to the College Board, in 2010, students graduated from college owing an average of $25,250 in student loans; the highest amount ever. Needless to say that we are way pass this amount as of January 2016. As it stands, student debt is more than $1.2 Trillion dollars, higher than both credit card debt and auto loans. It is, thus, not surprising that the issue of the cost of a college education is at the forefront in this year’s presidential primaries. Democrat frontrunner Hillary Clinton is proposing a “debt-free tuition” and her opponent, Bernie Sanders, is offering “free tuition” for college students. If they are not being just being “politicians” and remain true to their words, then like Europe, college education in the United States will be, for the most part free. However, if they fail to fulfill their promises, then God help America. In light of this, if the current trends in the unemployment rates among recent college graduates and the ever-increasing student loan debts are anything to go by, then a college education is not worth the cost.

One reason why college tuition should not be free, is that students need to learn responsibility on how to pay bills and deal with money. Students will find out that everything isn't free, and being in college will promote students to take responsibility in their education. (https://www.collegeraptor.com) In a New

A hot topic right now in the U.S. is whether or not college should be free. College being free means that everyone would graduate debt free and they would start helping the economy as soon as they graduate. College is expensive and with 2 siblings who have experienced it, it can be stressful at times. There are many people who just can’t afford to go to school right now. Scholarships do help a lot, but most of them just aren’t enough, and if college was free, that would mean students would not have to worry about having to pay back all of the student loans and debt.

In the year of 2016, the average tuition, room, and board prices for a student enrolled full time at a public four year college and universities in the state they live in is $17,123. For many decades parents have often paid an excessive amount needed for their their child’s college tuition and other necessities. Although attending a college a university may seem the best option, community college has a number of advantages that include the educational and financial opportunities.

In the United States of America, college education should be universal and free for all students. According to the department of education, the statics show that at least 60,000 graduate college students will be in debt after coming out of college, and if these college graduates attended an Ivy League their debt will increase even more up to an upward of $100,000 in more debt even before these students get their first job.