Over the past few years there has been much debate over whether college tuition has risen to a level where many people are wondering is college worth the cost. College tuition has continuously increased for the past twenty years. Thus, making parents, current college students and even some college graduates reevaluate the importance of college. Not to mention the job market for graduates with a four-year degree are not as promising as in earlier generations. Forcing many students to consider getting an advanced degree which still does not guarantee finding a job in their particular field of study. After all, many Americans have the dream of living the “American Dream” go to college, then get a good job, followed by getting married and having 2.5 kids. However, the economic state of the country has many Americans in a state of confusion. Although some Americans will agree that the system of higher education is working well, many have differing opinions on the subject.
College affordability is often among the top concerns. When the cost of attending college, university, or trade school is too high. Therefore causing a lot of students to simply choose not to pursue a higher education. And that leaves many of them ill-prepared to find good employment, let alone attain the American dream. But high costs also leave some college graduates with levels of debt that hamper their abilities to attain at least a middle-class lifestyle. This debate deserves a discussion of not only pros and cons, but the reality of whether the rise of 4-year universities tuition has a direct effect on people of a lower-socioeconomic background.
Why Should College Be Free for Everyone?
Many advocates for free college believe the current education system in America is failing to provide an adequate education for a reasonable price. According to the Department of Education the average annual increase in college tuition from 1980-2014 grew by nearly 260% compared to the nearly 120% increase in all consumer items. Thus, proponents of free college have confidence that free college will not only benefit the entire nation, but families who come from the lower-class. Which would allow them a chance for social mobility from one social class to another.
The issue of why college should be free isn’t just an economic issue, but also a moral and ethical one. The question many advocates asks to naysayers is “Does every American deserve the right to an education regardless of social standing so they can have an equal opportunity for life, liberty and the pursuit happiness?” They contend the morals of which this country was founded on, but not always followed have stipend the ability for disenfranchised people of America to move up from the lower class to middle or upper middle class. Therefore, without affordable access to quality higher education for everyone, the collective intelligence and goodwill of the nation will erode. Also with the election of current President Donald J. Trump many Americans wonder will free college ever be a real possibility or will the needs/wants of the upper class always have a part in the fate of people from the lower class?
Ultimately, many supporters of free college state several reasons why college education should be free. Here are three commonly cited reasons why college should be free:
- A better-educated population could result in smarter decision-making at every level of society, which could lead to faster progress in solving our most difficult, collective challenges.
- Students would be able to focus more on their studies rather than worrying about how to scrape together enough funds for each semester. As a result, more of them might graduate on time, ready to take on important jobs in their communities.
- Graduating with high amounts of student loan debt has been shown to reduce a person’s chances of owning a home, getting married, having children, and accumulating wealth.
“Free Public College” is a Flawed Policy
Adversaries of free college tend to believe that such an idea would be too expensive for the federal and state governments to maintain long-term. As a consequence, Americans may have to start paying much higher taxes. And that, they say, could hurt the economy since people might have less to spend or invest. They advocate if America starts handing out free degrees it would compromise many of the principles this country was founded on. Such as the mindset where everyone has the same opportunity to “pull themselves up by their own bootstraps”. This ideology would suggest that everyone in America has equal opportunity to go to college and make their way up to the middle class.
Recently with the push for tuition-free college the key question many naysayers have is “What happens if public generosity does not keep pace with rising college costs, increases in demand, or both?” They suggest that if colleges decide to open their doors for free, they won’t have the resources to adequately educate students. Opponents would also suggest that free college plans assume tuition prices are the main obstacle to student success. When studies would propose otherwise for example, community colleges where federal grants cover the price of tuition for the average low-income student. In spite of free tuition only one-third of students from the bottom income quartile who started at a community college in 2009 finished with a degree or certification by 2016.
These numbers would suggest that college success is not based on the function of tuition prices, but deeper problems. Here are a few other reasons why some people oppose free college for everyone.
- With more people choosing to attend public colleges because of their tuition-free status, many schools might have to create wait lists or expand the ones they already have. State budgets could become strained, which might lead to cuts and decreased access to the programs that students want to take.
- Many students would still have to borrow money for their living expenses as well as for books and supplies. So, they wouldn’t get to leave school completely debt-free.
- Students might take their college education less seriously if they don’t have to pay for it. So graduation numbers might drop, or the people who do graduate might not be as well prepared for the workforce.
Final Thoughts
In the end this debate may be a bit controversial depending on what side of the coin you fall on. However, maybe some sort of middle ground can be met by making public education at least affordability for all people. What are your thoughts should college tuition be free for everyone? Comment below & if you enjoyed this post please comment, share & like!
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Genuine question (I’m not really a huge advocate either way): If college is free, how do the professors feed their families?
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It will probably just get funded by taxpayer dime. However, with Trump as president, I don’t think we will be seeing this happen.
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Ah, thank you for the explanation! 🙂
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Free college would be nice, but at least low cost should be a goal. The fault I find in many people’s thinking is that college just benefits the individual. Education does more, as you point out – it improve the nation as a whole and makes society better. As a tax payer, I am happy to have more of my dollars pay for higher education.
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I tend to agree education makes us better as a society. Which many people tend to forget because of the “me me me” syndrome. Where people are only focus on themselves and could care less about anyone outside of their core circle.
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This is a great post Jay! I honestly do believe that there should be at least a common ground. Making it entirely free may sound more ideal to most but I just worry about the quality of education that you would get for free. However, I do think that by making it more affordable across the board, including with prestigious universities, would be a much better move. I think that everyone deserves a chance to get an education and while scholarships are available, not everyone gets a chance to benefit. Sometimes things happen or someone may not be focused during a “specific time” in their educational career, which automatically removes them from receiving a scholarship when ready, but I do think that if school was more affordable, more people would want an education rather than focusing on entering the workforce right away just to survive. Plus, not always do we enter college knowing exactly what we want to study, but with the cost if things, we often stay in that field because it would be expensive to change. It’s definitely not a one answer type question or debate. It all just depends…..but I do think that the division in being “elite” vs. not based on a certain University or College name that happens now is a bit unfair. Not everyone can afford Harvard but would love to get the same opportunities as those who can.
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Such great knowledege and insight you’ve shared. I agree this is an “depends” question that differs from person to person. I do agree about not knowing what you want to do when you first enter college. I remember when I first started I didn’t know what I wanted to do until I was already completed three years in college. Thank you for reading & sharing!
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Thanks so much Jay. I truly enjoy your thought provoking posts. Yes, it is crazy how a lot is us don’t know what we truly want. To study until we’re more than half done. By that time, so. Much time and money has been spent.
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Instead of changing the costs of college and making it free, perhaps we reform it and lessen the general education requirements. As a journalism major at Iowa State, the Bachelor’s Degree is a little under 120 credit hours total, but 75 credit hours of gen eds, along with another 15 hours of a required minor that I personally don’t want. As for journalism classes, there is only 27 credit hours total. I believe that if you came to college with a plan of what you wanted to major in, you should NOT be required to take all of the general education requirements. With the way how the internet is today, college should be just another option. Why spend thousands of dollars going into debt on a college education to get a degree when you can go online and just learn what you need to know. Obviously this logic cannot be applied to STEM, law, or teaching majors, but for liberal arts, it should definitely be considered.
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I agree wholeheartedly that college should be an affordable price that people from all backgrounds can attend. With some majors I to tend to see how some “experts” would say that college isn’t necessary to succeed. With knowledge being at our fingertips in the age of technology. There something to just learning on your own without the student debt. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
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I think in the next 5-10 years, we’ll see a reform in college education to the point where it might just be STEM majors going. Photoshop, video editing, writing, and many other great subjects can be taught online today for little to nothing. Bottom line, college is no longer an exclusive place to learn information. Internet, libraries, and bookstores are what are best for the public today. You get your education in a non-baised and economically afficient way.
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For me, I was very fortunate that my parents were able and willing to save money and pay for my four-year bachelor’s degree. I applied for multiple scholarships, but rarely received any. As a junior, I received one $200 scholarship from my university department. I went to a public university, so the costs were a bit lower than if I had gone to a private university, or outside the state of Virginia. All told, I believe it was around $40,000 total. I never lived off-campus, and I worked in the university’s Writing Center for a few years while taking classes.
With that said, I have many friends who are absolutely drowning in debt from student loans. Several of them didn’t have any financial support from their parents or families, so they had to find their own way to pay. It’s criminal regarding student loans, and that part of the equation should be overhauled.
I don’t think it should be completely free tuition, but I think a college education should be AFFORDABLE to those who want to earn one. At the present time, I strongly encourage students to consider community colleges – My husband has an associate’s degree from a local community college, and a bachelor’s degree from a private university. He paid his own for the associate’s, and then took out $12,000 in loans for his bachelor’s degree. He was able to pay it all off within three years of graduation because didn’t spend a lot, had a decent job, and he lived at home with his parents. Currently, I’m one class away from earning my Paralegal Studies degree from the same community college. I’ve paid everything on my own, without any student loans or financial aid. There are many valuable programs in community colleges – Vocational, technical, and so on.
I also encourage students to maximize financial aid and scholarship opportunities as much as possible, before considering student loans. Also, being able to juggle a part-time job with school is a valuable skill. Plus, any money being invested in your education is important!
What a great post, Jay!
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Great insight as always. I agree students should look at all their options before taking out student loans. Congrats on almost being doing your Paralegal degree!
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Thanks for the feedback! And I appreciate the congrats – I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!
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If it can’t be free in the USA, where can it be free? Or do the rich just want less competition?
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I think that’s a legitimate argument because it seems like they want to control the social mobility of the poor.
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Very interesting topic of discussion. As anything in life there are many pros and cons, I agree that furthering our education levels is far too expensive. I currently reside in Toronto, ON where the cost of living is extremely high as we pay quite a high tax rate, basic day to day living has increased, new home owners are struggling to come up with a down payment for a housing market that starts around $600,000 and skyrockets from there, occupation wages are NOT increasing but mainly decreasing and yet if we wish to further our education for a better job we have to fork out about $800.00 or more for one course out of probably 8-10 to complete a certificate for better education. It is super crazy! I have been through taking out the student loans which is a nightmare and I have also tried paying bit by bit on my own to take one class at a time as I simply cannot afford paying for a semester load as it would be too much to fork out at once and I also need to continue working to support all my other financial commitments.
I do see how it can be hard for the government to foot a bill for each individuals education but I do believe that prices should be lowered to an extent and even more assistance for individuals coming from a lower income. I strongly disagree that the question…
“Does every American deserve the right to an education regardless of social standing to have an equal opportunity for life, liberty and the pursuit happiness?”
Has to even be brought up in a debate like this as to me the answer is obvious, of course! Every person whether living in America, Canada, etc. deserves the right to education to better themselves and their social standing should have nothing to do with that at all. Some people are forced into lifestyles that may be frowned upon as they had a lack of either finances, encouragement, stability, etc. This does not make them any less of a person to not “deserve” the right to an education. We would probably be so surprised with what these very people can do if given the opportunity.
Very touchy topic but all in all something has to be done to make education more accessible to others,when did it become OK for only certain individuals to have the right to learn and further themselves in life? It should have never happened but somehow it did as the cost of education has brought us to this point.
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Great insight as always. I agree with all your points we all deserve a education for a price we can afford. Thanks for reading!
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Wow Jay. This is really a difficult one. Schooling, whether grade or high school, junior college, undergrad, grad or post grad is vital but how is it paid for is the million dollar question. I know our degrees were paid for with full time jobs serving burgers, cleaning toilets, or whatever jobs were available, etc. etc. while attending classes. It sure wasn’t easy and wasn’t able to pick the ivy league schools BUT we attended college. In hind site…. It was all worth it. The gratification was not immediate but then again anything worthwhile takes time and hard work. Before anything else we focused on paying off the loans which meant driving junk cars, shopping at thrift stores and eating lots of kraft mac and cheese. Again, All Worth It. We look back knowing we earned our way and did not expect the world to pay for us. The Constitutions says the “pursuit of happiness” not happiness guaranteed. If we look at our ancestors they didn’t count on the government to pay or pave their way. They did whatever they could that was legal to make ends meet while moving forward and not blaming others for their shortcoming or lack of motivation. You have always shown in your post about the virtues of success are earned and paid for with hard work.
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You make some vaild point as always. It is about scafirce & adpoting a I can mindset. Thanks for reading!
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You are welcome Jay. Thank you for bringing these issues out for all of us to deeply look at them. They are some hard topics for sure. 39 years in social work has generated a lot of thought on these topics.
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Really interesting post. You make some great points.
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Thanks for reading!
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College shouldn’t be free. University is for those who value education and knowledge. It isn’t just so you’ve can get a job, thus the pursuit should be revealed in the extent one will go to attain such knowledge.
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I agree with what you’re saying however universities or colleges as called in America, aren’t owned by the government … they are pretty much classified as private businesses … here in Australia people that hold a citizenship they get government help if needed called Hex which they later on pay through their tax after earning a certain bracket… I think that’s a good way for most people to pursue their dream path. Is there something similar in USA ?
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Kinda of its called financial aid where a student can receive grants which (students do not have to pay back) and federal loan where the student does have to pay back. The problem grants aren’t given out to the same rate as loans and the Government sometimes put limits on who can get a grant based on the school you attend , Grade Point Average, race and other factors. The biggest problem in America is the increase of college graduates and the lack of jobs that pay them an adequate amount of money to payback their loans.
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Hi Jay,
Thanks so much for stopping by needleandthorn to read one of my posts!
I found this post of yours very thought provoking. I am employed by a private college in New York and I recognize the financial struggles many of our students experience. My kids are grown and both will be paying college loans for quite a while. When I consider that their loans are more excessive than the cost of our first home, it seems terribly unfair.
I would encourage you and your readers to read (and re-read) your post about success and the ten rules to follow; each of these highlights skills necessary for success but without the high price tag of post secondary education. Life experience has taught me that success comes in many forms and that coveted college degree neither guarantees nor precludes the success of any one individual. Realistically, we all need money for life’s necessities, and thus, employment, but a hard fought (and oft unsuccessful) battle to pay huge sums for an education you might never use can, at times, seem counterproductive.
I’ll leave you with this question; Jay, are you a writer?
If your answer is YES, consider then, how you became one 🙂
Please continue to read me at needleandthorn.com (a WordPress blog)
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This was such a thought-provoking response. I do agree college doesn’t guarantee anything and doesn’t necessarily prove anything but the ability to comprehend, write papers and finish something you started. Which are all great but do not make you success without putting in time to perfect your craft. To answer your question yes I am a writer & by constantly working on my craft and improving each day. Thank you for sharing & reading!
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Free college would be nice because there would be no struggling college debts. However, I don’t think it should be free (I am a recently graduated college student). College isn’t for everyone! I would hate to see a professor’s time wasted on those who are not serious about pursuing their education and are simply attending because they have to (and it’s free so, why not?).
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First off congrats on graduating college! I agree college is not for everyone, but I think the bigger question is are they any decent jobs you can get without having a college degree or trade certification? Thanks for reading!
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Great piece Jay! College education should be free. But we cannot consider this question in isolation. We have to consider it in tandem with whether or not we want to remain a capitalist society that gives primacy to greed instead of need. When we destroy capitalism, we will suspend the individualist culture, and it will be easier to have not only free college education, but also health care, and we will be able to view housing, water, etc as human rights.
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You make some great points. This is truly a loaded question I tend to agree because we live in a individualist culture.
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Cost of college is out of control. More government give higher the college price goes up. I know professors who are never in their classrooms and make 6 figures in salary. In my experience if you pay for something it means that much more. Being handed something takes no effort.
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I personally do not believe that college should be free. I think most people appreciate something a little more if they pay for it. In my opinion, colleges should be affordable and affordability means different things for different people. Nevertheless, colleges are not affordability for the mass number of people attending or wanting to attend college today and that is a problem. Nice post!
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This is a hard one for me. I have my Masters degree, and had to pay for it mainly myself. With student loan debt galore and the inability to find a job in my field due to being “over qualified” I just have a hard time with it. I do think that most schools charge an outrageous amount for an education, and that public universities should have lower tuition rates than they do. Either way, it wouldn’t be free.. it would be tax payer funded. I personally wouldn’t have an issue with my tax dollars going to fund more education, but of course there are those who would. I mean, if someone wanted to pay off my loans, I wouldn’t say no lol
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Yep.
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I love the answer short & sweet.
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I love the idea of free college for everyone. It gets rid of student debt and levels the playing field.
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This was a great read because you took the time to show both sides of the debate in a clear and honest – and unbiased – way, which is appreciated. It’s always good to get both sides of the argument and really be able to form an opinion of your own, instead of just being told what opinion to have.
As for my personal views on the topic – I tend to think that secondary education on a sliding scale could be successful. Charging a percentage of income for every student makes education an equally affordable decision for any student, keeping the playing field fair. I also think this scale should be adjusted according to GPA – students who work hard and show dedication should be rewarded for that, while students who want the experience without being willing to make the effort will be weeded out by being bumped to slightly higher percentage brackets for payment. Education should be for the students who WANT it, not just the ones who can afford it.
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Here in Honduras we have a college that is free for everyone. I think every country should have this kind of options for who can afford to get into a college but really wants to be someone.
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It’s definitely a conundrum. Tuition at most private schools and many public obpnes is prohibitive for so many deserving students. An affordable college education is the goal. Now what is the vest way to reach that goal?
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I wish college could be free, but I know it’s unlikely and probably wouldn’t work out. It would be nice though.
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This is certainly a thought-provoking issue. I’ve often wondered about this myself. I know that many people struggle to find gainful employment after graduation and the school loans keep looming for many decades after. I’ve often wondered if there was some way to gauge a repayment amount based on an algorithm of a) having secured gainful employment within a field relevant to your studies, b) amount of annual income earned from said employment, c) length of time spent employed outside of the field of study prior to securing the relevant employment. When all those factors are weighed, perhaps it’s possible to determine a lower repayment amount for people who are not reaping the benefits of their degrees. I think this also would put more responsibility on the universities/colleges not to pump out too many students within a program annually if the job market can’t support it. I don’t know – it’s complicated.
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I think state colleges should be free or at low cost. Many Americans are stuck in low paying jobs because they can’t afford a college education. Also, not everyone has good credit to be approved for a student load. It is crazy I’m still paying for mine. What is unbelievable is that many countries are smarter than Americans because they give them low cost or free education.
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Not paying for college sounds great, but also has a negative effect. I think maybe providing some better financing ways is a better plan.
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I don’t think it should be free. I do think it should be accessible to all. My problem are the courses of study offered that have no real or immediate need in today’s society. Sure studying sociology and history is cool. I love studying people and their environments, but how do you make a living with those degrees? You have to be realistic and make sure you gain the right skills and if you still want to study history or sociology, you are following your passions, but you probably aren’t going to be wealthy in any other aspect.
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I grew up in Scotland where university is free for all and i can’t even imagine life without that benefit! Must be so difficult.
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Nothing in life is truly free. Even if it is “free” to the end consumer, ultimately someone still has to pay for it. Electricity for the classrooms, technology, books, salaries for teachers…they all come at a cost. So, if the end consumer isn’t paying, it will most likely be the taxpayers. If that is the case, I will end up being responsible for both my student loans and the cost of educating others. How is that fair to me? If I have to pay for my education, why shouldn’t others have to pay as well?
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Hmmm personally don’t know how this would work out, knowing a few people on all sides of the equation (lecturers, etc)…not solely for the students but everyone else involved. The question is should tertiary education be a public good or not. And then can it be properly maintained as a public good. So many questions, soo many questions lol
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Well if wouldn’t actually be free. Tax payers would be paying for college, as they do now for high school education.
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I strongly believe that if it can’t be free it should be affordable and if financing needs to occur, options of paying loans back should be realistic. Many college graduates do not find a well paying job right after college and sometimes are stuck with a minimum wage job while having to pay for a large sum of money their loan.
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This is a tough one. It would be nice to have a free college education especially if you’re not really blessed with the money to pay it off. But we have to think about all the costs as well, maintaining the school, paying the professors and all that. Maybe, it would be better if they set a more realistic tuition fee.
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I think state college should be free at least for 2 years. The prerequisite year’s should be free as those classes are required but not necessarily needed for the future career path.
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We should really re-evaluate the tuition fees and make sure that everyone can attend the college of their choice without having to worry about paying the tuition. I hope it works that way, but school owners will always put their business first.
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I think college should be free for those who truly want to go. I would love to see the same offered for vocational schools or arts.
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What a thought provoking and debateful post! I know there were many riots and protests recently at my local universities regarding free tuition. I wish all of those kids read this
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I definitely think college should be free, but I think that our thoughts about getting an education also need to change. After attending graduate school in the UK, I really noticed the differences in education between there and the US. Here in the US, there is such a push for everyone to attend college, whether you know what you want to do or actually need it or not. But in the UK, they still have a really big apprentice teaching program for all sorts of fields, which allow people straight out of high school to be able to learn the job, while on the job. There just isn’t the same mentality of “You have to go to college in order to anything!” like there is here in the US. In fact, going to university, much less getting into higher education (Master’s and Doctorate), is a really big deal there. People who go actually want to go. We need to encourage students to take on those blue-collar jobs, attend tech school or community college, and give people ways to make a living other than going to college. Or start doing apprenticeships again. Only then will people be going to school because they want to, not because they have to in order to get a job. If you look at most entry-level positions today that pay anything remotely close to a living, you have to have at least a college degree. This forces people to get one, whether they actually will learn anything related to their field or not. College isn’t, and shouldn’t, be for everyone. It should be because you want to go, or need to in order to get that career. Not just to be able to make a decent living, or because you have to have one just to be able to work in the first place. Plus, with less people attending college, the lower the education costs would be to make college free for students attending.
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I guess free college is possible. In Germany they offer free college education (my bestfriend is studying there).
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Free college would be nice, but at least low cost should be a goal. Great post!
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Great post and points. I’m for the middle ground. I think the costs are extreme. I went to an average college and I’m still paying off school loans and had a lot of credit card debt at an early age to pay for living expenses the loans did not cover.
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I wonder if there is a way to meet in the middle somehow. I think both sides have valid points, but there has to be a way to find a win-win situation for everyone. Maybe it’s time to come up with a more creative/cost effective way of schooling?
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in Australia, our degree costs which are set by the universities are capped and monitored by the government so they aren’t crazy high. We also have the option to pay up front or defer payment until we start earning a certain amount from full time work… I think it’s a good middle ground system, meaning that education of all levels is still attainable for people of every socio-economic background.
Unfortunately I think this is one of the issues America seems to be behind in… We definitely don’t have a flawless education system but at least I’m not drowning in debt as a result!
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I think college should not be free coz if it will be free then student will not take things seriously. so i guess we can think of low cost.
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I think college should be affordable as opposed to free. This way only people who really want to go will do. Places are limited and you wouldn’t want lots of students enrolling on a course and not taking it seriously, whilst someone who genuinely wanted it, had not been able to get a place.
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