Point\Counterpoint: Should College Tuition Be Free?
posted by Emily Newton, Misha Thomas | December 2, 2015 | In News, OpinionFree College Would Provide Opportunities to Those That Need It
Mischa Thomas
Nearly every country in the developed world, and more in the developing world, provide free primary and secondary education. Such education is generally uncontroversial and accepted as necessary. In the case of university education, however, there is a great deal of disparity between countries’ education policies. In many states, students must pay fees to attend a university, for which they seek student loans or grants. States often offer financial assistance to individuals who cannot afford to pay fees and lack other methods of payment. In other states, university education is completely free and considered a citizen’s right to attend.
Earlier last week over 120 colleges campus student participated in the nationwide “Million Student March.” These students came together in solidarity around three demands: first, a minimum wage of $15 an hour for all campus workers; second, the cancellation of the $1.3 trillion in student debt; and, last, allow tuition-free education for public colleges and universities.
Now critics of this march claim that free college is unaffordable, but marchers disagree. They say the money can be easily obtained through a number of measures.
As a college student, I agree these measures can and should be taken. U.S. Senator and current Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders proposes the College for All Act. The act would eliminate the $70 billion dollar tuition costs at all 4-year public colleges and universities. For many Americans, the cost of four years of college is prohibitive. A 2013 Huffington Post survey found that 63 percent of Americans thought a majority of people cannot afford college. And the number one reason students elect not to attend their first-choice school was because they could not afford it, according to a 2013 study of freshman by the Cooperative Institute Research Program.
The high cost of education excludes capable students who simply can’t afford tuition. It forces students to carry suffocating debt that can plague our lives and limit our spending.
In order to guarantee equality of opportunity for all citizens, the U.S. must acknowledge the right to university education and to the opportunities education provides. This education gives individuals many opportunities that will serve them enormously later in life. It does so by providing opportunities to people while they are gaining their education and opens doors for them once they leave. The people an individual meets while in attending college can be very beneficial later in life; as a networking opportunity, university has no equal.
In the United States obtaining loans to attend university is the norm. These loans can weigh heavily on the minds of college students, and put inordinate amounts of pressure on them to perform well. Furthermore the pressure does not end when an individual graduates because they must then begin to pay off the debts accumulated while in college. This can lead to individuals taking jobs to which they are not necessarily best suited in order to get started on debt repayment immediately. Even still, repayment of loans can take many years, even decades, leaving individuals under the thumb of creditors for much of their working lives. With free university education, everyone can go to college without crushing debt burden. They can study what they wish, and can leave with a qualification and no arduous debt obligations.
Cost Isn’t the Problem
Emily Newton
The Million Student March held on November 12, 2015 aimed to demand three things: tuition-free public college, cancellation of all student debt, and a $15 minimum wage for all campus workers. Education, the march claimed, should be a right. Per the march’s website, too many people graduate with debt (the average college graduate in 2015 has over $35,000) and it is unfair that “while top administrators take home six and seven figure salaries, many campus workers are paid poverty wages…” The leader of the movement was Keely Mullen who claimed in an interview with Fox Business News that in order to pay for the demands of the march, the “one percent of people in society that are hoarding the wealth” should pay.
Now, let’s be honest…Yes, it’s unfortunate that there are so many people with debt. But, at some point, we need to look past the (tragically) unfortunate debt students have accumulated and ask bigger questions: Did you go to school with a decisive career plan? Did you intern? Did you participate and take an active role in campus clubs and events? Was your GPA competitive? Additionally, did you look for colleges in your own state?
Did you consider cheaper school that offer the same degree?
More and more people are enrolling and graduating from college, which means there’s more competition. A college degree isn’t enough anymore. You have to be top notch to be competitive when applying for higher education programs or for jobs. And, when people aren’t top notch (mostly due to their mediocre or subpar performance as a student), of course, they’re going to be left with debt.
According to College Data, the average cost per year of college level education in the U.S. is $9,410 for state residents at public colleges, $23,893 for out-of-state residents attending public universities, and $32,405 at private colleges. Some people are opting to attend schools that are 3-4 times the cost of a public in-state institution!
It’s not fair to have tens of thousands of debt after graduation, but perhaps there are alternatives to decreasing the debt problem. For one, enter college when you’re ready and when you know what you want to do. Motivation is a byproduct of passion and without passion or purpose, there can be no hope for academic success. Do not enter school just because it’s what everyone else is doing or because it’s what your family wants. Do it for you, when you’re ready and actually motivated to succeed! Additionally, expensive college isn’t the only path to take after high school. There are cheaper four-year institutions and plenty of community colleges that are cheaper and can lead to good jobs. There are other cheaper options!
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