Why should college be free for people with low income?
If college were free, there would be a higher percentage of people who graduate from college. Everyone should get a chance to get a higher education without paying. If students have been going to school for free, they should not have to start paying for school when they graduate. Having to pay tuition will be a big change for a person who usually does not have to pay to go to school. College should be free for people who have low income like middle class and lower class because everyone cannot afford college.
Going to college for free will provide a big opportunity for a person to have a career. College can be paid for in many different ways. Students are stressed about the cost of college tuition because finding the money to pay for it is a major deal. One way to pay for college is to get a scholarship, but not every student can get a scholarship, and it will be better if college tuition were free. People really struggle to pay for college because they will have to find a way to make money to help them through the years while they are in college. A high percentage of people drop out of college because they cannot afford to pay off their college loans.
Many parents who did not go to college want their children to get a college education. Parents can see that higher education will make it possible for their children to have a good career. “In the 1950s and 1960s, it was possible to graduate from high school and move right into a decent-paying job with good benefits. . . . That was the American dream. Unfortunately, today, for too many Americans, it's not a possibility” (Sanders). Today, 12th graders want a college education, but they feel much stress about getting it because it costs so much money. It will bring the stress levels down for 12th graders if a college education were free. If college education were free, they would not have to figure out how much money they will need for the years they are in college. After all the years that students have worked hard to get to college, the next step should not be so difficult because of money. Students who do not have to pay for their tuition will be able to focus on their education.
Some students who graduate from high school and go on to college get their tuition paid for by student loans, scholarships and their parents. Student loans help quite a bit, but they will have to be paid back in the future. People who got student loans are really in debt because they were trying to pay their tuition. Scholarships can also help students pay for tuition, but they will have to work very hard to earn them. Some parents can invest in their children’s tuition, but not all parents can.
Student loans are not always enough for students who really need money for college because they do not give out that much money due to all the students who need loans. When students are freshmen, they get lower loans because there are so many freshmen applying for student loans. Student loans would help students more if each grade level were able to borrow similar amounts of money. What would be best for students is not having to take out any loans and then not having to pay them back. Students would not have to worry about programs such as FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) giving them less money than they need.
Students who had to take out college loans to pay for their education will have to pay the money back. “This means graduates often find themselves saddled with enormous student loan debt they may not able to repay” (“Student Loans”). Many people pay back the money that they borrowed, and those individuals who do not pay what they owe will have it on their record. This will make their life harder.
Students who come from poor families will want to become something because their lives have been hard. It will be a good investment for them to get a higher education with the students who can afford it. In some way, those students who get to go to college for free can pay back the money that was invested in their education. They will most likely pay back the community because they would not be where they are now without the community’s help.
Students drop out of college because it is a struggle for them to pay tuition. Therefore, a low percentage of students graduate from community colleges. Students from poor families who receive help by getting college loans often end up spending money they receive to help their families. Every college can be expensive in many ways. If students have to pay for other things on their own, it is going to be hard for them to pay for tuition.
Many students from poor families who graduate from high school go to college, but most of them do not graduate from college. One of the reasons why they do not graduate is because they run out of money to pay for their tuition. Another reason why they do not graduate is because they worry about paying back any loans they may have taken to pay for school. Eventually, students will have to deal with paying for things, but eighteen should not be the age when they will have to start doing so.
Most students can pay for college, but the students with low income would not be able to pay for their tuition, so often they do not go to college. “Students from low income families, like their more affluent peers, should be able to attend the public institutions that best fit their academic talents and personal and professional goals” (Goldrick-Rab and Kelly 54). Most students with low income will like to have a good future because coming from a low income family makes them want to have a better life. They also have more goals than students who do not come from low income families, and they will work harder to make their families proud of them.
Higher education is most important to have in life when an individual wants a career. All states should come up with a plan to help students with low income to pay for college until they graduate. This kind of program should also help students pay back the money a couple years after they graduate, once they find a job. The “‘Pay it forward, Pay it back’ plan would eliminate tuition-instead of paying upfront, students would sign up to pay the state a proportion of their income after they finish college” (Breuder). Students would not have to be in a rush to pay back the loan because the program will wait until they got a job.
All students should go to the college that fits their career, and if they cannot afford it, there should be a way they can get help from the community. Students need to be able to pick what is going to be good for their future by picking the right college for themselves. There should not be only one college that students can go to for free. All colleges should be free because there needs to be a higher percentage of students going to college and graduating without dropping out. It will be expensive to pay for all these tuitions, but it will be a good investment for the community. The community should take this risk because all students will try to make a living by having received a higher education. All colleges cannot be free in the community, but most of them should be free.
Students with low income will be eager to go to college for free because paying for expensive things can be hard for them to do. Students who have low income will be willing to work hard. The only thing students should focus on in college is their education and what they want to do in the future. It seems like money always gets in the way of important things like getting a college education. Not having to pay for tuition during college will help more students finish their college education. Students will try to graduate and have the career they always wanted.
If more people go to college and graduate, communities will have more middle class and higher class citizens. It is worthwhile investing in people because this kind of investment will improve communities. Fewer homeless people will make up communities because more people will have good paying jobs. Better educated people will improve a community’s environment. Free college will be better for everyone. Students with low income will make more of an effort to graduate from college because their families and their lives will improve because of their education. Sacramento City College student Markese Pierce stated that free tuition is “‘probably the smartest thing we can do because it will keep people in school [.] It makes people want to further their lives and their future’” (Devaney). Graduating from college will impact families because getting a college degree will pass on to the next generation and improve the next generation.
To pay for the tuition of low income students, money should come from state lotteries. By taking out a portion of money from lotteries and some from taxes paid in the community, the cost of tuition for low income students should be covered. The community should help because it will be better for everyone. Donations from people who are willing to help the community raise funds for free college would also be helpful. Education has always been important for everyone, and if K-12 schools are free for everyone, college education should be free, too.