Should College Be Free?
In the USA, education is nor provided for free, at least at the tertiary level. What is worrying is that the college fees have been soaring for some years now. Today, human resource managers hire at least an employee with at least a college degree. But the rising education costs have rendered many families of students indebted while trying to purchase the dear higher education. President Abraham Lincoln had tried laying a foundation for free university education known as ‘People’s colleges’ or democracy’s colleges.’ The fact that education is a basic necessity in the contemporary competitive world, this paper will validate the reasons why college education should be free, and still argue why free education could have negative ramifications towards its service delivery.
Nowadays, the price of attending a higher education class in a community college or public university is so expensive that most students, especially of a lower economic level, may not afford it. The financial aid, Pell grants, and student loans have helped some students to achieve their professionalism. However, some have flunked school because they still had to dig deep into their pockets to clear the outstanding balance, which would be unattainable by many poor students (Mitchell et al. 73). Therefore, the government should fund a college education, at least up to the third year of study, which would encourage students to learn since the finance would be a less obstacle. There would be more focus in their studies without worries about any dime for college fees, while the loan could render them worried and stressed about how and when they will have to clear it in the future. Such distractive thoughts could sway away from their focus in critical moments such as examination time. A leveled education field for all college-bound students would also enhance equality in American society. Some of the brightest students from low-income families would also get a chance to improve their talents by continuing their education. Therefore, a free college education would enhance equal opportunities to excel in preferred professionalism for all.
The job market today has an outlined requisite for technically skilled and college degree credentials. College fees should not only be merely waived but also completely waiver to increase the number of people available to work to improve the quality of American society. When many people access education, social or economic problems can be solved in better ways by the technically skilled personnel, thereby enhancing the faster progression of society. The educated population would understand the historical issues that could have been ailing their specific populace in terms of their current economic and political conditions. That way, they could devise intelligent or informed ways, such as aligning with helpful political ideologies to improve their society. Besides, the more college-educated the population is, the more employable high-skills become available. Thus more working personnel, which lessens the wealth gap among the upper, middle, and lower economic classes system (Ma et al.).
Currently, industrial modernization requires a different approach due to the widened skilled workforce, which is in high and quick demand. The technological advancement in manufacturing and assembly industries demands a shift in the workforce. It prompts the need to replace low-skilled workers with more skilled personnel with creative and critical thinking prowess, analytical skills, and innovative abilities (Ma et al.). These skills are taught and sharpened in college-level education. The demand for more workforce could be if more students were to be admitted to college and to achieve that, college education should be made free by the US government. When college education is open, the workforce would also move more quickly and easily if or when an economic recess falters one industry and leads to the rise of another one to take its place. It means that people would gain added skills, which are appropriate for the new enterprise. That way, people would easily cope up with an uncertain business environment and securing their income.
While a massive number of students graduate with unmanageable debt, it affects the rate in which the economy grows. Debt-free students who acquire a job after their graduation become income earners, spenders, and savers, which spurs significant positivity in the economic cycle. In America, the average debt accrued to every student is approximately 32,000 US dollars. This debt may increase in its interest after graduation, which affects growth when they try to bail out themselves in accumulative debt interest, unlike non-indebted graduates who stimulate the economy by their increased consumption of goods and services, which spurs demand and supply. More spending also relates to demand for a skilled workforce by employers, which boosts economic activities among the population.
Since President Abraham Lincoln, one of the most monumental figures in USA leadership, in 1862 signed a Land Grant College Act into law, that groundwork should enhance the will by the current US government to sufficiently fund Universities. His legacy should be enhanced, and his vision for free education for every American college student. The US legislative and executive arms of government should amend and ratify the law and grant equality for all students, especially low-income households from African-American backgrounds (Berg et al.). Poor students would, therefore, afford non-tuition expenses like house rents, textbooks, and other basic needs.
Of course, a free college education would be detrimental in some perspectives. Calling it free education does not mean that it would be free. It is funded by taxpayers’ money, which spells higher taxation on rates of goods, businesses, or individual income. More students would enroll both fit and unfit learners for the college environment, and some will drop out of college along the way while taxation endures the status quo. Money formerly allocated to critical states departments like Defense would mean decreasing the expenditure on the military.
In conclusion, there are more advantages than the demerits of a free college education. Therefore, Congress, House of Commons, and the executive arms should curve an official constitutional edict supporting free higher education. It would enhance an egalitarian society with equal opportunities to further student’s school without minimum fear of his survival during their training as envisioned by President Lincoln. The economy would be bolstered, where debt-free students would actively have spending and saving sprees. The employers would have less problem upgrading their industrial systems where a new workforce would be needed. US government should not only partially waive the fees for college students, but also scrap education fees at the college level. More Americans with big hearts should offer more sponsorships for brilliant students who struggle to stay in college due to financial constraints. If the status quo remains, there would be more crime rates in the US because employers need qualified college skills while the ones without required credentials would engage in criminal activities.
References
Berg, Gary A. Low-income students and the perpetuation of inequality: Higher education in America. Routledge, 2016.
Ma, Jennifer, Matea Pender, and Meredith Welch. “Education Pays 2016: The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society. Trends in Higher Education Series.” College Board (2016).
Mitchell, Michael, Vincent Palacios, and Michael Leachman. “States are still funding higher education below pre-recession levels.” Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy 10 (2015): 71.