jahmaniessay10bills

Jahmani Larionne
2/25/20
Mr Gangi
English 12 CP
Why College Should Be Free
College is becoming more and more a necessity for the average American student and less an optional academic path towards a specialized career. Colleges are now a near necessity for most job applications and they aren’t cheap either. College should be treated like high school, and this goes only for public institutions, and colleges shouldn’t be scary financial decisions and stressful situations that impact a students life forever. In essential terms, college is now becoming a necessity for the students of the future, and the call for free college should be heard, as its many deficits are invariably leading kids away from college and the opportunities it can offer.
“By 1900, only 34 states had compulsory schooling laws, but by 1918, all children in the United States were required to complete elementary school. By the 1940’s and 1950s, over of half young adults graduated from high school. Today, 88% of students graduate high school.”(Should College Be Free?) This historical fact supports the idea that college is just a natural extension of the way we structure schools in the United States. As a society advances and progresses forward technologically and socially, the requirement for further schooling to be a basic necessity like elementary school becomes clearer and clearer. Free college is the rational next step for the youth of america to truly succeed in their further endeavors in the future.
“ For example, one study shows that new spending on public colleges, which would be sparked by an influx of more students, produces more economic activity than a similar-sized tax cut, or similar spending on roads and bridges. And, over their lives, college graduates smoke less, commit fewer crimes, draw less on social welfare programs, and generate more taxes.” (It's time to Push) This quote supports the idea that college graduates are the kind of people we want to see in society. If college is free, it will be more accessible. The cost of college is far too high for the any of its benefits to be reaped as quickly as they could be. If students weren’t faced with debt north of $35,000 for private college students (What You Need), then they would be able to live a far less stressed and hectic life. Without student loans looming over the head of every college graduate, any career opportunities or hopes and dreams may end up squandered in favor of simply surviving and paying bills working some part time job that will most likely interfere heavily with your day-to-day life and wellbeing.
Colleges, especially private colleges, need to bring in some money in order to fund school operations and any other expenses that a learning institution would end up paying. It makes plenty sense that almost any private college is more expensive than a private high school. College students are older, more mature and more intelligent individuals than the average high school student, and as such they require more sophisticated technology, larger classrooms, dormitories, and other common on campus amenities. On the other side of the fence you can certainly make an argument for college being a paid, optional extension of secondary education. Not everyone is cut out for college and its lifestyle, and students are going to be on the long end of the rifle if college comes free. “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 talking, but it seems certain that the upper echelons of American society will see increased taxes if this passes.” (Pros and Cons) This quote highlights the underlying issue that most americans won't be thrilled about coming to terms with if college goes the way of high school and public education. Another raise of taxes for the middle class in America is most definitely not going to go over well with the general populous. The middle class makes up a majority of the United States, and they typically have the final say in our democratic process of elections when it comes to electing a government official they want behind their taxes. College will be free the day pigs fly if the capital for free college comes out of the paycheck of the average american.
In total, college should absolutely be free. It’s the natural next step, historically speaking, when it comes to public education. College and its cost leaves many students in shambles post graduation, a major worry for nearly everybody involved. If a college student can’t, right out the gate, get his life together and contribute to the economy by buying a house, car, or starting a family, then a lot of college students are going to be suffering high costs for little benefit. College degrees are also becoming increasingly prevalent, meaning that competition is at a fever pitch in the job market. If there was one roadblock on the journey to free college; it's definitely the money, and taxes don’t seem like the best solution to funding the free-of-cost college experience to future generations.






Works Cited
Powell, Farran. “What You Need to Know About College Tuition Costs.” U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report, 11 Sept. 2019, www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/what-you-need-to-know-about-college-tuition-costs.

“It's Time to Push for Free College.” NEA, www.nea.org/home/62740.htm.
Kurfiss, Deborah. “Should College Be Free? We Answer The Burning Question.” Student Debt Relief | Student Loan Forgiveness, Student Debt Relief | Student Loan Forgiveness, 5 Mar. 2019, www.studentdebtrelief.us/news/should-college-be-free/.a
Kurfiss, Deborah. “Pros and Cons of Free College” Mar. 2019, https://www.collegeraptor.com/find-colleges/articles/affordability-college-cost/pros-cons-tuition-free-college/
“U.S. Student Loan Debt Statistics for 2019.” Student Loan Hero, studentloanhero.com/student-loan-debt-statistics/.