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Many people view college as the first step to a bright future. However, college tuitions are expensive, and students are doing everything possible to pay for it. They are applying for scholarships, working part time, and taking out loans if necessary. Many people are demanding free college tuition. This means that the government would fully support college students by paying their tuition. But does getting free education necessarily mean those students will receive a better education? I must agree that most colleges demand tuition that is unreasonably expensive, and people cannot afford it. Something should be done to regulate tuition so students will not go thousands of dollars in debt.
Some people may argue that providing free college for everyone would be a mistake. Attending college is a choice that individuals make, and they should be responsible for it. Government is already helping people out through financial aid so that students pay less. Life is hard, and the most important things are not free. Paying for one’s education is a big step into the future as an adult. If education was government funded, clearly, most people would attend; we cannot conclude that they will be better educated.
Our college education system would change negatively if government covered our tuition. College would be similar to public schools. We all know that public schools in the United States are not the best choice. For this reason many people are sending their children to private schools to get a better education. Like most students, I attended public school. From experience, I can agree with many people that public schools are not the best way to get a better education.
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Public schools do not motivate most students to strive for success. Instead, forcing children who want to do well into the classroom with children who do not care inhibits them, simply because the environment is negative. Colleges would suffer the same fate. Many people would use the chance to get a free education, simply because it is free, and would again create a negative learning environment for people who want to learn.
College is a big step for our future. We are adults, and we are going to face similar challenges in life. Zwaagstra, a high school teacher, and the author of What’s Wrong with Our Schools: and How We Can Fix Them, stated in a news report interview that the government already pays some of the college tuition and the students should step up with their responsibility to pay the rest. Zwaagstra stated that, “The person receives the benefit is expected to contribute something toward it…”
Since college is an individual choice, students should be responsible for it. By paying for tuition they are getting a college education about also learning how other things in life work. Sooner or later everyone is going to buy a house and pay bills. Paying for tuition is just the first step to life as an adult. We cannot accept our government to pay our bills in the future. Even though free college tuition seems like a great idea, it is going to damage in the long run the society with life preparation. Education does not only come from attending college. There are many other types of way someone can be educated.
College is not everyone’s path. There are many trade schools that train people for a certain career with good pay, such as athletes, artists, construction workers, plumbers, hair and makeup artists and many more. Another reason why people do not attend college is because college level is advanced compared to high school. Everything is fast-paced, and lots of hard work is required to perform well. It is sad to say this, but not everyone is qualified to attend a higher education.
In the article “Are Too Many Students Going To College?” the writers talked about why students are failing to graduate, and why college might not be the choice for them. Charles Murray, one of the authors stated, “It has been empirically demonstrated that doing well (B average or better) in a traditional college major in the arts and sciences requires levels of linguistic and logical/mathematical ability that only 10 to 15 percent of the nation’s youth possess. That doesn’t mean that only 10 to 15 percent should get more than a high-school education. It does mean that the four-year residential program leading to a B.A. is the wrong model for a large majority of young people.” What Murray means is that not everyone is academically prepared for college. It would be a waste of taxpayers’ money if government covered tuition for all people, if in reality only 15 percent are qualified to be in college.
In contrast to my opinion, the majority of people believe that the best choice to educate people is through tuition paid by the government. The main reason these individuals believe that free education would beneficial is because many more people would have a chance to get an education, and therefore more of the population would be educated. Another reason is because college tuition is very expensive, and free tuition would save many people from going deep under debt.
Clemmitt, in an article about student debt, addressed how much the debt has increased. Clemmitt stated, “Student debt surpassed credit-card debt in June 2010 for the first time in history, rising to about $830 billion—or nearly 6 percent of the nation’s annual economic output. Meanwhile, new student loans surpassed $100 billion for the first time in the 2010-2011 academic year.” This is outrageous, and I absolutely agree that something should be done with regulating tuition, but making college free for everyone is not the best choice, because of the lessons that come with paying for college.
Another reason why people believe in free college tuition is that it would lead to more jobs. There are people today who are overeducated and still cannot find a job. There are only so many jobs available for people who have college degrees. Just because one has a degree does not mean that there is a job for them. As I stated above, there are many jobs that only require training but are well paid. Education comes in many ways; college is not the only choice for preparation.
My opinion on this topic is mostly shaped by my life events. I have struggled to get to this point, and nothing was handed to me. What pulled me through was my motivation. Motivation is an important factor in success. Everyone needs to be motivated by something and have a reason to do the thing they strive to do. The motives of my actions are driven by passion and the hope of being able to continue to do the things I love.
My family and I originally came from Bangladesh. My uncle settled in the United States, where he brought the rest of the family. Even though I came to America a couple of years ago, we were raised as a traditional Bengali family, and my uncle made sure we never forgot where we came from. He always told us that we could never know where we are going unless we know where we came from. He wanted us to have an American education but also still have our traditional values that honor dedication, hard work, respect for others and giving back to the community.
When I came to the United States, I struggled with many challenges, especially in language. My English was not as good as other students. Most of the time I did not understand what the teacher was saying in class. I worked hard to keep my grades up. When I was in tenth grade, I started to catch up with the other students. I took multiple advanced classes in high school. I learned to reject influences that caused me to deviate from my goals of higher education and becoming a good businessman. So I applied for scholarships, and financial aid. I happily took on the debt that came with my college, and even work multiple jobs to pay it off. I know that it will all pay off in the end. I accepted that I am ultimately responsible for how my life turns out. I have learned that my ambition can take me any place I want to go.
However many people do not take education as seriously as I do. They are not willing to pay or do what is necessary to get ahead in life. The government is already generous in offering us financial aid. Also, a hard working person is never left behind, there are many scholarships that help and even offer full rides. In conclusion, tuition supported by the government does not specifically cause people to get a better education.
Free college tuition can change the education system to be similar to the one that runs public schools. Beyond getting an education in college we are being exposed to life as adults. Later in life we are going to pay our bills, which is what paying for college is teaching us. Although, college seems like the best choice for a better education, it is not. There are people who get a career by training and are well paid. There are also people who are not at the college level. In short, free education is not better education.
Works Cited
- “Are Too Many Students Going To College?” Chronicle Of Higher Education 56.12 (2009): B7-B10. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.
- Billitteri, Thomas J. “The Value of a College Education.” CQ Researcher 20 Nov. 2009: 981-1004. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.
- Clemmitt, Marcia. “Student Debt.” CQ Researcher 21 Oct. 2011: 877-900. Web. 13 Feb. 2015.
- Zelon, Helen. “Private Funders Struggle to Make an Impact on Education Reform.” Do Schools Prepare Students for a Global Economy? Ed. JudeenBardos. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012.
- At Issue. Rpt. from “In Public School Reform, What Can Private Money Buy?” City Limits 26 Sept. 2011. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.
- Zwaagstra, Michael. “Why Free Tuition Is A Bad Idea (June 4, 2012). “YouTube. YouTube, 04 June 2012. Web. 13 Feb. 2015.
References
- College as Country Club: Do Colleges Cater to Students’ Preferences for Consumption?
- Do Free College Proposals Help Students? Yes, Some More Than Others
- Why Are Some Colleges Tuition-Free and Others Not?
- Cut chancellors and drop tuition to save education: Nine action steps
- Democrats’ plan to cancel student debt may not make college more affordable
