The Main Reasons College Should Be Free for Everyone

What would happen if college tuition disappeared and college was suddenly free? Well, everyone would get a good education of course! Did you know that according to the “Department of Education” “the cost for an education in California is estimated at more than $1 billion, with the nationwide bill estimated at $53 billion!” College should be free because everyone deserves a good education, some families can’t afford the cost, and the cost is impacting people’s lives.

To begin with, college should be free because everyone deserves an opportunity to engage in higher education to succeed in life. An example of that is if you don’t have a good education or you don’t have one at all, it will be really hard to get a job. If you don’t have a job, you can’t make money and then you won’t be able to provide for yourself or other people in your family that may depend on you. Many kids who want to go to college are unable to because their families cannot afford the cost and on their own, they would drown in loan debt. Without a college degree, many young people become trapped in low-paying jobs. The “Department of Education” said that “The average college graduate earns almost twice the pay of a high-school graduate. Most Americans regard a free high-school education as a right. But a high-school degree does not adequately prepare people for success in today’s high-tech economy.” This shows that everyone deserves an opportunity to engage in higher education.

Secondly, College should be free because some families can’t afford the cost. If an American college student is able to graduate with less than $10,000 in student loan debt, they are considered lucky. According to the most recent data from June 2020, “The Department of Education, on average student loan debt in America is $37,000”. Surprisingly, student loan debt is more money than house debt and credit card debt. Sadly, the cost of getting a higher education, such as a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree will also be really expensive and put people into debt. If you get any free financial aid it will help but won’t cover the leftover tuition you have, you will have to pay out of pocket. Most people can’t afford this out-of-pocket cost and end up getting loans that will build up interest over time. This factual evidence supports the stated claim to support the cost of education.

Thirdly, college costs are impacting people’s lives. Most students seek higher education, but in turn, drop out because they do not have the ability to pay for tuition as they engage in a four-year commitment. Supporting a free education structure without tuition costs would increase the graduation rate and remove the financial burden that impacts educational goals. Tuition isn’t the only cost that people have to think about when considering a path towards higher education. Additional costs include textbooks, parking, class lab fees, food, transportation, and at times living expenses. Did you know that 30% of students drop out of college after their first year? According to “College Raptor” “College dropouts earn 35% less per year than those who graduate. As many as 43% of all students who enroll in two-year public colleges drop out without ever getting a degree. Only 5% of students at two-year colleges end up graduating on time”. For some college dropouts, it’s not their fault that they can’t pay for college. That’s why college is impacting people’s lives.

Lastly, if America were to move to a tuition-free college policy, where would the money come from? The short and simple answer is taxes. Who gets taxed seems to vary based on who is being asked or of which political party you associate with. To increase taxes to fund education, there is a likelihood that the increase would be felt in the upper to upper-middle-class. Or maybe even, education costs could be covered by Wall Street speculation taxes. The point is, all we know is that someone in some way will have to front this bill and the likely answer is the taxpayer. The uncertainty of exactly who will carry the burden is making many Americans uncomfortable.

Something that we can do about this crisis is we can stop procrastinating and start taking action. Students can take action and peacefully protest college tuition. Legislature can look at educational tax breaks, student loan solutions, free government grants or scholarships, and above all debt to income ratios. Allowing the American people to obtain a higher education would increase job opportunities and the education level of our citizens. A free college education would benefit the entire nation in different ways, not just by removing financial barriers, but by promoting the value of education. The rising costs of higher education coupled with the stress of paying student loans are putting increasing pressure on students and soon will lead to the end.