Education is an important step in life. Why is it so expensive? Average student will spend $30,000 when they graduate. College should be completely free. Tuition can put students in debt and make it difficult to pay for college.
We all know college can be expensive, but did you realize how costly it can be? Allison Hochman quotes, “Most student graduates with a huge amount debt. The average student debt in the United States is $31,172. Students who graduate with student debt will likely keep adding interest to it. Because of this, it may take them many years to pay off the debt that seems to grow every year. It also delays purchases such as a house or car. However, people could be able to save money and earn more if they graduate from college without any debt. This stimulates the economy. More consumers will spend more. Higher demand for spending means more employment opportunities. It should be easy to transition from college to independent living, but it is difficult if you have $30,000 of debt. With a mortgage, a car, and possibly children, many people don’t need to waste years of their life to save money for college. It’s a difficult task to pay for something when there isn’t enough money to support your family. How many colleges actually offer free college? It may sound terrible, but this is something that certain countries do already. The situation isn’t so bad. “Paying more taxes is not fun. This is a common argument for us all. This seems to be true in many countries that offer free college. What’s the solution? This has been done by some countries that require college graduates to serve their state for at least two consecutive years. These workers will be able to contribute to the country and pay taxes. Some can also be used to fund the next generation. Farrington states that students who do not work for the required time in the state will be responsible for paying the federal or state government back. Many people would be more happy if college were free. We could either pay the taxes or serve two years in the military. This is possible because fewer families will struggle to afford that amount of money. Also, more military personnel would benefit us. The question is how much money can be saved when you have free college tuition. Then, colleges are a big investment. What do you think the difference would be if college was free? According to U.S. Department of Education data, taxpayers would spend $79 billion annually to eliminate tuition for all four years at all public colleges or universities for all students even if there was no family income limit. The federal government spent $91 Billion in 2016 to subsidise college attendance. At most, some of that money could have been used to make public universities tuition-free in partnership between the states.” (Cottom). The government could spend more money on college than if it was paid for by taxpayers. This saves nearly $20 billion, which is quite a bit. It would be a great way to save money if college was freed and the taxes paid. These are some of the American places that have made these changes to free college. In fact, some states are making efforts to provide free college. Tennessee offers two years of free college. California is already making great strides to make its largest system of community colleges tuition-free. This has been done by fully funding the California Promise grant program. However, community college is not free for all students. Students with low income are eligible to have tuition waived at a cost of $1,500 per course. Colleges must use Promise funds for tuition costs. This means that many students have to still pay tuition. The state’s
“Tuition-free College Is Critical for Our Economy” These little steps can make college more enjoyable and provide many benefits. These small steps could help everyone in California and Tennessee. Why not make college accessible? College is important for a limited number of people, as not everyone can afford it. The same should be true for college education. As Buttigieg pointed out, not everyone can go to college. Buttigieg also points out that there is a public option. It would provide a choice: Get a job or a good education, regardless if you have the financial means.” (Covert). 41% of high school graduates actually go to college, which is lower than half the number who do. It is absurd to think that someone would want to attend four years of college if they can’t afford it. This is in addition to the fact that you’ll be in debt upon graduation. You can’t use the money you earn on college debt to buy a car, or a home if you don’t have a job. Free college would make society a better place. College tuition should be paid by students. It can put them in debt, make it difficult for graduates to get jobs, and cause stress that can result in poor test scores. College is not free. That’s just your debt. In order to get free college, one must make a payment and this money will be paid to the taxpayers. The government should not spend $91 billion, and it could be saved $20 billion by taxing everyone. This idea works so well that there are many countries with college tuition free. There are only two states that currently support free college. What good is it to give people a college education but make them struggle to pay for the rest of their lives after they graduate? College should not be a cost.
