College Should Be Completely Free
Many of us begin our adult lives once we graduate high school, and we are one step closer to becoming more independent and capable of making decisions that will impact our future endeavors. There are many different options for life after high school, but the most typical route tends to be earning a college education.. However, tuition and other payments such as dorming is a big struggle for families that do not have enough to pay and because of this “30% of enrolled students drop out in the first year” (“38% of College Students Drop Out Because of Finances – How to Lower That Number”, iGrad Author). College education and amenities such as on campus housing should be completely free because not only does it provide a quality education that everyone should have a chance to experience, but it allows time and space for personal growth. People who have completed a quality college degree are better well equipped to continue with the career of their choice. But how would this be fair to individuals who refuse to take out loans due to the rising interest rates, or to students who have no support system and have to pay out of their own pockets. In many countries education is considered to be a luxury, and the U.S provides excellent quality education to the public, but it would be significantly better if everyone could receive this and be given a fair chance at the experience.
How can college be potentially serviceable to us in the long run? People who earn a college degree are seen as better suited to proceed with their career due to being more stable in the economy. College can help bring you a sense of being content, and “research shows that having a bachelor’s degree leads to greater long term job satisfaction”(“10 Benefits of Having a College Degree”, Shayna Joubert), and it is crucial that we are satisfied with our job because “people who enjoy their jobs are more likely to be optimistic, motivated, learn faster, make fewer mistakes, and better business decisions (“How Liking Your Job Will Help You Suceed”, USCDornsife). Individuals who only receive a college degree are significantly more content with their livelihood than those who only have a high school diploma. As time goes on, the value of a high school diploma decreases,”for example, among those ages 25 to 32, fully 22% with only a high school diploma are living in poverty”(“The Rising Cost of Not Going To College”, Pew Research Center). In addition, “these better educated young adults are more likely to say they have the necessary education and training to advance in their careers” (“The Rising Cost of Not Going To College”, Pew Research Center).
The first thing that comes to mind about college is money. People think about college, and wonder if going to college is even worth it if it means they graduate with thousands in debt, and have to pay it off for years. In addition, “as the cost of college rises and the burden of student loans increases, more students dropout of college, fueling the idea that getting an education isn’t worth it ( “38% of College Students Drop Out Because of Finances – How to Lower That Number”, iGrad Author). But why should college education be free? Despite earning a degree, “grads often have to settle for lower-paying, lower-skill jobs just so they can start paying their loan bills right away. As a result, graduates in debt often miss out on the benefits that come with a degree” (“The Far-Reaching Impact of the Student Debt Crisis”, Scholarship America). The idea of attending college is to focus on your education and career, not to stress about loans which lead to debt. Student loans are a route many college students are forced to make and “if you’re making payments on your college loans—that money can’t be spent on something else, like rent, gas, food or retirement savings. That’s bad for you and the economy” ( “What No One Told You About Student Loans”, Ramsey Solutions)
We know college itself can be a very stressful environment and tuition can be very expensive and adds on even more stress. Stressing over finances has led “to about one-third of students neglecting their studies in some way” (“Financial Stress in College Students”, Heidi Zwart). To add on, depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues can be brought on by financial worries. Ultimately because of this, colleges experience an increased dropout rate, and “while this relieves the short-term pressure of tuition, housing, and daily expenses, it creates longer term financial stress in college students” (“Financial Stress in College Students”, Heidi Zwart). It is clear that the money required for college contradicts the idea college gives people opportunities for a better and more stable living. A quality college education can pave a path for you to potentially have a better financial situation in the future. But student debt stands in the way of this, and in many cases, students graduate and start their life off with debt that may put their life on pause for a few years. Based on a report from CNBC “85 percent of student loan borrowers say difficulty in saving has delayed their ability to buy a house,” and other research indicates that “Those with student loan debt also are less likely to have taken out car loans. They have worse credit scores”(“The Far-Reaching Impact of the Student Debt Crisis”, Scholarship America). A free college education would narrow the achievement gap between wealthy and poor students. Poorer students would have greater and equal learning chances just like more fortunate students.
It seems understandable as to why tuition should be free, but what about dorming or on campus housing? Students that do not commute to class tend to dorm or live on campus, and sometimes these students do not have a choice. The price of living on campus can be very expensive, and there are times students must make the sacrifice of being homeless just to prioritize their degree. “There are college students today who are currently suffering from the lack of college affordability, which leads them to experience both homelessness and hunger” (“Free College Must Include Help for College Students Experiencing Homelessness”, Matthew Lee). This is unacceptable, and this goes against the amenities college is supposed to provide for you, not take away from you just because you cannot make ends meet. College homelessness is a rising issue because it is “such a newly visible issue, not many solutions have been created to address it, including solutions from local city governments” (“Free College Must Include Help for College Students Experiencing Homelessness”, Matthew Lee). Many people cannot always change their living situation especially if you are a college student experiencing financial worries, and it seems as though the easiest and most obvious solution to this complication is by making dorming free just like how making college education free beneficial to students who would now be able to prioritize their academics, networking, and career paths. By making college and the services it provides, this would emphasize the intentions of attaining a quality college degree.
College tends to be the most typical and benefiting direction for life after high school for many people. Most of the time a college degree results in a satisfied and content lifestyle because of the skills and qualifications you picked up during your time there. Although a college education is not required in today’s society, it does offer many advantages that a high school diploma alone cannot. But what stands in the way of these benefits is the price of attending college. Students must take into consideration tuition, dorming, meal plans, and other fees that add up greatly. To compensate for this, many students are not left with many options, and many take out student loans that add up over time due to the rising interest rates. Due to this, students recently have been making hard sacrifices such as being homeless, or ultimately dropping out. Nowadays, a college degree is often required and its value is skyrocketing compared to the decreasing value of just having a high school diploma alone. This counters the benefits that college is supposed to bring out, and many people wonder if college education is even worth it because of how expensive it is. The most obvious and straightforward solution to this predicament would be to make college entirely free.
Work Cited
Lee, Matthew. “Free College Must Include Help for College Students Experiencing Homelessness” TheCenturyFoundation, 09 September, 2020
Fry, Richard. “The Rising Cost of Not Going to College” PewResearchCenter, 11 February, 2014
Ramsey Solutions. “What No One Told You About Student Loans” Ramsey Solutions, 09 November, 2021
https://www.ramseysolutions.com/debt/what-no-one-told-you-about-student-loans
iGrad Author. “38% of College Students Drop Out Because of Finances – How to Lower That Number” igradfinancialwellness, 12 September
Zwart, Heidi. “Financial Stress in College Students, BetterYou
https://www.betteryou.ai/financial-stress-in-college-students/
“How Liking Your Job Will Help You Succeed”, USCDornsife
https://appliedpsychologydegree.usc.edu/blog/how-liking-your-job-will-help-you-succeed/
Joubert, Shayna. “10 Benefits of Having a College Degree”, Northeastern University Bachelor’s Degree Completion, 09 January, 2020
Scholarship America. “The Far-Reaching Impact of the Student Debt Crisis”, September 2022
