Is Universal Free Education worth it?
The higher education system is damaged. Many argue that the overall costs of attendance at the public and private post-secondary instructions is very expensive. It leaves students with thousands of dollars in debt alongside with their degree. These costs come with many stressors including the uncertainty of attendance due to lack of funds and resources. Although there may be several obstacles regarding funding, universal free education should be available to all in the United States.
Our education system today is tremendously flawed in several ways. Here are a few of them listed. There are head officials that hold their seat with the sole purpose of achieving a high social standing with a high pay grade. Also, with many changes in K-12 schools, post-secondary institutions are left to fend for themselves. Private colleges and universities around the world are exclusively funded and public universities are funded by national or subnational governments. Yet, despite the improving economy, school spending hasn’t changed in recent years. There is a high number of students who graduate from high school that don’t know their next steps. The buildup of thirteen years of schooling leaves students feeling scrambled.
The problem isn’t always with the students. Sponsors of free tuition experience financial issues also. “The Property Value Effects of Universal Tuition Vouchers” is an article from the Journal of Housing Research that recognizes a small low-income school district on the west side of San Antonio, Texas– the Edgewood Independent School District (EISD). The EISD was comprised of 14,142 students enrolled in the 1997-1998 school year. The EISD created the Edgewood Voucher program (EVP) that provided free tuition vouchers for all public and private schools in the district. The EVP was sponsored privately with $52.4 million spread out between the 1997-1998 and 2007-2008 school years. This program ultimately failed due to a lack of funds and resources. The sponsors didn’t account for the population surge due to their new enacted program. Ironically, the EVP was shut down because they could no longer afford it. If sponsors cannot afford K-12 tuition vouchers for low income families, how are low income families supposed to pay for higher education on?
Affording universal college tuition should not be difficult with proper planning. However, with free college tuition comes other changes in the higher education system. Nowadays, the word “tax” comes with a negative connotation, but taxes are the oldest and most effective way to build almost anything from the ground up. If there were additional taxes on minor things like cigarettes, tolls, and postage stamps, it could easily accumulate thousands of dollars in a matter of months. Test trials, experiments, and case studies can determine the validity and reliability of the free tuition concept.
In Bob Samuels’ article, “Why All Public Higher Education Should be Free”, he outlines several ways the government is already spending the money that could be used to fund free tuition. I chose this source because Samuels lists the reason why college tuition should be free and formulates potential solutions. He states, “the government is currently spending billions of dollars on for-profit schools and other colleges and universities that have very low graduation rates”. This money that is pumped into various failing schools could be used to offer students free tuition. Samuels also adds, “only 30% of Americans who start college or University end up graduating”. Once this money is spent, there is no refund or exchange policy in the realm of post-secondary institutions.
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Nevertheless, there is some opposition to free universal tuition. Some believe that the costs are never free, just passed down from person to person, then corporation to corporation. Andrew Kelly, Director of the Center of Education Reform at the American Enterprise Institute, claims that “free public college is a great political talking point, but is a flawed policy” in his article, “The Problem Is That Free College Isn’t Free”. Free tuition has many bad connotations and doesn’t sit right with conservative lawmakers. This article shows the other hand in the argument. It almost debunks the “myth” of free college tuition. Another argument speaks on the fact that tuition isn’t the expensive problem. Room and board, textbooks, and other fees then come into question. For example, my room and board is almost double the costs of my tuition. Is tuition cost the only problem that we face?
The benefits of universal free tuition are endless. This concept lessens the burden for non-traditional students. Those who do not need a meal plan or housing can obtain a college education from an accredited college or university. Universal free college tuition also opens the door for anyone who wants an education to go out and get one. It can easily help our economy and close wage gaps between the poor and working class. With a greater percentage of people with a degree, the more people who can be managers, CEOs, HR workers, lawyers and doctors.
So, I ask again, is universal free college tuition worth it? Yes, it is. A college degree today is looked at like a high school diploma. It’s the automatic next step. We are primed from early on that college is not an option but a necessity. Yet people are deprived of the privilege to attend post-secondary institutions solely because of the costs. The limited number of scholarships in certain areas do not cover every college student. Why is this important to me? Think back at the time when you were in high school. Everyone’s experience isn’t the same. Some students are almost guaranteed a college education based on demographics, social standing, and household income. Other students are unsure when their next meal is. It’s difficult to think about but for some, tuition funding is a major factor on whether someone is going to college. Social standing and family income alone should not determine whether or not you deserve a fair education at a higher institution.
Works Cited
- Lynch, Matthew. “10 Reasons the U.S. Education System Is Failing.” Education Week – Education Futures: Emerging Trends in K-12. Education Week, 29 Aug. 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. <http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/education_futures/2015/08/10_reasons_the_us_education_system_is_failing.html>.
- Kelly, Andrew P. “The New York Times Company.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 20 Jan. 2016. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.<https://www.nytimes.eom/roomfordebate/2016/01/20/should-college-be-free/the-problem-is-that-free-college-isnt-free>.
- Samuels, Bob. “Why All Public Higher Education Should Be Free.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 18 Nov. 2011. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-samuels/why-all-public-higher-edu_b_1099437.html>.
- Merrifield, John, Kerry King-Adzima, Todd Nesbit, and Hiran Gunasekara. “The Property Value Effects of Universal Tuition Vouchers.” Journal of Housing Research, vol. 20, no.2 (n.d.):225-38.
