PHIL 025 – #72014
17 November 2018
Education Should Not be a Debt Sentence!
Free education in America has been a process of slow and gradual change. K-12 education became a necessity, not a luxury or a privilege, and was made free because of the individual and societal benefits. Extending the same standard for college being free is long overdue. The matter of fact is, college should not be a privilege. If college plays a major role in building a career or being successful, it should be viewed and represented as an equal opportunity for everyone. Hence, a tuition-free standard of higher education would be beneficial because it allows individuals to further succeed and would ultimately have a positive domino effect on society and our evolving economy.
Many of the nation’s top-performing students come from America’s poor or are minorities. Our country preaches equality and freedom, yet the middle class and poor are left socially and economically immobile due to expensive tuition. Financial stress is a burden to college students, especially students of color and of low-income. The brains of America’s poor and minorities could have the potential of contributing to significant breakthroughs in all fields, but most cannot attend or do not reach graduation because they cannot afford the years of tuition. Tuition-free college would strengthen college’s graduation rates. Fewer students would not need to drop-out or take a “break” from their education for financial reasons. With the increased numbers of graduation rates, it would benefit the economy because well educated students with great career are capable of contributing to America’s economy. Every American, regardless of socioeconomic class, should have an equal opportunity to reach their fullest potential or success.
If colleges implemented a tuition-free standard, students would no longer suffer from crippling or immobilizing debt. As the years pass for one to obtain a college degree, the amount of debt only increases. It is the amount of debt that students acquire that is at the forefront of their college journey. This financial stress at the forefront that taints their focus and attention from their education to the reality of being in debt. College students should be focused on their
educational studies, and should not be worrying about the price they have to pay for it. Because college students are so worried and stressed out about the financial aspect, they do not value or see the worth of their hard work, efforts, or talents that initially led them to pursue a higher education. The value of a college degree is lost because students are blinded and overwhelmed
with debt from college tuition.
Having to pay for college tuition is a setback to our economy and society’s brain power. College degrees increase job prospects, so if college was made tuition-free it would spike a dramatic increase in attendance. An increase in attending college increases the number of individuals obtaining degrees. With more individuals with a college degree to their name, it provides more and creates better well-educated workforce and a society that has greater leadership, analytical, and critical thinking skills. This better-educated workforce can play a major role in the success of America’s youth and of future generations. Such a dramatic increase in attendance would cause colleges to “up their game” to meet the demands of influx of students. Colleges would have to hire more and better-qualified faculty, staff, and instructors. Better qualified staff, faculty, and instructors would provide colleges with a strong foundation in which the students can better rely on during their college education. Better qualified individuals behind the desks and counters of classrooms and offices of college campuses reveal the insurmountable potential of American brainpower. Since more and more jobs require a minimum of a college degree, attending college is the gateway to success or a better life. Smarter individuals creates a more tolerable and knowledgeable society.
Despite these benefits of making college free, opponents might argue that the value of higher education and a college degree would depreciate. If college was made free, it is worried that students will not put their best efforts into it since they are held with the responsibility of the paying for it. For current students in college, they value their education because they understand that their degree is coming from their own pockets. One cannot begin to understand the value of something if they did not have to work for it. Similar to what my family has always told me, you do not and cannot understand the true value of a dollar until you have to work for your own money.
Overall, college education proves to be a significant factor for a successful life, but it is undoubtedly expensive. Relieving the financial restrictions upfront has many benefits for students and colleges. Free education is, especially, beneficial for low income students that serves as a continuum of their education after high school, allowing them to pursue the career of their dream. In addition, free college education relieves daunting stress for many students with financial problems. With more individuals attending college, America’s economy will consist of better-equipped individuals who can make great contributions to the workforce and society. It is undeniable that free college education provides an equal opportunity for all students, that ultimately leads to more individuals reaching and fulfilling the/their American dream.
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